Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/78

 hand. After the ‘disruption’ he designed many free churches in Scotland. His knowledge of Gothic art is well displayed in the Park church and St. John's Free Church, both in Glasgow, the parish churches of Renfrew and Aberfoyle, and St. Mary's Free Church, Edinburgh. His able treatment of Italian and classic architecture was shown in the Bank of Scotland, John Street United Presbyterian Church, the Unitarian Chapel, and his design for building the University—all in Glasgow. In 1857 he won a 300l. prize in the competition for designs for the war office in London, and in two keen competitions his designs for the Wallace monument, Stirling, were successful. Rochead was the architect of Queen Margaret College, Glasgow, and he designed many private mansions in Scotland, including Minard Castle, Knock Castle, West Shandon, Blair Vaddoch, and Sillerbut Hall. In 1870, owing to impaired health, he retired to Edinburgh, where he died suddenly on 7 April 1878. He was survived by his widow (Catherine Calder, whom he married in 1843), a son, and four daughters.

 ROCHES, PETER (d. 1238), bishop of Winchester. [See .]

ROCHESTER,. [See, first earl, 1610?–1659; , second earl, 1648–1680; , first earl of the Hyde family, 1641–1711.]

ROCHESTER, (d. 1725). [See .]

ROCHESTER,. [See, d. 1645, afterwards.

ROCHESTER, ROBERT (1494?–1557), comptroller of the household to Queen Mary, born about 1494, was eldest of the three sons of John Rochester, by his wife Grissell, daughter and coheir of Walter Writtle of Bobbingworth, Essex. His grandfather, Robert Rochester, was yeoman of the pantry to Henry VIII, and bailiff of the manor of Syleham, Suffolk, and outlived his son John, who died on 16 Jan. 1507–8. (Morant erroneously states that Robert died in 1506; cf. Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, vol. i. passim.) Probably through his grandfather, Rochester became known at court, and was attached to the Princess Mary's household. In 1547 he was managing her finances, and before 1551 was appointed comptroller of her household. On 22 March of that year he was examined by the council as to the number of Mary's chaplains. On 14 Aug. he was again summoned before the council, and ordered, in spite of his protests, not merely to carry the council's directions to the princess, but personally to take measures that no one should say or hear mass in her household. Rochester returned to Copped Hall, but could not bring himself to carry out these commands, and on the 23rd again appeared before the council. He bluntly refused to carry any more such messages to his mistress, professing his readiness to go to prison instead. Finally Rich, Wingfield, and Petre had to undertake the mission. Rochester was sent to the Fleet on 24 Aug., and to the Tower a week later. On 18 March 1552 he was allowed ‘for his weakness of body’ to retire to his country house, and on 14 April, on Mary's request, was permitted to resume his functions as comptroller.

Rochester's fidelity was rewarded on Mary's accession. He was made comptroller of the royal household, created a knight of the Bath at the queen's coronation, and sworn of the privy council. On 26 Sept. 1553 he was returned to parliament as knight of the shire for Essex, being re-elected for the same constituency on 13 March 1553–4, 23 Oct. 1554, and 24 Sept. 1555. He became one of Mary's most intimate and trusted counsellors. On 28 Jan. 1554 he was sent to Wyatt to inquire into his intentions. In the same year he was made chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, placed on a commission to examine Sir Thomas Gresham's accounts, and suggested as one of the six advisers to whom the active work of the privy council was to be entrusted, while the other members were to be employed in the provinces. This scheme came to nothing, but Rochester remained one of the inner ring of councillors who rarely missed a meeting, and had most weight in the council's decisions. He was one of the commissioners who drew up the treaty of marriage between Mary and Philip, and in 1555 was placed on commissions appointed to try Bishop Hooper, and to consider the restoration of the monasteries and the church property vested in the crown. In the same year he was one of Gardiner's executors, and was present at the martyrdom of John Rogers (1509?–1555) [q. v.] He was nevertheless a staunch friend of the Princess Elizabeth and Edward Courtenay, earl of Devonshire [q. v.], whose union he is said to have advocated, and it was in some degree due to his influence with Mary that the princess's life was spared.

In 1556 Rochester was one of the select