The writer of these lines is acutely conscious that his readers will include a whole round of Rochfords, relatives of our Fr Martin whose death in June 1976 we mourn together. He lies buried at Ampleforth as seems so fitting. There has hardly been a moment this century when there was no Rochford at Ampleforth. And today we can count grand-nephews in the School who may know of him possibly only as a revered name. Truth to tell, in the last eight years of his life Fr Martin was in semi-retirement, cared for by the brethren at the parish in Workington.
Douglas Rochford was born at Waltham Cross on 11 November, 1900. His school-days at Ampleforth were from 1912 till 1919. Besides his gifts in the study of Latin and Greek he had the gift of a mellow baritone voice and a nice touch for Debussy at the piano. When the School slowly came to life again after the scourge of Spanish Influenza in the early days of 1919, it was Fr Bernard McElligott who gave an extra fillip to its music by founding the AMS, the Ampleforth Music Society. And what better choice for an Hon Sec than young Douglas Rochford, then in the Sixth Form. This was the extension of what Fr Bernard was already doing with the choir to which he was teaching the polyphonic music of Ingegneri, Croce, Byrd.... And now the boys were listening to one another playing together or listening to Rochford singing Who is Sylvia? and the touching songs of Henry Purcell. And he would lead us in the roaring Sea Shanties that R. R. Terry found time to publish along with his pioneering work at Westminster.
In the September of that same year, with eleven other postulants of every grade of humanity, Rochford became a Benedictine Novice in the first novitiate ever to be launched at the Abbey under Abbot Oswald Smith. (Previously all novices, for whichever house of the EBC - Downside excepted - were clothed as novices at Belmont Abbey.) Of those twelve aspirants to the religious life, trained by long-suffering Dom Bernard Hayes, seven made their profession the following year. And so we follow Br Martin Rochford through his monastic career, and his four years at St Benet's Hall, Oxford, concluded with his attaining Second Class Honours in Greats.
Menawhile his repertoire of song was growing apace. Besides mastering the song-cycle Der Dichterliebe of Schumann in German, he would discover (at Alec Robertson's promptings) the works of Hugo Wolf, and so on, and so on. It was a delight to be able to accompany at the piano when Martin sang. When Fr Bernard McElligott was moved to begin a career in the parishes attached to the Abbey, Dom Martin became President of the AMS in his place. And so he continued till he himself was moved to the other side of the valley, to Gilling where the Prep School had not long been established. Later, Fr Martin was called to work farther afield. We find him at Warrington St Mary's with Abbot Justin McCann; at Leyland; at Liverpool St Peter's. He had to do with the establishing of four schools. But the present writer's duties were channelled elsewhere, and these years that Fr Martin spent 'on the mission' cannot be chronicled with the fulness one would prefer. And so we wonder if he was still devoted, as before, to that lovely song of Roger Quilter's Blow, blow, thou winter wind! Or if he was still uncertain about a certain lady's identity: Who is Sylvia?
There is one scene that remains indelibly fixed in the memory, surely of everyone who was privileged to be present. It was the ordination day in 1928 of Fr Martin by Bishop Shine, along with at least two other ordinands. There was a splendid luncheon served in the Guest Hall itself. The company consisted of the Bévenot family, with representatives of the House of Vanheems. But what was unforgettable was the phalanx of Fr Martin's relations who commanded the scene: everywhere you looked, there was that unmistakeable Rochford chin!
Of that gallant pioneering group of novices who began their monastic life with Fr Martin in 1919, there are now three who remain at their post. While he is now singing the Exsultet in the heavenly choir, he may hardly need our prayers; instead, he can 'join us in invoking the mercy of Almighty God' on his friends.
DOUGLAS MARTIN ROCHFORD 9 June 1976
1900 11 Nov Born Waltham Cross
1912-19 Ampleforth
1919 29 Sep Habit
30 Sep Simple Vows
1923 1 Oct Solemn Vows
1921-25 Studied at St Benet's Oxford - Lit Hum 2nd
1925 19 Nov Minor Orders Bishop Shine (tonsure 23 Sep)
1926 13 May Subdeacon " "
1927 10 Aug Deacon " "
1928 29 Jul Priest " "
1933 1 Sep Gilling Castle
1935 11 May St Alban's Warrington
1942 Apr Leyland
11 Nov Parish Priest at St Mary's Warrington
1953 23 Sep Parish Priest at St Peter's Seel St
1968 Sep Semi-retired at Ampleforth
1969 Sep Brindle followed by Brownedge
1972 At Ampleforth
1973 27 Feb Workington
1976 9 Jun Died at Twyford Abbey London after short illness