Walter Roche
Born 1847 (Circa)
Died 23 April 1921
Active: 1878 - 1888
Country of birth: France
Country of death: England
Sculptor, civil servant
Born in Versailles, France, but a British subject. Son of William Roche, clergyman (born c.1808 in London). Primary employment was as a clerk, then principal clerk and finally Assistant Secretary in the Secretary's Office of the GPO (General Post Office) between c.1871-1901. His brother Mark, also a sculptor, worked in the same office as a clerk by about 1881. The brothers appear to have ceased to exhibit sculpture in the late 1880s. Walter remained unmarried and retired to The Grange, Tasburgh, Norwich in the early 1900s. His brother was living with him by 1921 and was named as his heir.
Wealth at death: £4,950 17s. 0d.
Probate date: 9 June 1921
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
The Return from the Plough
1880 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 245 Stanhope Street Regent's Park London | View on map
1878 (Circa)
Address 5 St Augustine's Road Camden Square London NW | View on map
1879 (Circa) - 1883 (Circa)
Together with his brother, Mark, sharing the studio of William Frederick Spencer, sculptor
Address 4 Camden Square London | View on map
1884 (Circa) - 1888 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Yorkshire Fine Art Society, Autumn Exhibition, 1880
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1878 - 1888
Exhibited 10 times, about twenty-three works in all (some ideal works but largely statuettes and groups on sporting or animal themes)
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1884
1884
A Hunting we will go (cat. no. 2243, £15 15s.); Then Weary Homeward we Return (cat. no. 2247, £15 15s.).
Personal and Professional Connections
Brother/sibling of Mark Roche
Friends with William Frederick Spencer
1879 (Circa)
Walter and his brother shared Spencer's studio for several years
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'2nd Class Secretary's Office'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Principal Clerk Secs Office G P O'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'1st Class Clerk Secretary Office (Gen Post Office London)'
Sources
Catalogue of the Autumn Exhibition (Yorkshire Fine Art Society, Leeds) 1880
1880
Cat. No. 507, p. 54
Catalogue of the First Spring Exhibition 1880
1880
Cat. No. 759, pp. 66, xxi
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
RG10 piece 1378 folio 127 page 13
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
RG11 piece 1432 folio 52 page 13
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 131 folio 127 page 46
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Walter Roche
Probate Date: 9 Jun 1921
Death Date: 23 Apr 1921
Death Place: Norfolk, England
Registry: London
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1884 Walker Art Gallery
1884
pp. 129-132.
Citing this record
'Walter Roche', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib5_1205490266, accessed 01 Jun 2023]
