Walter Roch
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2016}}
Walter Francis Roch (20 January 1880 – 3 March 1965), sometime MP (Lib.) for Pembrokeshire from 1908 to 1918 was a Welsh politician and landowner, whose political career ended when he continued to support H. H. Asquith over David Lloyd George.
Background
Roch was born the second son of William Francis Roch, J.P., of Butter Hill, Pembrokeshire (who died in 1889) and his wife Emily Catherine Powell (she died in 1938), the second daughter of a Welsh Liberal politician Walter R.H. Powell, of Maesgwynne, Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire, MP (Lib.) for Carmarthenshire, 1880–85, and West Carmarthenshire, 1885–89. He was educated at Twyford and Harrow Schools. He married Hon. Fflorens Mary Ursula Herbert (1879-1969), on 20 April 1911.{{cite news |date=1911-03-31 |work=South Wales Gazette |author= |title=Forthcoming Marriage |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002852/19110331/094/0005 |page=5 |location=Newport, Wales }} Fflorens was a published author{{cite news |date=1913-05-31 |work=Westminster Gazette |author= |title=Sands & Co |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002947/19130531/027/0005 |page=5 |location=London, UK }} and Chief Commissioner for Girl Guides in Wales.{{cite news |date=1924-10-30 |work=Brecon County Times |author= |title=V.A.D. Revival |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002867/19241030/010/0002 |page=2 |location=Brecon, Wales }} Roch was also a barrister at the Middle Temple from 1913.The source for most of this information is Walter Roch's mini-biography by Dr John Graham Jones. [https://biography.wales/article/s2-ROCH-FRA-1880]. Retrieved 10 August 2007
1908 Pembrokeshire by-election
The Pembrokeshire by-election was held on 16 July 1908. The by-election was held due to the elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Liberal MP, John Wynford Philipps. Roch was selected as the Liberal candidate. During the campaign he had the active support of the MPs W. Llewelyn Williams and W. Jones of the United Kingdom Alliance and the Free Trade League respectively. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain also strongly supported Roch. His opponent, John Lort-Williams, the Conservative candidate, was supported by emissaries from the Tariff Reform League and the National Trade Defence Association.{{cite news |title=PEMBROKE VACANCY |work=Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser |date=4 July 1908 |accessdate=4 February 2016 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/19080704/087/0007| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} The Women's Social and Political Union, led by Emmeline Pankhurst came to Pembrokeshire to campaign against Roch, not because they disliked him, or supported Lort-Williams, but because H. H. Asquith, the Liberal Prime Minister, opposed the enfranchisement of women.[http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/nostalgia/12883193.Use_your_vote__the_Suffragette_movement_in_Pembrokeshire_remembered/ Use your vote: the Suffragette movement in Pembrokeshire remembered], Western Telegraph, by Joanna Sayers, 10 April 2015 In fact, Roch was a supporter of Votes for Women. Roch comfortably held the seat.
=Result=
{{Election box begin | title=1908 Pembrokeshire by-electionBritish parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate =Walter Roch
|votes = 5,465
|percentage =62.4
|change =-6.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = John Lort-Williams
|votes =3,293
|percentage =37.6
|change =+6.9
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes =2,172
|percentage =24.8
|change =-13.8
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =8,758
|percentage =77.3
|change =+2.3
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Liberal Party (UK)
|swing =-6.9
}}
{{Election box end}}
Roch successfully contested the seat in Pembrokeshire until 1918.Dr Jones, Ibid. [https://biography.wales/article/s2-ROCH-FRA-1880]. Retrieved 10 August 2007
Later electoral record
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election January 1910: PembrokeshireBritish parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate =Walter Roch
|votes = 6,135
|percentage = 65.1
|change =+2.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Edward Marlay Samson
|votes =3,291
|percentage = 34.9
|change =-2.7
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 2,844
|percentage = 30.2
|change =+5.4
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 9,426
|percentage = 80.2
|change =+2.9
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 11,750
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Liberal Party (UK)
|swing =+2.7
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
|title=General election December 1910: PembrokeshireBritish parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate =Walter Roch
|votes = 5,682
|percentage = 65.5
|change = +0.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Edward Marlay Samson
|votes =2,989
|percentage = 34.5
|change = −0.4
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 2,693
|percentage = 31.0
|change = +0.8
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 8,671
|percentage = 73.8
|change = −6.4
}}
{{Election box registered electors|
|reg. electors = 11,750
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Liberal Party (UK)
|swing = +0.4
}}
{{Election box end}}
Roch was appointed to the Dardanelles Commission in 1916. He was the author of Mr. Lloyd George and the War (1920). In 1934 he was appointed JP for Monmouthshire. He and his wife spent the last twenty-five years of his life on their estates.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Internet Archive author |sname=Walter Roch |sopt=t}}
- [https://biography.wales/article/s2-ROCH-FRA-1880 Walter Francis Roch]
- {{Hansard-contribs|mr-walter-roch|Walter Roch}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef | before = John Philipps }}
{{s-ttl
| title = Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire
}}
{{s-aft | after = Sir Evan Davies Jones }}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roch, Walter Francis}}
Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
Category:People educated at Harrow School
Category:People educated at Twyford School
Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Pembrokeshire constituencies