William Rosewell (gentleman)

William Rosewell (c. 1500–1570) was a gentleman and landholder of Loxton, Somerset, England. He was the father of William Rosewell (d. 1566) the Solicitor-General to Queen Elizabeth I. He was named as a one of the trustee in his son's will of 1566 and managed his son's estates in Somerset while his son's children were under age.

William Rosewell (Rowswell, Rowsewell, Ruswell, Rewsell) was born about 1500, the fourth son of Richard Rosewell (Rowswell) (c. 1473-1543) of Bradford on Tone, Somerset who married Alice Seeley (Ceelie, Ceelye, Scelye) of North Curry, Somerset.

His brothers were: John Rowswell of Bradford on Tone; Reverend Adam Rowswell; and William Rosewell (Rowswell) of Dunkerton, Somerset.

He had one sister, Joan, who married Thomas Foreacre (Foweraker, Voraker) of Bradford on Tone.

One source suggests that Agnes Dyer of Wincanton married William Rosewell of Loxton but she married William's brother, John. No record of the marriage of William Rosewell has been found and a wife is not mentioned in his will of 5 July 1570 so it is presumed that she had predeceased him. However, the parish records for Loxton show two burials which provide evidence of a wife and her name: William Rewsell, 17 July 1570 and Ares Rewsell, 17 April 1569. His wife may have been the widow of someone named Dyer as, in his will, William makes a bequest to his daughter in law (step daughter?) Joan Dyer. He also claims kinship with the Smythie (Smythe) family of Bristol and Wrington, Somerset, so his wife may have been a member of that family.

In his will he names two children: his son William, deceased; and daughter Agnes married to George Badram (Budram). George Badram is identified as a cousin by Robert Smythe of Bristol.

Little is known about the life of William Rosewell from his birth at Bradford on Tone about 1500 to his death at Loxton in 1570. However, from some recorded events and from his will it appears that he was an educated and well respected man of some means. He was related to, and friends of, influential people and was prepared to invest in the education of his son, William, who became Solicitor-General.

He was named as overseer in the 1541 will of William Davys of Bleadon; overseer in the 1545 will of Thomas Willinson, Parson of Christon; and witnessed the 1546 will of Robert Alan of Loxton. In 1556 he and his son, William, purchased the manor and advowson of Yarlington, Somerset. He was the collector of subsidy in Bath Forum Hundred in 1557. In 1564 with son William and nephew Thomas Rosewell of Dunkerton he purchased Limington Manor, Somerset. By the time of the Somerset Muster in 1569, when he was acting as trustee of his son’s estates, he was recorded in the tithing of Loxton and Uphill as: William Rowsewell, gent, one corslet, one gelding for a light horseman furnished, one harquebut, one murrion, one paire of almain rivets furnished.

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