Adam Rolland of Gask

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(1734–1819) was a Scottish judge and philanthropist. He was co-founder of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

, personal friend of Lord Melbourne and the basis of the character of Paul Pleydell in the novel '' Guy Mannering'' by Sir Walter Scott.

Life

He was born in 1734 the son of his namesake, Adam Rolland of Gask. His early education was in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

. He then studied law at the University of Edinburgh alongside

Ilay Campbell Sir Ilay Campbell, 1st Baronet, Lord Succoth, (1734–1823) was a Scottish advocate, judge and politician. He rose to be Lord President of the Court of Session. Life Campbell's birthplace is given as either Argyll or Edinburgh. His mother was ...

and Andrew Crosbie, and qualified as an advocate in 1758. He became an expert on feudal law and later sat as a Judge on the Court of Session. He retired as a judge around 1800, and had an attack of apoplexy. He also became severely deaf. He served as Depute Governor of the Bank of Scotland 1816 until death, replacing

Patrick Miller of Dalswinton Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, just north of Dumfries (1731–1815) was a Scottish banker, shareholder in the Carron Company engineering works and inventor. Miller is buried in a tomb against the southern wall of Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinbur ...

in this role. He died at his home, 15 Queen Street in Edinburgh on 18 August 1819. He is buried with his family in St Cuthbert's Churchyard in the city centre. The grave lies against a wall, north-west of the church.

Legacies

Whilst his estates went to his children he left £13,000 to a number of charitable projects (the equivalent of several million in modern terms). These monies went largely to hospitals and asylums and promotion of Christian interests. The most important donation was £1000 to create a school for the poor in Dunfermline, and the oddest was £500 to the Society for the Suppression of Begging. The Free School in Dunfermline was responsible for the free education of Andrew Carnegie and debatedly Rolland's philanthropy may have inspired Carnegie's. Monies left to his family were used to build Luscar House in Dunfermline.The History of Dunfermline from the Earliest Records, A Mercer His will is held by The National Archive at Kew.

Family

He was married to Ann Rolland (died 1837) and had several children including: Mary Rolland; Adam Rolland (1763–1837); Robert Rolland RN (died on board

HMS Wellesley Two ships of the Royal Navy and one shore establishment have been named HMS ''Wellesley'' after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Ships * HMS ''Wellesley'' was a Royal Navy school ship, formerly HMS ''Cornwall'' and renamed ''Wellesley'' ...

in 1829); John Rolland (a surgeon). Their grandson was

James Rolland James Rolland (24 November 1802 – 20 November 1889) was a Scot who became a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 8 July 1865 to 24 January 1866, when he resigned. Life He was born in Fife, Scotland in 1802, the son of Adam Rol ...

(who came to fame in New Zealand), and their granddaughter Susan Rolland married Rev Robert Rainy.

Artistic recognition

Rolland was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn c.1800. It is now held in the Art Institute of Chicago.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolland, Adam 1734 births 1819 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 18th-century Scottish judges Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from Fife Scottish philanthropists Bank of Scotland people