Rochfort family

The Rochfort family came to Ireland (probably from France) in the thirteenth century and acquired substantial lands in counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. Several members of the family were prominent as lawyers and politicians. They gained the title Earl of Belvedere, and gave their name to the village of Rochfortbridge. The main Rochfort line ended with the death of the 2nd Earl of Belvedere in 1814.

While the name is clearly French, the family's origins are a matter of conjecture. They had settled in Ireland by 1243, when Sir Richard de Rochfort and Sir John de Rochfort were the lords of and Adare. Sir John was still alive in 1269. In 1300 Henry Rochfort surrendered three manors in Kildare to the Crown. Sir Maurice Rochfort was Lord Justice of Ireland in 1302. The main Rochfort line descends from Sir Milo de Rochfort, who was living in 1309. His great-grandson John was Lord of Tristledelan; about 1415 John settled at Kilbryde, which was the principal family seat for centuries. John's son Thomas had two sons, Robert and Roger: Robert inherited the main 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.

Robert Rochfort of Kilbryde (1434-1489) married Genet Nangle, daughter of Thomas Nangle, Baron of Navan and had issue a son Christopher, (b. 1462 in Kileen, County Meath). Christopher married Margaret Eustace (b. 1466) and had issue one son, Robert (b. 1488) and a daughter, Genet, who married David Sutton of Castletown. Robert married firstly Jane St. Johns and had issue Robert, his heir, and two daughters Elinor and Ismay, who married John Elliot. The senior Robert married secondly Jane Boix, (b. 1490), daughter of James Boix, and had issue four children: 1. James, who married Margaret Lynum, 2. Walter, who married Joan Fitz Symons, 3. Katherine, who married Nicholas Dillon, and Elizabeth (b. 1522 in Laragh, County Kildare, and married Robert Lutrell.

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