The Roach Name
Our Roach family could have it's name origin from either of a number of sources, as explained in Ancestry.com:
"...topographic name for someone who lived by a rocky crag or ... a habitational name from any of the places named with this word, such as Roach in Devon, or Roche in Cornwall and South Yorkshire. English and Irish (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of various places [such as]... Roche Castle in Wales."
John Roach's son Bob and his family at Rocky River
Our (currently) earliest known Roach ancestor was Thomas Roach who when his son John George Roach was born, was living in Swansea, Wales. John George migrated to Australia in 1852, possibly on the ship "Sabron".
In 1865, John worked as a gold miner when he married Harriet Jane Edwards under the rites of the Wesleyan Methodist Church at the residence of Joseph Smith in Rocky River, near Uralla in NSW. "Consent of the parents of the bride was given" as Harriet was 18 years old. The couple lived in the Northern Tablelands area all their lives raising eleven children.
Harriet's father, William Edwards was born in Gloucestershire in 1820 and must have migrated to Australia as a young man. Harriet was born in Orange, NSW before the family moved to the Uralla area.
The Roaches lived long lives with Harriet dying at 79 years and buried in Armidale cemetery and John was buried at Bellingen, aged 80 years.
Headstone of Harriet Jane (Edwards) Roach and son Arthur at Armidale
Headstone of John Roach's son Thomas and his wife Virtue at Armidale