The son of John David Rolt of and his wife Sophia née Butt, he was born in Deptford. Both of his grandfathers held senior positions in the town's Royal Dockyard. He entered business as a timber merchant and contractor. In 1820 he married Mary Brockelbank, daughter of Thomas Brockelbank, the managing director of the General Steam Navigation Company, and formed a shipping company, Brockelbank & Rolt, in partnership with his father in law.[2]
In 1852 Rolt was chosen by the Conservative Party to contest the parliamentary constituency of Greenwich. The two-seat constituency, which included Rolt's home town of Deptford was held by two Liberal Party members of parliament. Rolt topped the poll and was elected to the Commons along with Montague Chambers of the Liberals.[3]
^London Evening Standard, London, England: 24 Jun 1871, BRINDISI MAIL ROUTE to INDIA, CHINA, AUSTRALIA - A WEEKLY EXPRESS, via Ostend or Calais, Brussels, Cologne, Munich, and Verona (Messrs Rolt & Co.) listing Peter Rolt, Lord Alan Spencer-Churchill and Joseph Churchward (of Dover)