The Rochfort family came to Ireland in the thirteenth century and acquired substantial lands in counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. Several members of the family were prominent in law and politics. 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.
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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 and Sir John de Rochfort were lords of Crom and Adare.[1]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, living 1309[2]. His great-grandson John was Lord of Tristledelan ; about 1415 he settled at Kilbryde, the 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.[3] During the Civil War the head of the family was Colonel James Rochfort, nick-named " Prime-Iron ". Colonel Rochfort killed a fellow officer, Major Turner, in a duel : rather unexpectedly the Army treated the case as one of murder, and he was court-martialled and shot.[4] His second and posthumous son Robert Rochfort ( 1652-1727 ) had a highly distinguished career, being Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.[5] Robert's grandson, also Robert was created 1st Earl of Belvedere in 1756. Their principal residences were Gaulstown House and Belvedere House in Westmeath, both of which still exist.