Nathaniel Rochester

Life and Orange County connections

Storylines this person is part of, in date order. Each has its own page.

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 19 dated events in the chronology →

1. 1768 Nathaniel Rochester goes to work for a Hillsborough merchant At sixteen Rochester took employment with James Monroe, a Scottish merchant in Hillsborough, the seat of Orange County. Within two years he was made clerk of the vestry of St. Matthew's Parish. Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James MonroeSearch the index · NCpedia (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography): Rochester, Nathaniel
2. 1773–1775 Rochester becomes a partner in a Hillsborough store Rochester joined James Monroe and John Hamilton as a partner in a Hillsborough store in 1773. The business prospered but was liquidated in 1775 as the Revolution approached. People: John Hamilton Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James MonroeSearch the index · NCpedia (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography): Rochester, Nathaniel
3. 1775 Nathaniel Rochester is named paymaster of the Hillsborough District minutemen After the Provincial Congress at Hillsborough in 1775, Nathaniel Rochester, a young Hillsborough merchant, was made a major of militia, a justice of the peace and paymaster of the Battalion of Minute Men in the District of Hillsborough, under a bond of 5,000 pounds proclamation money. By his own later account he had also been named that year to the Orange County committee of safety. People: Nathaniel Rochester Place: HillsboroughInternet Archive: North Carolina Historical Review 38 (1961), p. 472
4. August or September 1775 The Provincial Congress names Orange County's minutemen and militia officers Orange was to raise three companies of minutemen, and James Thackston was named colonel of minutemen for the Hillsborough district. For the county militia the Congress named John Hogan colonel, John Butler lieutenant colonel, William Moore first major and Nathaniel Rochester second major. People: John Butler, Nathaniel Rochester, James Thackston, Colonel John Hogan Place: Orange County · Also named: William MooreSearch the index · Nash, Hillsboro, Colonial and Revolutionary (1903), p. 51 · Also: Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952
5. 1776 Rochester is named to a commission to set up a gun factory near Hillsborough The commission was to establish a gun factory near Hillsborough, and Rochester led a wagon train to Philadelphia to obtain iron for it. Illness later that year ended his military service. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · NCpedia (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography): Rochester, Nathaniel
6. February 1776 Major Nathaniel Rochester's Orange detachment takes retreating Loyalists prisoner According to Rochester's own sketch of his life, he marched as paymaster with the Orange and Granville militia under Colonel James Thackston to Cross Creek, where Thackston sent him with two companies of infantry and one of cavalry after Donald MacDonald's Loyalists. After an all-night march of twenty miles to Devo's Ferry he met about 500 men retreating from Moores Creek Bridge and took them prisoner. Short of provisions, he let all but about 50, whom MacDonald had made officers, go home on oath not to bear arms again, and turned the officers over to Colonel Alexander Martin at Cross Creek. People: James Thackston, Alexander Martin Place: Cross Creek to Devo's Ferry (Cumberland County) · Also named: Donald MacDonaldSearch the index · Internet Archive: North Carolina Historical Review 38 (1961), p. 472
7. April 22, 1776 The Provincial Congress divides the Orange County militia into Northern and Southern regiments The congress split the county militia into two equal regiments along an east-west line the county court had already run. John Butler became colonel of the Southern Regiment with Nathaniel Rochester as lieutenant colonel, and James Saunders colonel of the Northern Regiment with William Moore as lieutenant colonel. People: John Butler, Nathaniel Rochester Place: Orange County · Also named: James Saunders, William MooreSearch the index · North Carolina Provincial Congress, Journal of the Proceedings of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, Held at Halifax, April 4, 1776 (1831), scan p. 33
8. Spring 1776 Orange County sends Rochester, Burke, Kinchen, Butler and Saunders to the Provincial Congress at Halifax Orange County elected Nathaniel Rochester with John Kinchen, James Saunders, John Butler and Thomas Burke to represent it at the Provincial Congress at Halifax in 1776, the session that set up a provisional government, ordered six more Continental regiments raised and instructed the state's delegates in the Continental Congress to vote for independence. People: John Kinchen, John Butler, Thomas Burke Place: Halifax · Also named: James SaundersSearch the index · Internet Archive: North Carolina Historical Review 38 (1961), p. 473
9. May 14, 1776 The congress routes the money for Orange County militia claims through Nathaniel Rochester On its last day the congress ordered the sum allowed for the Orange militia's claims paid to Rochester, who was to pay each officer named on the allowed pay roll once the officer handed over the roll or a copy. Place: Orange CountySearch the index · North Carolina Provincial Congress, Journal of the Proceedings of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, Held at Halifax, April 4, 1776 (1831), scan p. 73
10. December 10, 1776 Orange County votes again after the Halifax Congress voids its October return The Congress first upheld the sitting Orange members on November 21, then on November 28 ordered a new election run by named commissioners over as many as three days. Held December 10, it returned Thomas Burke, Nathaniel Rochester, Alexander Mebane, John Butler and John McCabe, who took their seats just before the state constitution was adopted. People: Thomas Burke, Nathaniel Rochester, John Butler, Alexander Mebane Place: Hillsborough · Also named: John McCabeSearch the index · Nash, Hillsboro, Colonial and Revolutionary (1903), p. 56 · Also: Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952
11. December 18, 1776 The new state constitution provides for public schools and a university Section 41 of the constitution adopted at Halifax, modeled on Pennsylvania's, told the legislature to establish schools and to promote learning in one or more universities. Orange's delegates voted on it, and it became the legal basis for chartering UNC. People: Thomas Burke, Nathaniel Rochester, John Butler, Alexander Mebane Place: HalifaxLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 68
12. 1777–1778 Rochester serves as clerk of the Orange County court Rochester resigned his seat in the first General Assembly of the state to become clerk of court. He was also commissioned to supervise the building of a new courthouse and to help establish an academy in the Hillsborough area, and he gave up the clerkship in 1778 because its fees did not cover the expenses of the office. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · NCpedia (Dictionary of North Carolina Biography): Rochester, Nathaniel