Roger Hill (judge)
Encyclopedia
Roger Hill of Poundsford in Somerset
, was an English judge and Member of Parliament
.
Hill was born at Colyton
in Devon
, the eldest son of William Hill of Poundisford Park
, member of a family of Somerset squires who could trace their ancestry back to a Sir John Hill in the reign of Edward III
. He was admitted to the Inner Temple
on 22 March 1624, and was called to the bar on 10 February 1632, becoming a bencher
of the Inn in 1649. In March 1644, he was the junior of the five counsel employed against Archbishop Laud
, and from 1646 headed a set of Chambers in the Temple. Though named in the commission for the trial of the King
he never sat on it, but he subsequently served as assistant to the attorney-general during the Commonwealth. He also represented Taunton
in the Short Parliament
and Bridport
in the Long Parliament
, remaining an active member of the Rump
, and served as Recorder
of Bridport
.
Hill was appointed a Serjeant-at-Law
in 1655, Judge of Assize in 1656, a Baron of the Exchequer in 1657. In that capacity, he assisted at the ceremony of investiture of the Lord Protector in June 1657; and as one of the judges attendant on Cromwell
's House of Peers, he delivered a message from them to the Commons in the following January. In the summer of 1658 he went on the Oxford circuit with Chief Justice Glynne, an account of the proceedings of which, "writ in drolling verse", was published soon afterwards. On 17 January 1660, he was transferred from the Exchequer to the Upper Bench.
At the Restoration
Hill escaped any serious sanction, but was not confirmed in his rank of serjeant, apparently in disapproval of his membership of the Rump, since most of the other serjeants made during the Commonwealth were allowed to keep their rank.
Hill married three times. His first marriage, in 1635, was to Katherine Green (d. 1638), daughter of Giles Green
of Allington
, by whom he had a son and a daughter. Then, in 1641, he married Abigail Gurdon (d. 1658), daughter of Brampton Gurdon of Assington
Hall in Suffolk
, by whom he had one son, Sir Roger Hill, who was knighted by Charles II
in 1668. His third marriage, in 1662, to Abigail Barnes, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Barnes, brought him an estate at Aldborough Hatch
in Essex
, where he died on 21 April 1667. He was buried in the Temple Church
.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, was an English judge and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Hill was born at Colyton
Colyton, Devon
Colyton is a small town in Devon, England. It is located within the East Devon local authority area. It is 3 miles away from Seaton and 6 miles away from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783.-History:...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the eldest son of William Hill of Poundisford Park
Poundisford Park
Poundisford Park north of Pitminster, Somerset, England is an English country house that typifies progressive house-building on the part of the West Country gentry in the mid-16th century...
, member of a family of Somerset squires who could trace their ancestry back to a Sir John Hill in the reign of Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. He was admitted to the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
on 22 March 1624, and was called to the bar on 10 February 1632, becoming a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of the Inn in 1649. In March 1644, he was the junior of the five counsel employed against Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, and from 1646 headed a set of Chambers in the Temple. Though named in the commission for the trial of the King
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
he never sat on it, but he subsequently served as assistant to the attorney-general during the Commonwealth. He also represented Taunton
Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)
Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset...
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
and Bridport
Bridport (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridport was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
in the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
, remaining an active member of the Rump
Rump Parliament
The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason....
, and served as Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Bridport
Bridport
Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...
.
Hill was appointed a Serjeant-at-Law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
in 1655, Judge of Assize in 1656, a Baron of the Exchequer in 1657. In that capacity, he assisted at the ceremony of investiture of the Lord Protector in June 1657; and as one of the judges attendant on Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's House of Peers, he delivered a message from them to the Commons in the following January. In the summer of 1658 he went on the Oxford circuit with Chief Justice Glynne, an account of the proceedings of which, "writ in drolling verse", was published soon afterwards. On 17 January 1660, he was transferred from the Exchequer to the Upper Bench.
At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
Hill escaped any serious sanction, but was not confirmed in his rank of serjeant, apparently in disapproval of his membership of the Rump, since most of the other serjeants made during the Commonwealth were allowed to keep their rank.
Hill married three times. His first marriage, in 1635, was to Katherine Green (d. 1638), daughter of Giles Green
Giles Green
Giles Green of Allington in Dorset was a 17th-century English Member of Parliament .Green was a prominent citizen of Weymouth, and the town records show payments to him "towards a key and slipp which he hath built upon the town ground on the East side of his house in Hell Lane"; he was one of the...
of Allington
Allington, Dorset
Allington is a large village and civil parish in Dorset, England. The village has a population of 614 according to the 2001 Census.Allington Hill is an Iron Age hill fort risingto 90m above the village, now managed by the Woodland Trust...
, by whom he had a son and a daughter. Then, in 1641, he married Abigail Gurdon (d. 1658), daughter of Brampton Gurdon of Assington
Assington
Assington is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located near Sudbury, in 2005 it had a population of 380....
Hall in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, by whom he had one son, Sir Roger Hill, who was knighted by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in 1668. His third marriage, in 1662, to Abigail Barnes, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Barnes, brought him an estate at Aldborough Hatch
Aldborough Hatch
Aldborough Hatch is a district of London, England, located in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is part of the Ilford post town and is situated at OS grid reference TQ455895. The earliest recorded use of the name is Aldborough Hacche ....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where he died on 21 April 1667. He was buried in the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
.