Thomas Rosewell

Reverend Thomas Rosewell was born 3 May 1630 at Dunkerton, Somerset. Thomas was the only son of Richard Rosewell (c.1588-1640) of Dunkerton, gentleman, and Grace Melborn. Richard Rosewell's parents were William Rosewell (c.1561- c.1620) and Cecilia Codrington. William's father was Thomas Rosewell (c.1532-c.1591), of Dunkerton and Thomas’s father was William Rosewell (d.1568) also of Dunkerton. This last William Rosewell was a brother to William Rosewell of Loxton, father of William Rosewell, Solicitor General to Queen Elizabeth I

Thomas married (1) Susannah Strickland (d.1661) on 29 May 1656 and (2) a widow, Anne Godsalve (née Wanley) on 9 Jan 1677. He had three children by his first wife and four by the second including Reverend Samuel Rosewell.

Thomas Rosewell was raised by his uncle James Rosewell and attended school in Bath and London. Thomas graduated from Pembroke College Oxford 8 Jul 1651 and became the rector of Rode, Somerset (1653-58) and of Sutton Mandeville, Wiltshire (1658) until ejected 2 Sep1662 for non conformity. On 25 October 1684 Thomas, then a non-conformist minister at Rotherhithe, Surrey, was tried in Westminster Hall by “Hanging” Judge Jeffries for high treason and sentenced to death. Two months later, after widespread protest, he was pardoned by King Charles II.

Reverend Thomas Rosewell died at Bermondsey, Surrey on 14 Feb 1692 and was buried at Bunhill Fields, London.

References

Jim Benedict (2004) ‘Rosewell, Thomas (1630-1692)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press.