LIKE most of Romsey’s councillors in the nineteenth century William Roles was a tradesman and a non-Conformist. 

He was a leading member of the Congregational Church and a Sunday School teacher there. He served as a councillor for 25 years and was mayor on three occasions.

Roles had moved to Romsey in the late 1850s and set up in trade as a decorator and plumber At some stage he took over the premises of the former Bell Inn at the lower end of Bell Street.

Some years ago, a diary with his comments on town affairs came to light. The book was called ‘The Municipal Corporations Companion, Diary, Directory and Year Book of Statistics for 1887’. As well as a description of contemporary Romsey, it contained a diary section, in which Roles wrote his opinions on Romsey affairs.

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Hampshire Chronicle: The former Bell Inn building when occupied by William Roles, builder in the late 19th century

As a builder and plumber, he made many comments on the council’s plans for managing storm water in the town, often with considerable detail, so from these notes, much can be learned about the Victorian efforts to keep Romsey’s streets drained.

In another note, he says that the town clerk had become an alcoholic and needed to be replaced. He commented ‘I do not think he is a capable man.'

The volume also contained a newspaper report, which is undated. It includes a lengthy report of a council meeting, which included a section on the need to drain Winchester Road, where a local Building Society had erected new houses containing more than 100 inhabitants. I think these may be some of the houses between Botley Road and the Sun Arch.

Anyway the councillors fell to squabbling about these houses and the newspaper reported ‘a good deal was said as to whether the aims of the directors of the Building Society were selfish in their character, or were intended for the benefit of the town, and whether the houses the Society were allowing to be erected in Winchester Road were not inferior ones. Mr Godfrey strongly denied a statement to the effect that they were inferior, made by Mr Roles, and throughout the discussion references were frequent to the property of individual councillors, and many personal remarks were indulged in.’

Not only was William responsible for much building work in the district, and for being active in the town’s life but he was the father of William Comley Roles, the architect, who bequeathed several Arts and Crafts style buildings to early 20th century Romsey.