Background
He was the son of Daniel G. Rollins (1796–1875), Judge of Probate of Strafford Company 1857-1866, and Susan Binney (Jackson) Rollins (b 1805).
He was the son of Daniel G. Rollins (1796–1875), Judge of Probate of Strafford Company 1857-1866, and Susan Binney (Jackson) Rollins (b 1805).
He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1860. Then he studied law at Harvard Law School, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Portland, Maine.
From 1866 to 1869, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and removed to New York City. Afterwards he resumed his private practice. In 1873, his former fellow Assistant
United States. Attorney Benjamin K. Phelps took office as New York County District Attorney and appointed Rollins an Assistant Doctorate.A.
On December 31, 1879, Rollins was the Republican candidate for Recorder of New York City, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John K. Hackett, but the Board of Supervisors elected Tammany man Frederick Smyth.
In November 1880, Rollins ran on the Republican and the German Independent tickets for Recorder of New York, but was again defeated by the incumbent Recorder Smyth. On January 10, 1881, Rollins was appointed by Government.
Alonzo B. Cornell as Doctorate.A. of New York to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Doctorate.A. Phelps, and remained in office until the end of 1881. In November 1881, Rollins declined to run to succeed himself as Doctorate.A., and was instead elected Surrogate of New York County.
He was re-elected in 1884, and remained in office until the end of 1887.
In 1884, Dartmouth College conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on him. In November 1887, he ran for the New York Supreme Court (1st Doctorate) but was defeated. Afterwards he resumed his private practice.
One of his last cases was the defense of the owners of the American Tobacco Company who were charged with "conspiracy and violation of the Penal Code", meaning that they had formed a monopoly.
Rollins died from diabetes at the place of his birth which he used then as his summer home, on Beacon Street in Somersworth, New Hampshire (U.S.) (previously named Great Falls), and was buried in that city.