DEATH COMES TO J. H. ROCHESTER
Well Known Citizen Has Passed Away
Prominent In Business
Death Followed a Long Illness and Was Not Unexpected -
Mr. Rochester a Member of the Family From Which City Was Named
John H. ROCHESTER died at 8:30 o'clock last night at his home, No. 56 South Washington street. Mr. ROCHESTER had been ill for about two years. That length of time ago he was very feeble, but his health improved somewhat. For the past three months the family felt that the end was near. He had been sinking rapidly since last Saturday. He had another sinking spell Sunday, and was virtually unconscious for forty-eight hours before death came. For hours he had been as if in peaceful sleep. At 8:30 he slightly turned his head and sighed, and the nurse told the family that the end had come.
He died surrounded by the immediate family, including one of his two sons, Paul F. ROCHESTER, of New York. Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER was unable to come to Rochester, being very ill at his home in Brooklyn. He returned last Tuesday from South America, where he went for the voyage, in the hope of benefiting his health.
John Henry ROCHESTER was the last male descendant in this city of the famous Rochester family, by whom the city was founded and after whom it was named nearly a century ago. He was born in this city April 20, 1828. He received his education in the schools of the city, and at the age of 18 entered upon his life work in the Rochester City Bank, of which his father, Thomas H. ROCHESTER, was president. He subsequently carried on a private banking business for five years with his brother, under the firm name of John H. ROCHESTER & Co. Then he became cashier of the Flower City National Bank, a position which he held for three years.
When the Mechanics' Savings Bank was chartered and entered upon its career, he became its secretary and treasurer, which position he filled for nearly thirty years, being the oldest banker in active service in this city. He was a man of extremely practical ideas, a fact which made itself known throughout his entire business career.
Mr. ROCHESTER was a member of the Genesee Valley Club, of the Rochester Whist Club, and for three years of the Rochester Club. He was the oldest member in St. Luke's Church in point of membership; for twenty-seven years treasurer of the Church Home, a denominational establishment on Mt. Hope avenue under Episcopal control; treasurer of the Red Cross Society and yellow fever fund and president of the Rochester Historical Society for two years. He was among the first to be appointed to the board of park commissioners, and has been its vice-president for many years. He was seldom absent from the meetings of the board, and the present magnificent park system of the city was brought about largely through his efforts. He was also president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Mr. ROCHESTER has traveled extensively, both in this country and in Europe, and was a well-informed man, with a wonderful appreciation of the fine points of art and literature, having always been a generous patron of the fine arts. Throughout his life he has been intimately associated with the social, religious and public life of the city. He always took a deep interest in public affairs. He was not without clearly defined political convictions, but never sought or held a public office.
In 1853 he married Miss Elizabeth L. MOORE, in Vicksburg, Miss., and had two sons, Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER, born November 12, 1854, a practicing physician of Brooklyn and Paul Affordby ROCHESTER, born August 23, 1857, vice-president and general manager of the Murray Line of steamboats as the old Hudson River Transportation Company is now called. There were two other children, Francis C. ROCHESTER, born March 16, 1856, died January 6, 1857, and Susan B. ROCHESTER, who died April 1, 1859. Through his son Thomas, there are five grandchildren, Haydon, Thomas Affordby, John Cuming, Edward Fortescue and
Katherine.
Mr. ROCHESTER was one of the few survivors of the California argonauts. He belonged to the courtly type, the old-school gentlemen. Few men in the city were better known or more highly respected. In all measures for the general well-being of the city, he took a deep interest, and was the kind of man who honors a city by his public spirit and enterprise. As husband, father, friend, he was equally admirable and reliable, and as a business man was exceedingly capable, having a record that speaks with an eloquence that will not be hushed for years to come. He was a man of a genial, warm hearted, social disposition, and he drew around him many sincere friends whose companionship he regarded dearer than any practical worldly success.
Mr. ROCHESTER came from a family whose history is peculiarly interesting to all residents of this city. It has been traced back to 1558, in the county of Essex, England, Nicholas ROCHESTER was the first member of the family to come to this country. He settled in Virginia in 1680, and his direct descendants were respectively, William, John, Nathaniel, Thomas H, and John H. ROCHESTER the subject of this sketch. Nathaniel ROCHESTER, grandfather of the
deceased, known as the founder of this city, born in February, 1752, Westmoreland county, Va., on the plantation on which his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had lived, afterwards moved to North Carolina and then to Hagerstown, Maryland. It is said that the chief impulse to the exodus of Colonel ROCHESTER from Maryland in Western New York was his aversion to the institution of human bondage.
In 1802 Nathaniel ROCHESTER, together with William FITZHUGH and Charles CARROLL, bought what was known as the "Hundred Acre Tract," lying on the west side of the Genesee river, on the present site of this city. No steps were taken to settle this land until 1810, and two years later the first postoffice was established by fifteen residents, and the name of Rochester was given to the locality. In April, 1817, however, the village was incorporated as
Rochesterville, and in 1834, when the city was Incorporated, the name was changed back again to Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER was instrumental in getting the establishment of the new county of Monroe, in 1817, the land then being included in Ontario county. He laid the matter before the legislature, but his efforts in this direction were not successful until February 23, 1821. March 5, 1821, he was made the first clerk of Monroe county. In 1816 he was a second time elected a presidential elector, and in the following year he was the secretary of the convention which met at Canandaigua to urge the construction of the Erie canal. He was the first president of the Bank of Rochester, which was the last of his numerous public and corporate trusts. He was attached to the Protestant Episcopal faith, and was one of the founders of St. Luke's Church. He was at once the builder of business establishments, the promoter of public prosperity, and the founder of the present beautiful city of Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER died May 17, 1831, leaving twelve children: William Beatty, Nancy Barbara, Joan Cornelius, Sophia Eliza, Mary Eleanor, Thomas Hart, Catharine Kimball, Nathaniel Thrift, Anna Barbara, Henry Elie, Ann Cornelia and Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, Thomas Hart ROCHESTER, father of John H. ROCHESTER, and son of Nathaniel, settled in Western New York with his father, built the old Red mill with his brother-in-law, William Montgomery: superintended the construction of the Tonawanda railroad in 1834; was the first cashier of the Commercial Bank; member of the board of trustees of the Rochester Orphan Asylum in 1838, and of Rochester City Hospital in 1847. Mr. ROCHESTER was
a charter member of Rochester Lodge, No. 660, Free and Accepted Masons. He had a strong attachment for Masonry. For many years he was treasurer of Rochester lodge.
He was mayor of the city in 1839, and throughout his life was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the city. Besides John H. ROCHESTER, he had five children: Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER; one of the leading physicians of Buffalo; Nathaniel, who died in California in 1849, a victim of the gold craze; Carolina Louisa ROCHESTER, who still lives in this city; Colonel Montgomery ROCHESTER, who resides at Albany, and Phoebe Elizabeth ROCHESTER, who died
in 1859.
Montgomery ROCHESTER, brother of John H., is well known in this city. He was quartermaster of the Old Thirteenth Regiment. He has one son, Montgomery Hewson ROCHESTER, born in 1860. Another brother, Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER, had nine children, one of whom, Delaney, who is a practicing physician in Buffalo, was at the bedside of his uncle during his last illness.
Besides his wife the immediate relatives of John H. ROCHESTER residing in this city are Mrs. William PITKIN, of No. 104 South Fitzhugh street, an aunt, who was Miss Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, youngest daughter of Nathaniel; Mrs. A. J. CUMING, No. 13 Meigs street, a cousin; and Mrs. Clinton ROGERS, of No. 127 Spring street, and Miss Jane E ROCHESTER, of No. 99 Atkinson street, both cousins, being daughters of Henry Elie ROCHESTER, the youngest son of Nathaniel ROCHESTER.
The death of John H. ROCHESTER is one that will be felt by every lover of the traditions of the Flower City, in that he was the last resident male representative of the oldest and most distinguished family in Monroe county. When the bells of old St. Luke's toll his funeral knell, the whole city will unite in the general feeling of sorrow.
The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock from St. Luke's Church. Burial will be in the family plot on Rochester Hill, Mount Hope Cemetery, where five generations of the ROCHESTER family are buried.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Friday Oct 24th 1902
Well Known Citizen Has Passed Away
Prominent In Business
Death Followed a Long Illness and Was Not Unexpected -
Mr. Rochester a Member of the Family From Which City Was Named
John H. ROCHESTER died at 8:30 o'clock last night at his home, No. 56 South Washington street. Mr. ROCHESTER had been ill for about two years. That length of time ago he was very feeble, but his health improved somewhat. For the past three months the family felt that the end was near. He had been sinking rapidly since last Saturday. He had another sinking spell Sunday, and was virtually unconscious for forty-eight hours before death came. For hours he had been as if in peaceful sleep. At 8:30 he slightly turned his head and sighed, and the nurse told the family that the end had come.
He died surrounded by the immediate family, including one of his two sons, Paul F. ROCHESTER, of New York. Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER was unable to come to Rochester, being very ill at his home in Brooklyn. He returned last Tuesday from South America, where he went for the voyage, in the hope of benefiting his health.
John Henry ROCHESTER was the last male descendant in this city of the famous Rochester family, by whom the city was founded and after whom it was named nearly a century ago. He was born in this city April 20, 1828. He received his education in the schools of the city, and at the age of 18 entered upon his life work in the Rochester City Bank, of which his father, Thomas H. ROCHESTER, was president. He subsequently carried on a private banking business for five years with his brother, under the firm name of John H. ROCHESTER & Co. Then he became cashier of the Flower City National Bank, a position which he held for three years.
When the Mechanics' Savings Bank was chartered and entered upon its career, he became its secretary and treasurer, which position he filled for nearly thirty years, being the oldest banker in active service in this city. He was a man of extremely practical ideas, a fact which made itself known throughout his entire business career.
Mr. ROCHESTER was a member of the Genesee Valley Club, of the Rochester Whist Club, and for three years of the Rochester Club. He was the oldest member in St. Luke's Church in point of membership; for twenty-seven years treasurer of the Church Home, a denominational establishment on Mt. Hope avenue under Episcopal control; treasurer of the Red Cross Society and yellow fever fund and president of the Rochester Historical Society for two years. He was among the first to be appointed to the board of park commissioners, and has been its vice-president for many years. He was seldom absent from the meetings of the board, and the present magnificent park system of the city was brought about largely through his efforts. He was also president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Mr. ROCHESTER has traveled extensively, both in this country and in Europe, and was a well-informed man, with a wonderful appreciation of the fine points of art and literature, having always been a generous patron of the fine arts. Throughout his life he has been intimately associated with the social, religious and public life of the city. He always took a deep interest in public affairs. He was not without clearly defined political convictions, but never sought or held a public office.
In 1853 he married Miss Elizabeth L. MOORE, in Vicksburg, Miss., and had two sons, Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER, born November 12, 1854, a practicing physician of Brooklyn and Paul Affordby ROCHESTER, born August 23, 1857, vice-president and general manager of the Murray Line of steamboats as the old Hudson River Transportation Company is now called. There were two other children, Francis C. ROCHESTER, born March 16, 1856, died January 6, 1857, and Susan B. ROCHESTER, who died April 1, 1859. Through his son Thomas, there are five grandchildren, Haydon, Thomas Affordby, John Cuming, Edward Fortescue and
Katherine.
Mr. ROCHESTER was one of the few survivors of the California argonauts. He belonged to the courtly type, the old-school gentlemen. Few men in the city were better known or more highly respected. In all measures for the general well-being of the city, he took a deep interest, and was the kind of man who honors a city by his public spirit and enterprise. As husband, father, friend, he was equally admirable and reliable, and as a business man was exceedingly capable, having a record that speaks with an eloquence that will not be hushed for years to come. He was a man of a genial, warm hearted, social disposition, and he drew around him many sincere friends whose companionship he regarded dearer than any practical worldly success.
Mr. ROCHESTER came from a family whose history is peculiarly interesting to all residents of this city. It has been traced back to 1558, in the county of Essex, England, Nicholas ROCHESTER was the first member of the family to come to this country. He settled in Virginia in 1680, and his direct descendants were respectively, William, John, Nathaniel, Thomas H, and John H. ROCHESTER the subject of this sketch. Nathaniel ROCHESTER, grandfather of the
deceased, known as the founder of this city, born in February, 1752, Westmoreland county, Va., on the plantation on which his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had lived, afterwards moved to North Carolina and then to Hagerstown, Maryland. It is said that the chief impulse to the exodus of Colonel ROCHESTER from Maryland in Western New York was his aversion to the institution of human bondage.
In 1802 Nathaniel ROCHESTER, together with William FITZHUGH and Charles CARROLL, bought what was known as the "Hundred Acre Tract," lying on the west side of the Genesee river, on the present site of this city. No steps were taken to settle this land until 1810, and two years later the first postoffice was established by fifteen residents, and the name of Rochester was given to the locality. In April, 1817, however, the village was incorporated as
Rochesterville, and in 1834, when the city was Incorporated, the name was changed back again to Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER was instrumental in getting the establishment of the new county of Monroe, in 1817, the land then being included in Ontario county. He laid the matter before the legislature, but his efforts in this direction were not successful until February 23, 1821. March 5, 1821, he was made the first clerk of Monroe county. In 1816 he was a second time elected a presidential elector, and in the following year he was the secretary of the convention which met at Canandaigua to urge the construction of the Erie canal. He was the first president of the Bank of Rochester, which was the last of his numerous public and corporate trusts. He was attached to the Protestant Episcopal faith, and was one of the founders of St. Luke's Church. He was at once the builder of business establishments, the promoter of public prosperity, and the founder of the present beautiful city of Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER died May 17, 1831, leaving twelve children: William Beatty, Nancy Barbara, Joan Cornelius, Sophia Eliza, Mary Eleanor, Thomas Hart, Catharine Kimball, Nathaniel Thrift, Anna Barbara, Henry Elie, Ann Cornelia and Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, Thomas Hart ROCHESTER, father of John H. ROCHESTER, and son of Nathaniel, settled in Western New York with his father, built the old Red mill with his brother-in-law, William Montgomery: superintended the construction of the Tonawanda railroad in 1834; was the first cashier of the Commercial Bank; member of the board of trustees of the Rochester Orphan Asylum in 1838, and of Rochester City Hospital in 1847. Mr. ROCHESTER was
a charter member of Rochester Lodge, No. 660, Free and Accepted Masons. He had a strong attachment for Masonry. For many years he was treasurer of Rochester lodge.
He was mayor of the city in 1839, and throughout his life was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the city. Besides John H. ROCHESTER, he had five children: Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER; one of the leading physicians of Buffalo; Nathaniel, who died in California in 1849, a victim of the gold craze; Carolina Louisa ROCHESTER, who still lives in this city; Colonel Montgomery ROCHESTER, who resides at Albany, and Phoebe Elizabeth ROCHESTER, who died
in 1859.
Montgomery ROCHESTER, brother of John H., is well known in this city. He was quartermaster of the Old Thirteenth Regiment. He has one son, Montgomery Hewson ROCHESTER, born in 1860. Another brother, Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER, had nine children, one of whom, Delaney, who is a practicing physician in Buffalo, was at the bedside of his uncle during his last illness.
Besides his wife the immediate relatives of John H. ROCHESTER residing in this city are Mrs. William PITKIN, of No. 104 South Fitzhugh street, an aunt, who was Miss Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, youngest daughter of Nathaniel; Mrs. A. J. CUMING, No. 13 Meigs street, a cousin; and Mrs. Clinton ROGERS, of No. 127 Spring street, and Miss Jane E ROCHESTER, of No. 99 Atkinson street, both cousins, being daughters of Henry Elie ROCHESTER, the youngest son of Nathaniel ROCHESTER.
The death of John H. ROCHESTER is one that will be felt by every lover of the traditions of the Flower City, in that he was the last resident male representative of the oldest and most distinguished family in Monroe county. When the bells of old St. Luke's toll his funeral knell, the whole city will unite in the general feeling of sorrow.
The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock from St. Luke's Church. Burial will be in the family plot on Rochester Hill, Mount Hope Cemetery, where five generations of the ROCHESTER family are buried.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Friday Oct 24th 1902
DEATH COMES TO J. H. ROCHESTER
Well Known Citizen Has Passed Away
Prominent In Business
Death Followed a Long Illness and Was Not Unexpected -
Mr. Rochester a Member of the Family From Which City Was Named
John H. ROCHESTER died at 8:30 o'clock last night at his home, No. 56 South Washington street. Mr. ROCHESTER had been ill for about two years. That length of time ago he was very feeble, but his health improved somewhat. For the past three months the family felt that the end was near. He had been sinking rapidly since last Saturday. He had another sinking spell Sunday, and was virtually unconscious for forty-eight hours before death came. For hours he had been as if in peaceful sleep. At 8:30 he slightly turned his head and sighed, and the nurse told the family that the end had come.
He died surrounded by the immediate family, including one of his two sons, Paul F. ROCHESTER, of New York. Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER was unable to come to Rochester, being very ill at his home in Brooklyn. He returned last Tuesday from South America, where he went for the voyage, in the hope of benefiting his health.
John Henry ROCHESTER was the last male descendant in this city of the famous Rochester family, by whom the city was founded and after whom it was named nearly a century ago. He was born in this city April 20, 1828. He received his education in the schools of the city, and at the age of 18 entered upon his life work in the Rochester City Bank, of which his father, Thomas H. ROCHESTER, was president. He subsequently carried on a private banking business for five years with his brother, under the firm name of John H. ROCHESTER & Co. Then he became cashier of the Flower City National Bank, a position which he held for three years.
When the Mechanics' Savings Bank was chartered and entered upon its career, he became its secretary and treasurer, which position he filled for nearly thirty years, being the oldest banker in active service in this city. He was a man of extremely practical ideas, a fact which made itself known throughout his entire business career.
Mr. ROCHESTER was a member of the Genesee Valley Club, of the Rochester Whist Club, and for three years of the Rochester Club. He was the oldest member in St. Luke's Church in point of membership; for twenty-seven years treasurer of the Church Home, a denominational establishment on Mt. Hope avenue under Episcopal control; treasurer of the Red Cross Society and yellow fever fund and president of the Rochester Historical Society for two years. He was among the first to be appointed to the board of park commissioners, and has been its vice-president for many years. He was seldom absent from the meetings of the board, and the present magnificent park system of the city was brought about largely through his efforts. He was also president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Mr. ROCHESTER has traveled extensively, both in this country and in Europe, and was a well-informed man, with a wonderful appreciation of the fine points of art and literature, having always been a generous patron of the fine arts. Throughout his life he has been intimately associated with the social, religious and public life of the city. He always took a deep interest in public affairs. He was not without clearly defined political convictions, but never sought or held a public office.
In 1853 he married Miss Elizabeth L. MOORE, in Vicksburg, Miss., and had two sons, Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER, born November 12, 1854, a practicing physician of Brooklyn and Paul Affordby ROCHESTER, born August 23, 1857, vice-president and general manager of the Murray Line of steamboats as the old Hudson River Transportation Company is now called. There were two other children, Francis C. ROCHESTER, born March 16, 1856, died January 6, 1857, and Susan B. ROCHESTER, who died April 1, 1859. Through his son Thomas, there are five grandchildren, Haydon, Thomas Affordby, John Cuming, Edward Fortescue and
Katherine.
Mr. ROCHESTER was one of the few survivors of the California argonauts. He belonged to the courtly type, the old-school gentlemen. Few men in the city were better known or more highly respected. In all measures for the general well-being of the city, he took a deep interest, and was the kind of man who honors a city by his public spirit and enterprise. As husband, father, friend, he was equally admirable and reliable, and as a business man was exceedingly capable, having a record that speaks with an eloquence that will not be hushed for years to come. He was a man of a genial, warm hearted, social disposition, and he drew around him many sincere friends whose companionship he regarded dearer than any practical worldly success.
Mr. ROCHESTER came from a family whose history is peculiarly interesting to all residents of this city. It has been traced back to 1558, in the county of Essex, England, Nicholas ROCHESTER was the first member of the family to come to this country. He settled in Virginia in 1680, and his direct descendants were respectively, William, John, Nathaniel, Thomas H, and John H. ROCHESTER the subject of this sketch. Nathaniel ROCHESTER, grandfather of the
deceased, known as the founder of this city, born in February, 1752, Westmoreland county, Va., on the plantation on which his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had lived, afterwards moved to North Carolina and then to Hagerstown, Maryland. It is said that the chief impulse to the exodus of Colonel ROCHESTER from Maryland in Western New York was his aversion to the institution of human bondage.
In 1802 Nathaniel ROCHESTER, together with William FITZHUGH and Charles CARROLL, bought what was known as the "Hundred Acre Tract," lying on the west side of the Genesee river, on the present site of this city. No steps were taken to settle this land until 1810, and two years later the first postoffice was established by fifteen residents, and the name of Rochester was given to the locality. In April, 1817, however, the village was incorporated as
Rochesterville, and in 1834, when the city was Incorporated, the name was changed back again to Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER was instrumental in getting the establishment of the new county of Monroe, in 1817, the land then being included in Ontario county. He laid the matter before the legislature, but his efforts in this direction were not successful until February 23, 1821. March 5, 1821, he was made the first clerk of Monroe county. In 1816 he was a second time elected a presidential elector, and in the following year he was the secretary of the convention which met at Canandaigua to urge the construction of the Erie canal. He was the first president of the Bank of Rochester, which was the last of his numerous public and corporate trusts. He was attached to the Protestant Episcopal faith, and was one of the founders of St. Luke's Church. He was at once the builder of business establishments, the promoter of public prosperity, and the founder of the present beautiful city of Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER died May 17, 1831, leaving twelve children: William Beatty, Nancy Barbara, Joan Cornelius, Sophia Eliza, Mary Eleanor, Thomas Hart, Catharine Kimball, Nathaniel Thrift, Anna Barbara, Henry Elie, Ann Cornelia and Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, Thomas Hart ROCHESTER, father of John H. ROCHESTER, and son of Nathaniel, settled in Western New York with his father, built the old Red mill with his brother-in-law, William Montgomery: superintended the construction of the Tonawanda railroad in 1834; was the first cashier of the Commercial Bank; member of the board of trustees of the Rochester Orphan Asylum in 1838, and of Rochester City Hospital in 1847. Mr. ROCHESTER was
a charter member of Rochester Lodge, No. 660, Free and Accepted Masons. He had a strong attachment for Masonry. For many years he was treasurer of Rochester lodge.
He was mayor of the city in 1839, and throughout his life was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the city. Besides John H. ROCHESTER, he had five children: Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER; one of the leading physicians of Buffalo; Nathaniel, who died in California in 1849, a victim of the gold craze; Carolina Louisa ROCHESTER, who still lives in this city; Colonel Montgomery ROCHESTER, who resides at Albany, and Phoebe Elizabeth ROCHESTER, who died
in 1859.
Montgomery ROCHESTER, brother of John H., is well known in this city. He was quartermaster of the Old Thirteenth Regiment. He has one son, Montgomery Hewson ROCHESTER, born in 1860. Another brother, Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER, had nine children, one of whom, Delaney, who is a practicing physician in Buffalo, was at the bedside of his uncle during his last illness.
Besides his wife the immediate relatives of John H. ROCHESTER residing in this city are Mrs. William PITKIN, of No. 104 South Fitzhugh street, an aunt, who was Miss Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, youngest daughter of Nathaniel; Mrs. A. J. CUMING, No. 13 Meigs street, a cousin; and Mrs. Clinton ROGERS, of No. 127 Spring street, and Miss Jane E ROCHESTER, of No. 99 Atkinson street, both cousins, being daughters of Henry Elie ROCHESTER, the youngest son of Nathaniel ROCHESTER.
The death of John H. ROCHESTER is one that will be felt by every lover of the traditions of the Flower City, in that he was the last resident male representative of the oldest and most distinguished family in Monroe county. When the bells of old St. Luke's toll his funeral knell, the whole city will unite in the general feeling of sorrow.
The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock from St. Luke's Church. Burial will be in the family plot on Rochester Hill, Mount Hope Cemetery, where five generations of the ROCHESTER family are buried.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Friday Oct 24th 1902
Well Known Citizen Has Passed Away
Prominent In Business
Death Followed a Long Illness and Was Not Unexpected -
Mr. Rochester a Member of the Family From Which City Was Named
John H. ROCHESTER died at 8:30 o'clock last night at his home, No. 56 South Washington street. Mr. ROCHESTER had been ill for about two years. That length of time ago he was very feeble, but his health improved somewhat. For the past three months the family felt that the end was near. He had been sinking rapidly since last Saturday. He had another sinking spell Sunday, and was virtually unconscious for forty-eight hours before death came. For hours he had been as if in peaceful sleep. At 8:30 he slightly turned his head and sighed, and the nurse told the family that the end had come.
He died surrounded by the immediate family, including one of his two sons, Paul F. ROCHESTER, of New York. Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER was unable to come to Rochester, being very ill at his home in Brooklyn. He returned last Tuesday from South America, where he went for the voyage, in the hope of benefiting his health.
John Henry ROCHESTER was the last male descendant in this city of the famous Rochester family, by whom the city was founded and after whom it was named nearly a century ago. He was born in this city April 20, 1828. He received his education in the schools of the city, and at the age of 18 entered upon his life work in the Rochester City Bank, of which his father, Thomas H. ROCHESTER, was president. He subsequently carried on a private banking business for five years with his brother, under the firm name of John H. ROCHESTER & Co. Then he became cashier of the Flower City National Bank, a position which he held for three years.
When the Mechanics' Savings Bank was chartered and entered upon its career, he became its secretary and treasurer, which position he filled for nearly thirty years, being the oldest banker in active service in this city. He was a man of extremely practical ideas, a fact which made itself known throughout his entire business career.
Mr. ROCHESTER was a member of the Genesee Valley Club, of the Rochester Whist Club, and for three years of the Rochester Club. He was the oldest member in St. Luke's Church in point of membership; for twenty-seven years treasurer of the Church Home, a denominational establishment on Mt. Hope avenue under Episcopal control; treasurer of the Red Cross Society and yellow fever fund and president of the Rochester Historical Society for two years. He was among the first to be appointed to the board of park commissioners, and has been its vice-president for many years. He was seldom absent from the meetings of the board, and the present magnificent park system of the city was brought about largely through his efforts. He was also president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Mr. ROCHESTER has traveled extensively, both in this country and in Europe, and was a well-informed man, with a wonderful appreciation of the fine points of art and literature, having always been a generous patron of the fine arts. Throughout his life he has been intimately associated with the social, religious and public life of the city. He always took a deep interest in public affairs. He was not without clearly defined political convictions, but never sought or held a public office.
In 1853 he married Miss Elizabeth L. MOORE, in Vicksburg, Miss., and had two sons, Dr. Thomas Moore ROCHESTER, born November 12, 1854, a practicing physician of Brooklyn and Paul Affordby ROCHESTER, born August 23, 1857, vice-president and general manager of the Murray Line of steamboats as the old Hudson River Transportation Company is now called. There were two other children, Francis C. ROCHESTER, born March 16, 1856, died January 6, 1857, and Susan B. ROCHESTER, who died April 1, 1859. Through his son Thomas, there are five grandchildren, Haydon, Thomas Affordby, John Cuming, Edward Fortescue and
Katherine.
Mr. ROCHESTER was one of the few survivors of the California argonauts. He belonged to the courtly type, the old-school gentlemen. Few men in the city were better known or more highly respected. In all measures for the general well-being of the city, he took a deep interest, and was the kind of man who honors a city by his public spirit and enterprise. As husband, father, friend, he was equally admirable and reliable, and as a business man was exceedingly capable, having a record that speaks with an eloquence that will not be hushed for years to come. He was a man of a genial, warm hearted, social disposition, and he drew around him many sincere friends whose companionship he regarded dearer than any practical worldly success.
Mr. ROCHESTER came from a family whose history is peculiarly interesting to all residents of this city. It has been traced back to 1558, in the county of Essex, England, Nicholas ROCHESTER was the first member of the family to come to this country. He settled in Virginia in 1680, and his direct descendants were respectively, William, John, Nathaniel, Thomas H, and John H. ROCHESTER the subject of this sketch. Nathaniel ROCHESTER, grandfather of the
deceased, known as the founder of this city, born in February, 1752, Westmoreland county, Va., on the plantation on which his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had lived, afterwards moved to North Carolina and then to Hagerstown, Maryland. It is said that the chief impulse to the exodus of Colonel ROCHESTER from Maryland in Western New York was his aversion to the institution of human bondage.
In 1802 Nathaniel ROCHESTER, together with William FITZHUGH and Charles CARROLL, bought what was known as the "Hundred Acre Tract," lying on the west side of the Genesee river, on the present site of this city. No steps were taken to settle this land until 1810, and two years later the first postoffice was established by fifteen residents, and the name of Rochester was given to the locality. In April, 1817, however, the village was incorporated as
Rochesterville, and in 1834, when the city was Incorporated, the name was changed back again to Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER was instrumental in getting the establishment of the new county of Monroe, in 1817, the land then being included in Ontario county. He laid the matter before the legislature, but his efforts in this direction were not successful until February 23, 1821. March 5, 1821, he was made the first clerk of Monroe county. In 1816 he was a second time elected a presidential elector, and in the following year he was the secretary of the convention which met at Canandaigua to urge the construction of the Erie canal. He was the first president of the Bank of Rochester, which was the last of his numerous public and corporate trusts. He was attached to the Protestant Episcopal faith, and was one of the founders of St. Luke's Church. He was at once the builder of business establishments, the promoter of public prosperity, and the founder of the present beautiful city of Rochester.
Nathaniel ROCHESTER died May 17, 1831, leaving twelve children: William Beatty, Nancy Barbara, Joan Cornelius, Sophia Eliza, Mary Eleanor, Thomas Hart, Catharine Kimball, Nathaniel Thrift, Anna Barbara, Henry Elie, Ann Cornelia and Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, Thomas Hart ROCHESTER, father of John H. ROCHESTER, and son of Nathaniel, settled in Western New York with his father, built the old Red mill with his brother-in-law, William Montgomery: superintended the construction of the Tonawanda railroad in 1834; was the first cashier of the Commercial Bank; member of the board of trustees of the Rochester Orphan Asylum in 1838, and of Rochester City Hospital in 1847. Mr. ROCHESTER was
a charter member of Rochester Lodge, No. 660, Free and Accepted Masons. He had a strong attachment for Masonry. For many years he was treasurer of Rochester lodge.
He was mayor of the city in 1839, and throughout his life was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the city. Besides John H. ROCHESTER, he had five children: Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER; one of the leading physicians of Buffalo; Nathaniel, who died in California in 1849, a victim of the gold craze; Carolina Louisa ROCHESTER, who still lives in this city; Colonel Montgomery ROCHESTER, who resides at Albany, and Phoebe Elizabeth ROCHESTER, who died
in 1859.
Montgomery ROCHESTER, brother of John H., is well known in this city. He was quartermaster of the Old Thirteenth Regiment. He has one son, Montgomery Hewson ROCHESTER, born in 1860. Another brother, Thomas Fortescue ROCHESTER, had nine children, one of whom, Delaney, who is a practicing physician in Buffalo, was at the bedside of his uncle during his last illness.
Besides his wife the immediate relatives of John H. ROCHESTER residing in this city are Mrs. William PITKIN, of No. 104 South Fitzhugh street, an aunt, who was Miss Louisa Lucinda ROCHESTER, youngest daughter of Nathaniel; Mrs. A. J. CUMING, No. 13 Meigs street, a cousin; and Mrs. Clinton ROGERS, of No. 127 Spring street, and Miss Jane E ROCHESTER, of No. 99 Atkinson street, both cousins, being daughters of Henry Elie ROCHESTER, the youngest son of Nathaniel ROCHESTER.
The death of John H. ROCHESTER is one that will be felt by every lover of the traditions of the Flower City, in that he was the last resident male representative of the oldest and most distinguished family in Monroe county. When the bells of old St. Luke's toll his funeral knell, the whole city will unite in the general feeling of sorrow.
The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock from St. Luke's Church. Burial will be in the family plot on Rochester Hill, Mount Hope Cemetery, where five generations of the ROCHESTER family are buried.
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Friday Oct 24th 1902
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