James Rolland (24 November 1802 – 20 November 1889) was a Scot who became a member of the

New Zealand Legislative Council The New Zealand Legislative Council () was the upper house of the General Assembly of New Zealand between 1853 and 1951. An earlier arrangement of New Zealand Legislative Council (1841–1853), legislative councils for the colony and provinces ...

from 8 July 1865 to 24 January 1866, when he resigned.

Life

He was born in Fife, Scotland in 1802, the son of 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 Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

Principal Clerk of Session, and Anne Elizabeth Newbigging. In Edinburgh he was a practicing

Writer to the Signet The Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of documen ...

. In 1859 he emigrated to

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

in New Zealand on the ship ''Alpine'' with his wife and family. He lived at Gask Lodge on the Clutha River near Kaitangata, and also bought Blackstone Hill station in Central Otago, later selling it to his sons. His wife died in 1861 and is buried in Kaitangata cemetery. In 1866 he returned to Edinburgh, where he lived, at 43 Melville Street, until his death. He is buried with his parents and grandparents in St Cuthbert's Churchyard in the city centre. The grave lies on a wall to the north-west of the church.

Family

In 1840 he married Maria Rebecca Stothert. His niece, Susan Rolland, married Rev Robert Rainy. He had a fairly large family and his grandchildren included Sir Frank Rolland.

References

1802 births 1889 deaths Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council 19th-century New Zealand politicians {{NewZealand-politician-stub