James Rolleston

Citations

1. [S854] Sir Bernard Burke, History of the the Colonial Gentry, page 604 - James Rolleston of Ley [with whom the Nottinghamshire Visitation begins] - he married Anne, daughter of Johnn Babington, of Dethick, co. Derby and had issue: Thomas of Ley, Ralph [of whom we treat], Henry, & William [a priest].
2. [S918] Charles Cox, Noteson the Churches of Derbyshire, On the opposite side of the chancel is a well-preserved brass to the memory of James Rolleston, of Lea, and his wife Anna, the daughter of John Babington, of Dethick. The inscription, which runs round the margin of the stone, is to the following effect:-
   " Hie jacent Jacobus Rolleston de le ley armiger, et Anna uxor ejus, filia Johanuis Babyngton de Dedyck, armigeri, qui quidam Jacobus Rollestou obiit ... die mensis . . . Anno Dm Millessimo 6'° . . . et predicta Anna obiit quinto decimo die Februarii Anno Dni Millessimo 5'° vii, quorum animabus propicietur Dens. Amen." The spaces here left for the day, month, and year of the husband's decease, show that this tomb was erected during the lifetime of James Rolleston to his own memory and that of his wife. This was not an unusual custom, and it is curious that there are very numerous instances extant in which the descendants, as in this case, neglected to fill up the vacant spaces when death had taken place. The centre of the stone is occupied with brass effigies of the knight and his lady, whilst below them are the representations of their nine daughters and four sons. At the four corners are the cavities or matiices where escutcheons were originally placed; but these have all disappeared. The effigies merit a word or two of description, as they are good examples of the armour and dress of the period. The knight is clad in plate armour, but with his head and hands uncovered. The upper part of the body is protected by a cuirass. From the pauldrons, or shoulder-pieces, rise passe-gardes for the defence of the neck. To the bottom of the cuirass are buckled long pointed tuiletles for the protection of the thighs, whilst behind them appears a skirt of mail. The feet are clad in the round-toed clumsy sabbatom, a great contrast to the pointed sollerets to which they immediately succeeded. All these particulars are eminently characteristic of the armour of the first few years of the sixteenth century, and it is somewhat strange to find that the sword, though girded at the left side, falls across the front of the left leg, instead of crossing behind the legs as was customary at this period. The cross haft of the dagger also appears below the right elbow. The lady is dressed in a long flowing robe with tight sleeves, which fits closely to the figure above the waist. It is confined at the waist by a broad ornamented belt, with a long pendant, and reaching almost to the feet. She wears the angular head-dress that prevailed in the latter part of the reign of Henry VII. and for several subsequent years. It is pointed stiffly over the forehead, and descends in embroidered lappets over the shoulders and back. It was usually made of velvet. The nine girls below their mother are faithful miniatures of her appearance, but the boys are dressed in long plain tunies.
   The pedigrees* only furnish the names of the four sons and one of the daughters. Ralph, who married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Richard Bingham; Thomas, who married Elizabeth (or Agnes, as one authority has it), daughter and heiress of John Turvile, of Newhall; Henry; William " clericus;" and Matilda, who married Ralph Blackwell. Probably the other daughters died spinsters, or in their infancy.
   The family of Rolleston came from Rolleston in Staffordshire. In the fourteenth century, a younger son of Sir Ralph Rolleston purchased the manor of Lea from the Frechevilles. Shortly afterwards, William Rolleston married a daughter of Roger de Wynfield, of Edelstow Hall; and by this alliance his great grandson, the James Rolleston of the monument, eventually became also entitled to the OldHall Manor, one of the four manors into which, as we have already stated, Ashover was divided. The two manors of Lea and Old-Hall remained in the family till the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when this branch of the Rollestons became extinct, and the estates passed to the Pershalls of Horsley, Stafford.
   The date of the death of James Rolleston is not known, but he was a witness to the will of Thomas Babington in 1518.
   
   
3. [S912] Daniel & Samuel Lysons, Magna Britannia: Volume 5:, pages 3-23 - The Old-hall manor was conveyed by Ralph de Reresby, in 1337, to Roger, son of Robert de Wynfield, of Edelstow-hall, who purchased also the the fourth share which had belonged to Henry Musters, since which period the Old Hall manor, and Musters's manor, have been united. The heiress of Ralph, son of Roger de Wynfield, brought these manors to Robert Plumley, who, dying without issue, they passed to James Rolleston, Esq. of Lea, in the parish of Ashover, whose great grandfather had married a daughter of Roger de Wynfield above-mentioned. These manors continued in the Rolleston family, till the Lea branch became extinct, about the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, when they passed by marriage, or settlement, to the Peshalls, or Pershalls of Horsley in Staffordshire. In the year 1648, Sir John Pershall Bart, sold his manors of Ashover and Lea, to Richard Hodgkinson, and Giles Cowley of the former place, who soon afterwards sold Ashover in four shares.
4. [S911] The History, Gazatteer and Directory of the County of Derby
   , page 52 - Three-fourths of the Old hall manor was conveyed by Ralph de Reresby in 1337, and one-fourth, which had belonged to the Musters, to Roger, son of Robert de Wynfield, of Eillestow hall. This manor passed by marriage to Robert Plumley, who dying without issue, it became the property of James RoUeston, of Lea, whose great grandfather had married a daughter of Roger de Wynfield. The manors of Ashover and Lea, belonging to the Rollcstons, passed by marriage, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, to the Pershalls, of Ilorsley, in Staffordshire. In 161ß Sir John Pershall, bart. sold them to Richard Hodgkinson, and Giles Cowley. Reresby manor was resold by them, and became the property of the Bournes, the Marchioness of Ormond as representative of the Clarkes, and the late Sir Joseph Banks through the Hodgkinsons. Edlestow hall was purchased, in 1808, by Mr. John Milnes, of the widow of the Rev. John Bourne, of Spital, who obtained it through the Gladwins. The Perpoynts' share of the original estate became the property of the Babingtons, of Dethicfc, who sold it to Sir Thomas Reresby, and it passed with his other estates in Ashover, by sale : viz. three sevenths to the late Sir Joseph Banks, now the property of William Milnes, esq. one-seventh to the Duke of Devonshire, one-seventh to Sir Henry Hunloke, bart. one-seventh to the representatives of the late John Woodyeare, esq. of Crookhill, and the remaining seventh in severalties. The hall is the property of Samuel Button, of Chesterfield, esq. and it is tenanted by a farmer.