Nathaniel Rochester - Early Years

Early Years

Rochester was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His father died when he was two years old and five years later his mother remarried. In 1763, Rochester moved with all but his eldest brother to Granville County, North Carolina.

He found a job with a local Hillsborough merchant at age 16, and became partner in the business within five years. In his early working years, Rochester also served as clerk for the local vestry, as a committee member for a civic organization, and, most notably, as a delegate to North Carolina's first Provincial Congress.