ROCH
,
WALTER FRANCIS
(
1880
-
1965
),
politician and landowner
;
b.
20 Jan. 1880
, the second s. of
William Francis
Roch
,
J.P.
,
Butter Hill, Pemb.
(he d.
1889
) and
Emily Catherine
(she d.
1938
), the second dau. of
Walter R.H.
Powell
,
Maesgwynne
,
Llanboidy, Carm.
,
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 m. in
1911
the
Hon.
Fflorens Mary Ursula
Herbert
, the only dau. 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, Mon.
,
presiding over their estates
at
Llanarth
and
Llanover
. He d.
3 May 1965
.
Bibliography:
-
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 comprising lists of the
representatives, chronologically arranged under counties,
with biographical and genealogical notices of the members,
together with particulars of the various contested
elections, double returns and petitions
, Breconshire,
1895
(1895)
;
-
The Biographical Index of W.W. Price,
Aberdâr
(at the National Library of Wales and Aberdare
Public Library)
.
Author:
Dr John Graham Jones, Aberystwyth
