Richard Rolle was a 14th-century English hermit and theologian known for his mystical writings. Born in North Yorkshire around 1300, he studied at the University of Oxford before choosing a life of solitude. He is often recognized as a pioneering English author due to his influential works written in the vernacular. Rolle experienced profound mystical sensations, including physical warmth and heavenly music, which he documented in his spiritual treatises. He died in 1349 at a Cistercian nunnery in Hampole, where he had spent time living near the religious community.