Robert Rochester
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Rochester K.G.
(c. 1494 – 28 November 1557) was an English Catholic and employee of Mary I
.
, Essex
, England
, the third son of John Rochester of Terling and Grisold, daughter of Walter Writtle, of Bobbingworth
. By 1551 Robert had received the appointment of Comptroller of the Household
to Princess Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VIII
and Catherine of Aragon
, declared illegitimate after Henry divorced her mother and married Anne Boleyn
. In that year, the Privy Council
ordered him to stop any priest from saying mass in the princess's household; however, Rochester refused and was put in the Tower, and was replaced in his position by Sir Anthony Wingfield. The next year, he was released to retire to the county because of his health. He was soon allowed to resume his post as comptroller.
When the princess assumed the throne as Mary I, she rewarded Rochester for his faithful service, making him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
and letting him enter the inner circle of the Privy Council. He served as a Member of Parliament
for Essex
from 1553 to 1555.
He died on 28 November 1557 and was buried at the Charterhouse at Sheen, the house reconstituted by the remnant of the English Carthusians under Dom Maurice Chauncy
. Rochester's younger brother, Blessed John Rochester
, was a Carthusian
priest and martyr, who was executed in York
in May 1537 and beatified in 1888.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(c. 1494 – 28 November 1557) was an English Catholic and employee of Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Life
Rochester was born at TerlingTerling
Terling is a village in the county of Essex, England, between the town of Witham and the villages of Great Leighs and Hatfield Peverel. The village was mentioned in the Domesday book...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the third son of John Rochester of Terling and Grisold, daughter of Walter Writtle, of Bobbingworth
Bobbingworth
Bobbingworth is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located about northwest of Chipping Ongar and is west from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Epping Forest and the parliamentary constituency of Brentwood & Ongar. According to the 2001 census it...
. By 1551 Robert had received the appointment of Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
to Princess Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, declared illegitimate after Henry divorced her mother and married Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. In that year, the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
ordered him to stop any priest from saying mass in the princess's household; however, Rochester refused and was put in the Tower, and was replaced in his position by Sir Anthony Wingfield. The next year, he was released to retire to the county because of his health. He was soon allowed to resume his post as comptroller.
When the princess assumed the throne as Mary I, she rewarded Rochester for his faithful service, making him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
and letting him enter the inner circle of the Privy Council. He served as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Essex
Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1290 until 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons...
from 1553 to 1555.
He died on 28 November 1557 and was buried at the Charterhouse at Sheen, the house reconstituted by the remnant of the English Carthusians under Dom Maurice Chauncy
Maurice Chauncy
Dom Maurice Chauncy was an English Catholic priest and Carthusian monk.Born at an uncertain date, he was the eldest son of John Chauncey. It may be that he studied at Oxford, and afterwards went to Gray's Inn for a course of law, but his meanderings led him to enter the London Charterhouse which...
. Rochester's younger brother, Blessed John Rochester
John Rochester (martyr)
Blessed John Rochester was an English Catholic priest, Carthusian monk and martyr.-Church versus State:He resolutely rejected the affirmation of the royal supremacy in matters ecclesiastical...
, was a Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
priest and martyr, who was executed in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in May 1537 and beatified in 1888.