In 1 Rowland Hill was appointed Sheriff of London.
Around 1498 Rowland Hill was born to Thomas Hill of Hodnet, Shropshire and Margaret Wilbrahim
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 14th July 1541. The 14th daie of Julie the Kinges Grace sent to the Lord Major of Londona from Anthill, by Philiper, one of his Yeomen of [the] Grarde, a great stagge and tow fatt buckes, to make merie with his brethren the Aldermen; wherfore, the sevententh daie of this month, being Soundaie, my lord major had to dynner with him at his house nynetene aldermen besides himself, which made twentithe, and divers of their wiffes, to eate the venery; and that daie after dinner at his table, sittinge [as host], chose Mr. Rowland Hill [aged 43], mercer, and a Comminer, sherive for the Kinge for the next yeare, according to the old custome of this citie.
Note a. Sir William Roche.
On 18th May 1542 Rowland Hill [aged 44] was knighted.
In 1549 Rowland Hill [aged 51] was appointed Lord Mayor of London.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th November 1553. The sam day at after-non dyd prych master Feknam [aged 38] at sant Sthevyns in Walbroke, and ther wher serten pepull mad besenes for the sermon, and ther wher juge Browne [aged 44], ser Rownland Hyll [aged 55], ser Rechard Dobes [aged 22], ser John Yorke [aged 43]; and sum wher sent to the mare [mayor], and to the Conter.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 16th January 1554. The xvj day of January was bered master Wylliam, marchand of the stapull of Callys, with mony mornars [at] sant Androus ondershaft, as ser Rowland Hyll [aged 56], ser Hare Hubbellthorne, ser Androu Jude, and dyvers aldermen, with .... stayffes torchys, and ij whyt branchys, and a good sermon; .... powre men and women had good gownes.
In 1561 Rowland Hill [aged 63] died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 30th September 1561. The xxx day of September my lord mayre [aged 52] and the althermen and the new shreyffes toke ther barges at the iij cranes in the Vintre and so to Westmynster, and so into the Cheker, and ther toke ther hoythe [oath]; and ser Rowland Hyll whent up, and master Hogys toke ser Rowland Hyll a choppyng kneyff, and one dyd hold a whyt rod, and he with the kneyff cute the rod in sunder a-for all the pepull; and after to London to ther plases to dener, my lord mayre and all the althermen and mony worshephulle men.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Henry Machyn's Diary. 25th October 1561. The sam tyme was delt thrugh alle the wardes of London xijd. a howse for ser Rowland Hylle, late mayre of London, behyng vere syke that time.... master Nowelle [aged 44], the dene of Powlles.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 28th October 1561. The xxviij day of October at xij of the cloke at mydnyght ded good ser Rowland Hylle knyght and late mayre of this nobull cette of London, and merser, the wyche he ded of the strangwyllyon.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th November 1561. The v day of November was bered in sant Stephen's in Walbroke ser Rowland Hylle, latt mare and altherman and mercer and knyght, with a standard and v pennons of armes, and a cott armur and a helmet, a crest, sword, and mantyll, and xj dosen of skochyons of armes; and he gayff a c. gownes and cottes to men and women; and ther wher ij haroldes of armes, master Clarenshux [aged 51] and master Somersett, and my lord mayre [aged 65] morner, the cheyff morner; ser Recherd Lee, master Corbett, with dyvers odur morners, ser Wylliam Cordell, ser Thomas Offeley [aged 61], ser Martens Bowes [aged 64] and master Chamburlan althermen, and the ij shreyffes, and master Chambur .. and master Blakewell, with mony mo morners, and a 1. pore men in good blake gownes, besyd women; and the dene of Powlles [aged 44] mad the sermon; and after all done my lord mayre and mony and althermen whent to the Mercers' hall and the craft to dener, and the resedu to ys plase to dener, and grett mon mad [moan made] for ys deth, and he gayff myche to the pore.
Note. P. 271. Death and funeral of the good sir Rowland Hill. This reverend senator has the highest character given him in his epitaph, which was placed "on a faire stone in the south aile of St. Stephen's Walbrook:"
A friend to vertue, a lover of learning,
A foe to vice, and vehement corrector,
A prudent person, all truth supporting;
A citizen sage, and worthy counsellor;
A lover of wisdome, of justice a furtherer,
Loe, here his corps lyeth, sir Rowland Hill by name,
Of London late lord maier, and alderman of fame.
He was the son of [his father] Thomas Hill, of Hodnet in Shropshire; was sheriff 1541–2; lord mayor 1549–50. He founded a grammar school at Drayton in Shropshire, and performed other admirable acts of beneficence recorded by Stowe in his Survay, in his chapter "Honour of Citizens." "He dwelled in Walbrook, over against the said church of St. Stephen; and was buried at St. Stephen's in Walbrook 1561." Arms, Azure, two bars argent, on a canton sable a chevron between three pheons of the second, an eagle's head erased of the third, between two mullets gules. (List by Wm. Smith, Rouge-dragon.)
father: Thomas Hill of Hodnet, Shropshire
Grandfather: Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey in Cheshire
mother: Margaret Wilbrahim