Bob Roseveare
Encyclopedia
Robert Arthur Roseveare (May 23, 1923 - 8 December 2004) was a codebreaker at Bletchley Park
during World War II and later a schoolteacher.
He was born at Repton
, Derbyshire
where his father, Sir Martin Roseveare, taught at Repton School
. He won a scholarship to Marlborough College
, Wiltshire, where he studied from 1936 to 1941.
In 1942 Roseveare and fellow Marlborough student Nigel Forward were recruited by Gordon Welchman
(who also went to Marlborough College) for Hut 6
at Bletchley Park
where they worked on German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Enigma
messages. Roseveare started in the Watch, then moved to the Quatch, a small backroom group that decoded non-current messages. When Germany surrendered, Bob moved to the Japanese section, until August 1945.
Roseveare met his future wife in Hut 6, Ione Jay, full name Katherine Ione Jay. They married on August 7, 1947, with Derek Taunt
as best man. His friend from Marlborough, Nigel Forward, Denis Babbage and three others in Hut 6 also met their wives there.
After leaving Bletchley Park, Roseveare took up a scholarship he had won in 1941 to St John's College, Cambridge
, and was awarded a degree in mathematics in 1947. In 1948 while touring South Africa
and Rhodesia
with a mixed Oxford and Cambridge hockey team he accepted a teaching post at Hilton College, Natal. He moved to Michaelhouse School, Natal, then St Martin’s School, Johannesburg
, then to a multiracial school at Waterford, Swaziland
. He was licensed by the Archbishop of Cape Town
as a lay reader
.
He returned to England in 1965, where he taught at Epsom College, then (1970-1983) at Uppingham School
, Rutland
, becoming the head of the Mathematics department in 1980. After retiring in 1983 he taught at the Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls for a year.
He was keen on the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
, and on the history of the Rosevear (also spelled Roseveare or Rosevere) family from Cornwall
, England, starting about AD 1500 in the hamlet of Rescorla
near Luxulyan
. Between 1985 and 1990 Bob published seven booklets on the Roseveare family, which have been updated and reissued as one book, with information on 14,779 descendants throughout the world. His sister Helen Roseveare
was a medical missionary in the Congo for 20 years.
He died aged 81 at Uppingham
on 8 December 2004.
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
during World War II and later a schoolteacher.
He was born at Repton
Repton
Repton is a village and civil parish on the edge of the River Trent floodplain in South Derbyshire, about north of Swadlincote. Repton is close to the county boundary with neighbouring Staffordshire and about northeast of Burton upon Trent.-History:...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
where his father, Sir Martin Roseveare, taught at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
. He won a scholarship to Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, Wiltshire, where he studied from 1936 to 1941.
In 1942 Roseveare and fellow Marlborough student Nigel Forward were recruited by Gordon Welchman
Gordon Welchman
Gordon Welchman was a British-American mathematician, university professor, World War II codebreaker at Bletchley Park, and author.-Education and early career:...
(who also went to Marlborough College) for Hut 6
Hut 6
Hut 6 was a wartime section of Bletchley Park tasked with the solution of German Army and Air Force Enigma machine ciphers. Hut 8, by contrast, attacked Naval Enigma...
at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
where they worked on German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
messages. Roseveare started in the Watch, then moved to the Quatch, a small backroom group that decoded non-current messages. When Germany surrendered, Bob moved to the Japanese section, until August 1945.
Roseveare met his future wife in Hut 6, Ione Jay, full name Katherine Ione Jay. They married on August 7, 1947, with Derek Taunt
Derek Taunt
Derek Roy Taunt was a British mathematician who worked as a codebreaker during World War II at Bletchley Park....
as best man. His friend from Marlborough, Nigel Forward, Denis Babbage and three others in Hut 6 also met their wives there.
After leaving Bletchley Park, Roseveare took up a scholarship he had won in 1941 to St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, and was awarded a degree in mathematics in 1947. In 1948 while touring South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
with a mixed Oxford and Cambridge hockey team he accepted a teaching post at Hilton College, Natal. He moved to Michaelhouse School, Natal, then St Martin’s School, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, then to a multiracial school at Waterford, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. He was licensed by the Archbishop of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
as a lay reader
Lay Reader
A lay reader is a layperson authorized by a bishop of the Anglican Church to read some parts of a service of worship. They are members of the congregation called to preach or lead services, but not called to full-time ministry.Anglican lay readers are licensed by the bishop to a particular parish...
.
He returned to England in 1965, where he taught at Epsom College, then (1970-1983) at Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
, Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, becoming the head of the Mathematics department in 1980. After retiring in 1983 he taught at the Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls for a year.
He was keen on the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
, and on the history of the Rosevear (also spelled Roseveare or Rosevere) family from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England, starting about AD 1500 in the hamlet of Rescorla
Rescorla, Cornwall
Rescorla is a small village in mid-Cornwall, near St Austell, in the heart of the Clay Country, Cornwall’s china clay mining district. It belongs to the parish of Treverbyn and is part of a close-knit network of villages that also includes Penwithick, Bugle, Rosevear, Bowling Green, Treverbyn,...
near Luxulyan
Luxulyan
Luxulyan , also spelled Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village lies four miles northeast of St Austell and six miles south of Bodmin...
. Between 1985 and 1990 Bob published seven booklets on the Roseveare family, which have been updated and reissued as one book, with information on 14,779 descendants throughout the world. His sister Helen Roseveare
Helen Roseveare
Dr. Helen Roseveare was an English Christian missionary to the Congo from 1953 to 1973. She went to the Congo through WEC International and practised medicine and also trained others in medical work. She stayed through the hostile and dangerous political instability in the early...
was a medical missionary in the Congo for 20 years.
He died aged 81 at Uppingham
Uppingham
Disambiguation: "Uppingham" is the colloquial name for Uppingham SchoolUppingham is a market town in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, located on the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, about 6 miles south of the county town, Oakham.- History :A little over a mile to the...
on 8 December 2004.