Richard Rolle

Richard Rolle (c. 1300 – 30 September 1349) was an English hermit, mystic, and religious writer. He is also known as Richard Rolle of Hampole or de Hampole, since at the end of his life he lived near a Cistercian nunnery in Hampole, now in South Yorkshire. In many ways, he can be considered the first English author, insofar as his vernacular works were widely considered to have considerable religious authority and influence (both locally and internationally) soon after his death, and for centuries afterwards.