Robert Rochfort

Robert Rochfort (1652–1727) was attorney-general, judge and speaker of the Irish House of Commons.

Rochfort was probably born on 9 December 1652. He was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel Prime-Iron Rochfort (d. 1652), a Cromwellian soldier. Rochfort later married Hannah, with whom he had two sons, George and John. [C. I. McGrath, ‘Rochfort, Robert (1652–1727)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004]

Rochfort initially pursued a successful legal career in Ireland before going on to attain high government office. In 1680 he was appointed recorder of Londonderry, a post which he held until 1707.

In 1692 Rochfort was elected to the Irish House of Commons, and supported the 'whiggish' elements in the House at this time in their claim to possess the 'sole right' to legislate for Ireland. This was both a challenge to Poynings' Law and the Irish executive, leading to a constitutional crisis, resolved by a compromise in the parliamentary session of 1695. Rochfort was, nonetheless, appointed attorney-general in 1694 with the help of the Whig Lord Justice, Capell. With the executive's support, he was elected Speaker of the Irish House of Commons the same year. He remained in this position until 1699.

Meanwhile, Rochfort began to demonstrate Tory sympaties, from 1703 becoming identifiable as one of the government's leading parliamentary managers. He became chief baron of the exchequer in 1707. He remained in this position until 1714, when, along with other tories, he was dismissed from office. Rochfort now returned to his practice at the bar.

Rochfort died on 10 October 1727. His grandson, Robert was raised to the Irish peerage in 1737 as Baron Bellfield, and then as Viscount Bellfield (1751), and Earl of Belvedere (1757).

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