{"id":106444,"date":"2023-02-21T14:21:06","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T14:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/?p=106444"},"modified":"2023-02-26T15:19:47","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T15:19:47","slug":"bermondsey-history-the-rolls-behind-the-royce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/southwark\/bermondsey-history-the-rolls-behind-the-royce\/","title":{"rendered":"Bermondsey History: The Rolls behind the Royce"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-text\">\n<p>So much in Bermondsey reminds us of the Rolls family. For a start, Rolls Road is named after them and denotes just part of their estate, <em>writes historian Debra Gosling&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>However, they are probably better known for the family that put the Rolls into Rolls-Royce \u2013 among other things. John Rolls started life as the son of a cow-keeper who owned The Grange, once Bermondsey Abbey farm.<\/p>\n<p>When he was born in 1735, his father, Aaron, was a licensed victualler and local land owner who later traded on the Old Kent Road.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"69959\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448384\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">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<\/script>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-106481\" src=\"http:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-new-grange3-500x280.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-new-grange3-500x280.jpg 500w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-new-grange3-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-new-grange3-750x419.jpg 750w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-new-grange3.jpg 987w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><br \/>\nJohn was christened on 10 March at St Mary Magdalen, his parish church, and where so many of his ancestors are buried.<\/p>\n<p>He would have spent his childhood days playing in the meadows of Bermondsey or studying the bible at the church.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"68153\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448385\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtNDAyNzUzMTA5MiIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWNvbnRlbnQgc291dGgtZW50aXR5LXBsYWNlbWVudCIgc3R5bGU9Im1hcmdpbi1sZWZ0OiBhdXRvO21hcmdpbi1yaWdodDogYXV0bzt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXI7Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtMngxIj4NCjxzY3JpcHQ+DQpnb29nbGV0YWcuY21kLnB1c2goZnVuY3Rpb24oKSB7IGdvb2dsZXRhZy5kaXNwbGF5KCdkaXYtZ3B0LWFkLTJ4MScpOyB9KTsNCjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KPC9kaXY+ICAgICAgICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n<p>As his family owned The Grange, he would have been very familiar with milking cows and mucking out stables.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Ylu9rnDwfH541vJSLxNPqBTAMoaQz7OFIVRKZbdcUt6yWh2k8isX3g0CjEG\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4Ce3RSe3Nm\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/watch-local-historian-makes-fascinating-documentary-about-the-bermondsey-leather-trade\/\">WATCH: Local historian makes fascinating documentary about the Bermondsey leather trade<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;WATCH: Local historian makes fascinating documentary about the Bermondsey leather trade&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/watch-local-historian-makes-fascinating-documentary-about-the-bermondsey-leather-trade\/embed\/#?secret=3DXVv2HUjn#?secret=4Ce3RSe3Nm\" data-secret=\"4Ce3RSe3Nm\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>With his father running a well-respected business on the Old Kent Road, it is not surprising that young John met a pretty, rich girl across the way in Camberwell.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"71156\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448386\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtMzYxMjkwNDk3MCIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWluLWFydGljbGUtbXB1OSBzb3V0aC1lbnRpdHktcGxhY2VtZW50Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtbXB1OSI+DQo8c2NyaXB0Pg0KZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgeyBnb29nbGV0YWcuZGlzcGxheSgnZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHU5Jyk7IH0pOw0KPC9zY3JpcHQ+DQo8L2Rpdj4gICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n<p>Sarah Coysh had inherited a pile of cash and, indeed, a country pile after her uncle died.<\/p>\n<p>Besides land spanning the Old Kent Road, there was a country house in Monmouthshire named The Hendre.<\/p>\n<p>When Sarah married John in 1767, the Rolls family must have been overcome with emotion as John automatically became the beneficiary of her assets.<\/p>\n<p>Aaron Rolls had died three years earlier, and the reading of his will revealed John had benefitted most, inheriting cash, The Grange and its surrounding land. And it is he who really made his mark on Bermondsey.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"71157\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448387\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtNDI5Mjc1ODc3NCIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWluLWFydGljbGUtbXB1LTEwIHNvdXRoLWVudGl0eS1wbGFjZW1lbnQiPjwhLS0gIC8xNTQ3MjUwNzAsMjI2OTQxOTY5Njkvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cy9zb3V0aHdhcmtuZXdzIC0tPg0KPGRpdiBpZD0iZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHUxMCI+DQo8c2NyaXB0Pg0KZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgeyBnb29nbGV0YWcuZGlzcGxheSgnZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHUxMCcpOyB9KTsNCjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KPC9kaXY+ICAgICA8L2Rpdj4=<\/script>\n<figure id=\"attachment_106482\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106482\" style=\"width: 381px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-106482\" src=\"http:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850-381x280.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"381\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850-381x280.jpg 381w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850-762x560.jpg 762w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850-768x564.jpg 768w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850-750x551.jpg 750w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4-web-PA271850.jpg 987w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-106482\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the shadow of the Old Kent Road flyover is a tiny scrap of history that still survives from John Rolls\u2019s time.<\/p>\n<p>Known as the White House, this unusual structure was owned by the Rolls family. Built in the 1750s, it lies back off the main drag, protected by a square of grass and black iron railings.<\/p>\n<p>When it was first built, there were fields all around it, save for the Old Kent Road, which, rather than a race track, was merely a quiet thoroughfare leading to Kent.<\/p>\n<p>King George III actually visited the area when he called in on the family, who were now recognised as the landed gentry.<\/p>\n<p>The fa\u00e7ade has hardly changed at all since the times of powdered wigs and walking canes.<\/p>\n<p>In later years, there was to be a double funeral at St Mary Magdalen. On 7 September 1801 Sarah passed away, and the very next day John followed her. Both were interred in the family vault of the church.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_106523\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106523\" style=\"width: 339px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-106523\" src=\"http:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212-339x280.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"339\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212-339x280.jpg 339w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212-677x560.jpg 677w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212-768x635.jpg 768w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212-750x620.jpg 750w, https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P3042212.jpg 998w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-106523\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Rolls had commissioned architect Michael Searles to develop their land \u2013 their estate roughly spanned the Bricklayer\u2019s Arms to both sides of the Old Kent Road, with Camberwell on one side and Bermondsey on the other.<\/p>\n<p>Searles was the surveyor for the whole site. He built the White House on Old Kent Road, which he leased from the family to use as his residence and office. It is now used by the Light of the World Church.<\/p>\n<p>In Victorian times, the family did their bit for philanthropy, letting their estate for housing or granting it for free to some organisations.<\/p>\n<p>In later years, the White House was used as a rent office for those living in the Rolls\u2019 properties (up until the 1970s, no less).<\/p>\n<p>They even gave up some land for St Saviour\u2019s &amp; St Olave\u2019s Grammar School for Girls to be built in 1903.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NpaEF82jbdBYeE5Tw1gC1nabKDki3MS05mQ6GsNWA8DhIWkzLypX4vUl6PiorgfXIdoOvmZc379sJLV7uYRHZwJ2MGRtS\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"q30JwRgIIN\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/southwark\/bermondseys-biscuit-history-the-beloved-treats-invented-in-the-peek-freans-biscuit-factory\/\">Bermondsey&#8217;s Biscuit History: The beloved treats invented in the Peek Freans Biscuit Factory<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Bermondsey&#8217;s Biscuit History: The beloved treats invented in the Peek Freans Biscuit Factory&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/southwark\/bermondseys-biscuit-history-the-beloved-treats-invented-in-the-peek-freans-biscuit-factory\/embed\/#?secret=h9EOxOqdVS#?secret=q30JwRgIIN\" data-secret=\"q30JwRgIIN\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Five years later it would be Lady Llangattock who gave prizes at the girls\u2019 prize day. She also donated the organ that plays the hymns in St Mary Magdalen.<\/p>\n<p>What of the Rolls\u2019 later descendants? They all had good educations and lived in great comfort but gave so much back to society.<\/p>\n<p>John\u2019s great-grandson, John Allan Rolls, became the first Baron of Llangattock and concerned himself with breeding Herefordshire cattle and shire horses.<\/p>\n<p>Despite success and money, his two sons sadly both came to a sticky end.<\/p>\n<p>Charles Stewart Rolls was a keen airman who co-founded Rolls-Royce. Unfortunately, on 12 July 1910, he died when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off at a display in Bournemouth.<\/p>\n<p>Charles\u2019 brother, John Maclean Rolls, also met with an untimely death fighting in the trenches of the Somme in 1916.<\/p>\n<p>In later years, it would be the Rolls-Royce firm that developed the Merlin engine, which was fitted in the Spitfires that fought off the Luftwaffe to keep Bermondsey safe. So even after they had left the area, their contribution was great.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"YpX8mDfFK0RTNn5AijuBkyVU73tQ4ISJO6cPhxrLogvlsbHzedwZ\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"GZ2fAJD9lO\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/news\/kathy-the-hopping-babies\/\">Kathy &amp; the hopping babies<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Kathy &amp; the hopping babies&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/news\/kathy-the-hopping-babies\/embed\/#?secret=ozdbInzeWA#?secret=GZ2fAJD9lO\" data-secret=\"GZ2fAJD9lO\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So much in Bermondsey reminds us of the Rolls family. For a start, Rolls Road is named after them and denotes just part of their estate, writes historian Debra Gosling&#8230; However, they are probably better known for the family that put the Rolls into Rolls-Royce \u2013 among other things. John Rolls started life as the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18953,"featured_media":106522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[14023,13618,13603,8341],"tags":[223,52],"class_list":["post-106444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biscuit","category-history","category-in-depth-history","category-southwark","tag-history","tag-old-kent-road"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18953"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}