Rowland Hill (MP)

Sir Rowland Hill of London and Soulton Hall (ca. 1495–1561) was the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London. He was a merchant, statesman and philanthropist.

Rowland Hill, born at Hodnet, Shropshire about 1495, was the eldest son of Thomas Hill and Margaret Wilbraham, daughter of Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey, Cheshire. He had a younger brother, William, and four sisters, Agnes, Joan, Jane and Elizabeth.

He was apprenticed to a London mercer, Thomas Kitson, obtaining his freedom of the Company in 1519. He then became a leading merchant adventurer, with the centre of his business operations being in the parish of St Stephen Walbrook, where he owned a property fronting onto Walbrook. He was churchwarden of St Stephens between 1525 and 1526.

Hill was prominent in the affairs of the Mercers' Company. He was warden between 1535–6, and between 1543–4 and 1550–51 and 1555-6.

In 1541–2, he was elected sheriff of the City of London. From 28–30 March 1542, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London on the orders of the House of Commons, as a result of his 'abuse' of the Sergeant of Parliament sent to secure the release of George Ferrers, a member of parliament imprisoned for debt in the Bread Street Counter. The King, Henry VIII, took the side of the House of Commons in this case of member's privilege; however, he showed favour to Hill shortly after the affair by knighting him on 18 May 1542. This was during the prorogation of the parliament.

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