Rochfort family

The Rochfort family came to Ireland (possibly from France) in the thirteenth century and acquired substantial lands in counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath.

Another Sir John Rochfort, who held his lands as a tenant-in-chief from the Crown, died in 1359, in which year the Privy Council of Ireland ordered that his widow Joanna be paid "a reasonable dower".

He and his wife Elizabeth had already received a royal pardon in 1407 for "intruding" in Kilbryde, i.e. trying to hold it before their rights to it were established.

[5] John's son Thomas had two sons, Robert and Roger: Robert inherited the main family estates including Kilbryde, while Roger was the father of the distinguished judge and cleric Thomas Rochfort (died 1522) Master of the Rolls in Ireland and Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

[6] Robert in the 1450s held the important office of attorney to Richard, Duke of York on his Irish estates.

Ismay married the distinguished judge Sir John Elliott, Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland), by whom she had four sons: Henry, Oliver, Thomas and Christopher.

"TCD, 1641 Depositions Project, online transcript January 1970[11][12] Lt. Col Prime Iron Rochfort was court-martialed for the death of Major Turner, a fellow army officer, on 9 March 1652.

The trial of Lt.Col.Rochfort indicates that Major Turner was bludgeoned to the head, without malice or intent to kill, but later died of his wounds.

"I. Gentles, H. Maclean & M.[13][14] Prime Iron Rochfort's son Robert Rochfort (1652-1727) was born 9 months to the day of his father's court-martial, and having been "bred to the law", had a highly distinguished career, being Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.