I did follow up the person on ancestry who posted that Henry's father was Robert and mother Anne Dixon. No evidence was provided except a direction that it was found on a Durham County website. There was no explanation why Durham which is NE England when Henry's native place in East Sussex in all convict and later records including the headstone on his grave would have any connection. In searching on familysearch I found a baptism on 11 Nov 1770 of a Henry Rochester at Auckland St Andrew, Durham England with a father Robert. Also at this church on the 27 Nov, 1769 Robert Rochester married Anne Dick.
I suspect, given no further evidence to the contrary, that it is has been assumed that given the baptism date of a Henry Rochester on 11 Nov 1770 that this is our Henry. Given that there were a lot of Rochesters in the north of England, it is highly likely that one would have been called Henry and would not necessarily have any connection to our Henry in East Sussex. Interestingly a Henry Rochester married Ann Dixon in 1794 at Scarborough, Yorkshire. Henry and Ann Rochester baptised a dau, Ann R on 20 Mar 1797 at St Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolk.
I have no confidence at all that our Henry Rochester's father was called Robert or that his mother was Ann Dixon. The illegitimate Henry Dixon, son of Ann Dixon at Framfield, Sussex is hard to accept as Henry Rochester given the lack of any evidence that Ann Dixon of Sussex married a Rochester connected to our Henry.
In the Windsor, NSW library there is a file on the Rochester family. In the file there is a copy of a speech given by Joan Coxsedge (nee Rochester) MP (on letterhead of the Legislative Council, Parliament House, Melb) at a Rochester/Nowland Family held at Inglewood on 13/14 Oct 1984. In the speech she refers to a vist to England and some research she undertook on Henry. At the Public Record Office in Cancery Lane she found some documents from the Lewes Assizes relating to Henry. She states that the official records noted that Henry was from Rotherfield, East Sussex. She then visited Rotherfield and spoke to a member of the Rotherfield Historial Society. Near Rotherfield was a place known as Rochester's Farm. Nearby was a place called Jarvis Brook which had originally been called Rochester's Forest. Apparently Rochester's were early settlers of the area possibly going back to before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The court records show that Henry was convicted with others of robbery from the house of John Bridger of Rotherfield.
Some interesting Parish records I have found to date - but have no evidence of any particular connection to our Henry are as follows:
Marriage of Sarah Rochester to Benjamin Bridger on 25 Nov 1788 at St Denys, Rotherfield, Sussex
Baptism of Benjamin Bridger on 24 Jan 1766, father John Bridger and mother Mary Brooker
I haven't looked at the St Denys, Rotherfield Parish records but I think this would be worthwhile in an attempt to trace any other Rochester references.
There appear to be Rochesters around Wadhurst, not far from Rotherfield.
There was a marriage of Henry Rochester to Hannah Hazelmore on 26 Mar, 1761 at Wadhurst, Sussex.
I live in Aust, so to date have not had the opportunity to look at the parish records around Rotherfield to try and find some real evidence of Henry. The reference to parish records above are from familysearch. When I have time I will look at the films for Rotherfield and any nearby parishes from familysearch in the hope of finding something.
So at this point I have no confidence at all that we know who Henry's parents were. I think the Robert Rochester and Ann Dixon names have no evidence which would provide any confidence at all of their connection to our Henry.
Like many others interested in Henry I would love to find that evidence which proves who were his parents.
Ann
