Rowland Barker, Sheriff of Shropshire

Not the same as Rowland Barker, of Wolverton

ROWLAND17 BARKER, SHERIFF of Haughmond, d. on 5 July 1599; m. (1) on 7 Aug. 1574 in Apley, Lincolnshire, England CICELEY CHARLETON; m. (2) on 13 April 1588 in Haughmond CECILIA LEIGHTON. "Admitted to Shrewsbury School 1562. Admitted Burgess of Shrewsbury Aug. 6, 1556. Ob. July 5, 1599. Sheriff of Shropshire 1585."[9]

Sheriff, 1585.[5]

"In 1586-7 the Corporation had agreed to make a grant of the adjacent Council House and St. Nicholas Chapel to Rowland Barker of Haughmond Abbey. Rowland Barker was admitted a burgess Aug. 7, 1570, and served the office of Sheriff in 1585. He was the grandson of Sir Rowland Hill who purchased the Monastery. (William Phillips, MS., Shropshire Men, Vol. I., p. 180.)" [Note: actually Sir Rowland Hill was the brother of his grandmother][6]

James' younger brother, Edward Barker (d. 1558) predeceased Sir Rowland, but his son, Rowland Barker was bequeathed three estates in north Shropshire, all of which he sold in 1593.

Rowland Barker (d. 1599) left three sons, the eldest of whom, John Barker (1579-1618), was also MP for Shrewsbury. He and his wife had no children, but were evidently close, for when she died unexpectedly in March 1618 he was taken ill the following day and died a fortnight later. The Haughmond estate passed to John's next brother, Walter Barker (1580-1644), who was a Puritan and an active Parliamentarian at the outbreak of the Civil War. Little is known about his early career, although since he attended Grays Inn he may have worked as a lawyer in London before he came into the family estate.

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From Rowland Barker, Gleanings from his will and Uffington parish registers on Ancestry.com

Rowland Barker’s will was dated the first day of November, 1588. It is a lengthy will of seven pages, including subsequent codicils, and was written soon after his marriage to his second wife, Cicely (Leighton) Jennings, widow, on April 13, 1588. As one chronicler described Rowland, “he was enormously wealthy”. The first page of this will describes all of his many properties in the county of Shropshire and Cheshire.
He names as sole executors his eldest son John, and his other two sons, Walter and William, his brother Richard, and his brother-in-law, Andrew Charlton (married to Rowland’s sister Margaret). Children by his first wife (Cicelye Charlton) were John, baptized March 22, 1578, Walter, baptized February 16, 1579/80, William, baptized April 23, 1581, and Frances who married Edward Fox, gentleman, on January 3, 1595/96. Perhaps Frances was the eldest child.
He twice refers to his late father James Barker. “I the said Rowland Barker now am or was actually? seised of any part of inheritance at any time since the decease of James Barker, Esquire, my late father”. ....
Rowland gives "unto my brother John Barker the sum of one hundred pounds in money together with my second _? “His brother James predeceased Rowland”
Rowland leaves to his “now” wife, Cicelye (Leighton), widow of William Jenyns, all jewels, household items, apparel, etc., excepting that which belonged to his first wife, Cicelie Charlton.
At the prompting of his brother Richard, Rowland added a Codicil to his will dated 1599. As his daughter Frances died without issue in 1597, he declares null and void that part of his legacy to her, and leaves more money to his three sons.

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• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/19807646/person/85...