Brief Life History of William
When William Rochester was born about 1753, in Richmond, Virginia, United States, his father, William Rochester, II Jr., was 44 and his mother, Mary Asbury, was 41. He registered for military service in 1776. He died from 1754 to 1843.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know William? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (1)
- Wm Rochester, "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783"
Parents and Siblings
World Events (3)
1776
Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.
1776 · The Declaration to the King
"""At the end of the Second Continental Congress the 13 colonies came together to petition independence from King George III. With no opposing votes, the Declaration of Independence was drafted and ready for all delegates to sign on the Fourth of July 1776. While many think the Declaration was to tell the King that they were becoming independent, its true purpose was to be a formal explanation of why the Congress voted together to declare their independence from Britain. The Declaration also is home to one of the best-known sentences in the English language, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."""""""
1842
The City of Richmond was officially part of Henrico County until 1842, when it became a fully independent city.
Name Meaning
English (Northumberland and Durham):
habitational name from one of three places in Northumberland with names whose early spellings are very similar and sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other. Rudchester in Ovingham is probably the likeliest source of the surname, which is concentrated in the southern half of Northumberland, but Rochester parish and a lost Ruchester in Chollerton are both possible candidates. Rudchester in Ovingham may derive from Old Norse rauthr ‘red’ + Old English ceaster ‘(Roman) city, old fortification’. Rochester parish derives from an uncertain first element + Old English ceaster. The lost Ruchester in Chollerton probably derives from Old English rūh ‘rough’ + ceaster, as does Rocester (Staffordshire), for which see Roster .
occasionally a habitational name from the better-known city of Rochester (Kent), recorded by Bede (c. 730) under the names of both Dorubrevi and Hrofæcæstre. The former represents the original British name, composed of the elements duro- ‘fortress’ and brīvā ‘bridge’. The second represents a shortened form of this (possibly affected by folk etymological connection with Old English hrōf ‘roof’) combined with an explanatory Old English cæster ‘Roman fort’ (from Latin castra ‘military camp’). In other cases there may also have been confusion with Wroxeter in Shropshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Rochecestre. Compare Register and Rossiter .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.