Biographies A-Z

Roche, Laurence (1927–99), forester, was born 20 October 1927 in Wexford town, second son and second child among five sons and four daughters of William Roche, shopkeeper, of 9 Monument Place, Wexford, and Bridget Roche (née Banville), from a well known literary family. Having…

Rochelle (Rokele, Rokesle, Rupella, Rupellis), Richard de la (d. 1276), justiciar of Ireland, was probably the nephew of John FitzGeoffrey (qv), an important member of Henry III's household, with whom much of his early career was…

Roche, Maurice (1597–1670), 3rd Viscount Fermoy , politician, was son and heir of David Roche (qv) and Joan, daughter of James FitzRichard, Viscount Buttevant. Maurice assumed a leading role in provincial politics at an early age, gaining a…

Roche, Philip (d. 1798), priest and United Irishman, was born in Monastootagh (Boolavogue), Co. Wexford; nothing is known of his parents. He was ordained on 15 May 1785 and then stationed as curate to Fr John Synott in Gorey, where he developed his political thinking.…

Roch(e), Regina Maria (c.1764–1845), writer, was born in Waterford, the daughter of Capt. Blundell Dalton (or D'Alton), and was brought up in Dublin; nothing is known of her mother. She began writing in her teens, encouraged by her father, and her first two novels, The…

Roche (Roach), Edward (c.1758–1798/9), insurgent commander, was born at Garrylough, St Nicholas's parish, Co. Wexford (about six miles from Wexford town) into a well-established farming family. His older brother, the Rev. Redmond Roche (1742–1819), was parish priest of…

Roche, Sir Boyle (1736–1807), MP and soldier, was born in October 1736, third son among four children of Jordan Roche, landowner, and his wife Ellen, daughter of Col. White of Rathgonan, Co. Limerick. His father frittered away the family estate and Boyle was mostly reared by his mother'…

Roche, Stephen Anselm (1890–1949), civil servant, was born in Caherciveen, Co. Kerry. His father was an excise officer in the British civil service who was posted on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and as a result Roche spent much of his childhood there. He…

Roche, Thomas Celestine (‘Tom’) (1916–99), businessman, was born 6 April 1916 in Corbally, Co. Limerick, one of two sons and one daughter of Thomas Roche, civil servant, of Corbally, and Kathleen Roche (née O'Halloran); his grandfather may have been John Roche (1848–1914),…

Rochford, Hugh (1607–c.1651), politician, was eldest son of James Rochford, a prominent Wexford landowner, and Alice, daughter of Michael Keating of Baldwinstown, Co. Wexford. Hugh entered Middle Temple in 1628, and King's Inns in Dublin after his return to Ireland in…

Rochford, John (‘Jack’) (1882–1953), hurler, was born 24 April 1882, in Threecastles, Co. Kilkenny, son of Michael Rochford, tailor, and Catherine Rochford (née White). He attended Clinstown national school before leaving to become a tailor. Rochford hurled with the Tullaroan club…

Rochford, Luke (d. 1631/2), catholic priest and author, was the third son of Robert Rochford of Kilbride, Co. Meath, and Eleanor, daughter of Sir Lucas Dillon (qv). His father was a lawyer and also one of the most prominent…

Rochford, Mark (d. in or after 1646), Dominican priest and prior, was born in the diocese of Kildare, a member of a distinguished Old English catholic family which had long been settled in the Pale. In the 1620s he was living with his relative the Revd Luke Rochford, rector of St…

Rochford (Rochfort), Robert (d. 1603), Palesman and lawyer, was the son of Christopher Rochford, of Kilbride, Co. Meath, and Margaret Lynce. On 20 August 1576 he was granted livery of his late father's lands, for which he paid a fine of £35. He was a prominent lawyer, and served…

Rochford, Simon Dominic (d. 1714), Dominican priest and scholar, was the son of Old English parents, Richard Rochford and Elizabeth Bath of Vessingstown, Co. Meath. He received the sacrament of confirmation in 1664 and studied the humanities within the Pale. On the advice of…

Rochfort, George Augustus (1738–1815), 2nd earl of Belvedere , politician, was born 12 October 1738, eldest son of Robert Rochfort, 1st earl of Belvedere, and his second wife, Mary, eldest daughter of Richard, 3rd Viscount Molesworth…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Rochfort, George Augustus. View the original entry.

Rochfort, Robert (1651/2–1727), MP and chief baron of the exchequer, was second son of Prime-Iron Rochfort, army officer and landowner, and Thomazine Rochfort (née Pigott). Prime-Iron served as a lieutenant-colonel in Cromwell's army and was found guilty by court martial in 1651 of…

Rochfort, Simon (a. 1165–1224), bishop of Meath, was the first Englishman to be elected to that see, and the first bishop to style himself ‘bishop of Meath’. Little or nothing is known of his career before he came to Ireland, but he probably served as a royal clerk for…

Rochfort, Sir Cecil Charles Boyd- (1887–1983), racehorse trainer, was born 16 April 1887 in the family home, Middleton Park, Co. Westmeath, seventh of eight children of Major Rochfort Hamilton Boyd (who assumed the additional name of Rochfort 1888) of the 15th Hussars, high sheriff…

Roch, James (1659–1723), soldier, was born 29 September 1659 at Kinsale, Co. Cork, only son of George Roch, who owned estates at Glyn and Tourin, Co. Waterford; nothing is known of his mother. In 1689 James Roch was a soldier in the Williamite forces that arrived at Derry in June…

Roch, Sampson Towgood (1757–1847), miniaturist, was eldest son of William Roch and Melian Roch (née Holmes) of Youghal, Co. Cork; grandson of James Roch of Glyn Castle, near Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary; and great-grandson of James Roch, high sheriff of Co. Waterford. On a visit (…

Rocque, John (Jean) (c.1704–1762), cartographer, surveyor, and landscape designer, was born in France into a huguenot family of four children. After spending some time in Geneva, Rocque arrived in England (c.1709). His earliest published works, consisting mainly…

Roddie, Ian Campbell (1928–2011), physiologist and academic, was born on 1 December 1928 in Belfast, third of four sons of J. R. Wesley Roddie (d. 1953), a methodist minister, and his wife Mary Hill (née Wilson; d. 1973); the four brothers all entered the medical profession. Rev.…

Roddy, Martin (1883–1948), politician, publisher, and farmer, was born 9 December 1883 at Breeogue, Kilmacowen, Co. Sligo, eldest son among at least four sons and two daughters of Patrick Roddy, farmer, and Jane Roddy (née O'Hara). The family were long established and prominent in…