Rowland Hill (MP)
Sir Rowland Hill | |
|---|---|
Portrait of the Rt Hon. Sir Rowland Hill MP | |
| Publisher of the Geneva Bible, Lord Mayor of London, Privy Counsellor, Member of Parliament, Sheriff of London, Member of the Council of Wales and the Marches, Master Mercer | |
| Lord Mayor of London | |
| In office 1549–1550 | |
| Monarch | Edward VI |
| Preceded by | Sir Henry Amcotes |
| Succeeded by | Sir Andrew Judde |
| Sheriff of London | |
| In office 1542–1543 | |
| Monarch | Henry VIII |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1495 |
| Died | 29 October 1561 |
| Resting place | St Stephen Walbrook, London 51°30′45.46″N 0°5′23.71″W / 51.5126278°N 0.0899194°W |
| Relations | Viscount Hill Sir Rowland Hill Jane Austen Mary Shakespeare Reginald Corbet |
| Signature | |
Sir Rowland Hill of Soulton (also recorded as Roland or Rouland Hyll or Hylle, and potentially Hall and Haule; c. 1495–1561) was an English polymath, statesman, merchant, and philanthropist. He was a central figure in the publishing and later historiography of the Geneva Bible. While traditionally identified as its 'publisher,' his primary role was that of a high-level patron and state official; as a Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes under Elizabeth I, he held the legal authority to oversee and authorize the circulation of religious texts during the Elizabethan settlement.
Hill is remembered as the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London (1549–1550). A prominent figure during the reigns of four Tudor monarchs, he was instrumental in the political and religious shifts of the English Reformation. His legacy is defined by his extensive charitable works, his patronage of the arts, and his status as the likely inspiration for the character "Old Sir Rowland" in William Shakespeare's play As You Like It.