ROCH, WALTER FRANCIS (1880 - 1965), politician and landowner
Date of birth: 1880
Date of death: 1965
Spouse: Fflorens Mary Ursula Roch (née Herbert)
Parent: Emily Catherine Roch (née Powell)
Parent: William Francis Roch
Gender: Male
Occupation: politician and landowner
Area of activity: Land Ownership; Politics, Government and Political Movements
Author: John Graham Jones
Born 20 January 1880, the second son of William Francis Roch, J.P., Butter Hill, Pemb. (he died 1889) and Emily Catherine (she died 1938), the second daughter of Walter R.H. Powell, Maesgwynne, Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire, M.P. (Lib.) for Carmarthenshire, 1880-85, and West Carmarthenshire, 1885-89. He was educated at Harrow. In 1908, at 28 yrs of age, he was elected M.P. (Lib.) for Pembrokeshire, and continued to represent the constituency in parliament until 1918. He had also become a barrister at the Middle Temple in 1913. Although he remained on the back benches, he was a prominent member of the Liberal governments, and in 1917 was chosen a member of the Royal Commission on the Dardanelles Campaign. He was mentioned as a possible future Prime Minister, but he chose to support Asquith rather than Lloyd George, a decision which put an end to his political career. Roch was the author of Mr. Lloyd George and the War (1920). In 1934 he was appointed J.P. for Monmouthshire.
He married in 1911 the Hon. Fflorens Mary Ursula Herbert, the only daughter of Sir Ivor Herbert, M.P. for South Monmouthshire, 1906-17, and the first and last Baron Treowen. Roch and his wife spent the last 25 yrs of his life at Tŷ Nant, Llanarth, Raglan, Monmouth, presiding over their estates at Llanarth and Llanover. He died 3 May 1965.
Author
- Dr John Graham Jones
- Who was who?
- Who's who in Wales, 1921 and 1933
- The Times, 5, 13 and 19 May 1965
- Dod's Parliamentary Companion
- W. R. Williams, The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliest times to the present day, 1541-1895 (Brecknock 1895)
- The Biographical Index of W. W. Price, Aberdâr
Sources
- NLW Archives: Bye-Election, 1908. To the Electors of the County of Pembroke
- NLW Archives: Vote for Roch and Disestablishment Next Session
- Wikipedia Article: Walter Roch
Further Reading
Published date: 2001
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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