Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 26 - Baron Romilly
Baron Romilly. — John, eldest surviving son of Sir Samuel Romilly, was born in 1802. He was called to the bar in 1827, and rose to be Solicitor-General in 1848, when he was knighted. Sir John Romilly became Attorney-General in 1850, and in 1851 was elevated to the Judicial Bench as Master of the Rolls. He presided over the great national act of opening up the Public Records for the researches of historical students and enquirers, a boon, the value of which is widely and gratefully felt to be incalculable. Sir John was for many years a member of the House of Commons. On 3rd January 1866 he was called to the Upper House as Baron Romilly of Barry in the county of Glamorgan. His Huguenot surname had already earned a world-wide and most honourable fame, and no title in the British peerage has a more noble sound than Lord Romilly. His Lordship had four sons and four daughters, and dying on 23rd December 1874, he was succeeded by his eldest son, William, second Lord Romilly. A bust of the first Lord was placed during his life in the principal search-room of the Public Record and State Paper Office, with the following inscription on the pedestal:—
Johanni Baroni Romilly
Rot: Mag:
Qui Historian Britannicae Fontes
Aperuit
Necnon Scripta Pervetusta
Publici Juris Fieri Fecit
Hunc Imaginem
Grati Animi Ergo Et Observantiae
Patriae Annalium Studiosi
PP.
A.D. mdccclxvii.