Roulstone was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, but had moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, by the late-1780s, where he published an unsuccessful newspaper.
ɹˈaʊlstoʊn wʌzɐ nˈeɪɾɪv ʌv bˈɔstən, mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts, bˌʌt hæd mˈuːvd tə fˈeɪətvˌɪl, nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə, baɪ ðə lˈeɪt wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z, wˌɛɹ hiː pˈʌblɪʃt ɐn ʌnsəksˈɛsfəl nˈuːzpeɪpɚ.