a market-town and municipal and parliamentary borough of England, in the county of Kent, on the right bank of the Medway, 8 miles N. of Maidstone, and 29 E.S.E. of London. It forms almost a continuous town with Chatham and Brompton on the E., and Stroud, across the river, on the W. The streets are generally irregular; the principal one, forming part of the London and Dover road, extends from Chatham to the bridge over the Medway, at the W. end of the town, a length of more than 2 miles. The most of the houses are ancient in appearance; many of them are built of wood, with the gables turned to the street. In the outskirts, however, and along the banks of the river, stand many fine new houses and neat villas. The principal building is the cathedral, built by Bishop Gundulph in the eleventh century, on the site of a more ancient edifice, said to have been founded in 604. It has a nave and aisles; a choir, raised above the level of the nave; two transepts, the larger at the junction of the nave and choir, and the smaller at the east end of the latter. Its dimensions are as follows:—Length of the nave, 150 feet; breadth, with Rochester, aisles, 66 feet; length of the choir, 156 feet; total length of the church, 306 feet; of the larger transept, 122 feet; of the smaller, 90 feet. A tower, built in 1825, rises from the centre; one, now in ruins, called Gudulph's Tower, from the north side of the choir, near the principal transept; and two others dissimilar in appearance, flank the doorway at the west end. This front was formerly adorned with other two towers at its extremities. The style of the building is partly Norman and partly early English; on the exterior it does not present a very imposing aspect, but the interior has been recently repaired with great taste. The monuments that it contains are more distinguished for singularity than for beauty. Underneath, in a large crypt, the ruined chapter-house has been replaced by a mean building serving the purpose of the former, and also containing a library. Rochester has two parish churches, one in the perpendicular, and another in a mixed style. There are also places of worship for Wesleyans, Independents, Quakers, and Jews. At the south-east of the town the ancient castle towers above the waters of the Medway. It has long been in a state of decay; the outer walls, which inclosed a large area, are in ruins, but the strong massive keep still rises in the centre to the height of 104 feet, with turrets 12 feet higher at each corner. This is considered one of the best extant specimens of Norman military architecture. Another fine building in Rochester is the brick town-hall, with its Doric portico in front. There is also a jail, theatre, assembly-rooms, &c. The cathedral grammar school, founded in 1642, has four exhibitions at Oxford and Cambridge, and contained 62 scholars in 1854. A free mathematical school, with 47 scholars in the same year; national and British schools, also provide for the education of the people. The charitable institutions include a dispensary, almshouses, and a charity for poor travellers. Rochester has no manufactures, if we except a small amount of shipbuilding; but many of the inhabitants are employed in the dockyards and other establishments at Chatham. Oyster fishing is carried on; and there is some trade, chiefly in coal, by means of coasting vessels. The number of sailing-vessels registered at the port, December 31, 1857, was 415, tonnage 19,086; of steamers, number 5, tonnage 228. The number of sailing-vessels that entered in that year was 213, tonnage 27,748; of steamers, number 117, tonnage, 18,544; of those that cleared, 70 sailing-vessels, tonnage 6411, and 29 steamers, tonnage 3650. The stone bridge of eleven arches over the Medway was built in the reign of Richard II. Farther down, the river is crossed by a new iron bridge of three lofty arches, the central one opening in the middle to allow the passage of large vessels. Two weekly markets, a monthly cattle market, and two yearly fairs are held at Rochester. Quarter-sessions and a county court meet here. The borough is governed by a mayor, 5 other aldermen, and 18 councillors; and represented in Parliament by 2 members. The existence of Rochester can be traced back with probability to the period before the invasion of the Romans, by whom it was called Durobrivae. Under the Saxon kingdom of Kent it was important as a stronghold, and the seat of a bishop. In 676 it was destroyed by the Saxons of Mercia; again in 839 by the Danes, into whose hands it had almost fallen a second time in 885, had it not been rescued by Alfred. The town and castle were strengthened by William the Conqueror; and afterwards sustained several attacks, one of which was from the rebels under Wat Tyler. In 1667 the Dutch made a descent on Rochester; and in 1688 James II. took ship to France from this port. Pop. (1851) 14,938.

a town of the United States of North America, in the state of New York, on both sides of the Genesee, 7 miles above its mouth, in Lake Ontario, and 230 W. by N. of Albany. It is built on level ground, with broad, straight, well-paved streets, the principal of which run from E. to W. through the middle of the town. The houses are for the most part built of limestone or brick; many of them are surrounded with gardens; and the streets are generally lined with rows of trees. The court-house and city-hall, a large and handsome edifice, with a granite front; the arcade, a fine building partly occupied by the post-office; the western house of refuge for juvenile delinquents, a large brick structure; the university buildings, as well as many handsome churches of different sects, form the most conspicuous ornaments of the town. The university of Rochester, founded in 1850, is under the direction of the Baptists, and had in 1857, 8 professors, 165 students, and a library of 5200 volumes. There is also a Baptist theological seminary, containing in 1856-7, 3 professors and 36 students. The town has numerous schools, an atheneum, two orphan hospitals, and other benevolent institutions. Several newspapers and other periodicals are published. The prosperity of the place must chiefly be ascribed to the great amount of water-power within reach; for the Genesee descends within a short distance by three cataracts and two rapids, in all 373 feet; and the inhabitants have not been slow to make use of these advantages. The chief establishments are flour-mills, which are perhaps the most extensive in the United States, and produced in 1852, 538,680 barrels of flour. Machinery, cutlery, iron, leather, cloth, paper, and other articles are also made here. The town is remarkable for the extent of its fruit nurseries. The Erie Canal, which traverses the centre of the town, and crosses the river on an aqueduct of stone, extends westward to the lake of the same name; and the Genesee Valley Canal opens up communication with the south. The steam-boat navigation, which extends on the river to within 2 miles of the town, and the several railways which diverge from it, increase the facilities for commerce that Rochester possesses. The shipping of the district, June 30, 1852, had an aggregate tonnage of 686 enrolled and licensed, of which 429 tons belonged to steamers. During the year ending on that day there entered (exclusive of canal navigation) 264 vessels, with a tonnage of 38,903, and there cleared 200, tonnage 33,027. Rochester was first settled in 1812, and received its charter in 1834. Pop. (1850) 36,403; (1853) about 42,000.