Roche, Eleazer Birch (1848-1930), general practitioner and homoeopath

Eleazer Birch Roche, known in the family as "Gillmer", was born in Liverpool in 1848. He was the son of John Roche M.D. (d. 1889) and Catherine Sarah Roche (née Gillmer); his grandfathers were John Roche of Cork, a professor of music, and Captain Eleazer Gillmer of the East India Company's troops. Further family background is set out in items 1-3 of this collection.

Eleazer Roche trained at King's College, London, obtaining the qualifications of M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. After qualifying he was House-Surgeon at King's College Hospital, where he was involved in identifying and examining the body of the explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873); subsequently he served as Surgical Registrar and Senior Demonstrator of Anatomy at King's College. In 1881 he married Helen Winter, the marriage producing seven children. After leaving London he was in general practice in Norwich, initially in partnership with his father, for many years. He was a Fellow and later President of the British Homoeopathic Society. He died in 1930.