Why is Rochester a town and not a city - it has a cathedral?!
Rochester was made a city in 1211 ... and remained so until 1998. It seems an administrative error resulted in the town losing it’s city status! Medway became a unitary authority in 1998 and the city council were asked if they wanted to employ charter trustees to protect the city status. This was deemed unnecessary and hey ho ... Rochester was no longer a city! However, the holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights.
A Royal First date in Rochester
On New Years Day in 1540 King Henry VIII met his fourth wife Anne of Cleves for the first time inside Rochester Castle. Prior to meeting her he’d only seen a painting of her. Sadly he was bitterly disappointed - reputed to have said “I like her not!” and the marriage only lasted six months after which time it was annulled. They’d married on 6th January 1540 and he went on to marry his fifth wife Katherine Howard on 28th July 1540 - swift work!
Sad Tale of a Hero …
On the pier opposite Rochester Castle a terrible tragedy occurred on Good Friday 5th April 1912. A little girl, Dorothy Foster, was playing and fell into the river. A man visiting Rochester for the day heard screams and jumped into the river to save her. Her life was saved when she was brought up and pulled onto a boat but her rescuer went down again, was taken by the tides and sadly drowned – his body was found an hour later. Percy Henry Gordon was aged 26, a Warehouse Keeper of St. James's Road, Bermondsey. At his inquest the coroner remarked "He died a hero's death” and newspapers covered the story across London and the nation. Unfortunately on April 14th 1912 the sinking of the Titanic took over the headlines.
If you haven’t ever been to Rochester, or it’s been a while since you’ve been there – we definitely recommend a visit with the Rochester Quiz Trail!
