Rochfort, Richard

A Richard Rocheforte is recorded as being buried at All Saints Sutton Forest in September 1836.[1] His occupation is listed as ‘stonemason’, he was 36 years of age and free by servitude having arrived on the Daphne.

The Daphne arrived in Sydney in 1819 and on board was a Richard Rochfort. Convict idents reveal he was a labourer, aged 19, from Westmeath, Ireland, charged with sheep stealing and sentenced to seven years transportation. (With him was a John Rochfort, possibly a relative, listed as 18, and sometimes 20 years of age and serving the same sentence for the same crime.[2])

Rochfort was sentenced to transportation to Port Macquarie in 1821 for riotous and disorderly conduct. Despite this he received his certificate of freedom in 1825.[3]

Presumably Richard had learnt sufficient skills to call himself a stonemason and was probably one of the men John Richards attracted to Berrima to assist in building the gaol.

[1] NSW Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1840. Ancestry.com

[2] SRNSW Convict Register. Certificate of Freedom 4/4423; Reel 601

[3] SRNSW Convict Register. Conditional Freedom 4/4424 Reel 602, no. 039/5760 and replaced by 4/4433 Reel 601 no. 077/3701 4/4424; Reel 602