Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

[ rɑuks ] ( 6 ″ ) . St Roche ( or Roque ) was a 14th - century French saint , especially invoked in time of pestilence . He came too late to have been the patron of parish churches , but the chapel of Bonvile 's Almshouse at Exeter was dedicated to him , and there were also chapels at Edinburgh, Paisley, Glasgow , Stirling and Dundee ; see J . M . Mackinlay , Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland : Non - Scriptural , pp. 359 – 64 ( Edinburgh 1914 ) . Nearer home there was in 1423 a chapel of St Roche in Carlisle Cathedral(CW NS xxv, 14) . Cf. St Rooke 's Cross 1580 CW ii .