A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Roche, John
ROCHE. (Retired Commander, 1841.)
John Roche entered the Navy, 13 Jan. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bedford 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Byard; and on 11 of the ensuing Oct. was present, as Midshipman, in the action off Camperdown. In May, 1798, he joined the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flags successively of Lords Nelson and Keith, and commanded, among other Captains, by Sir Edw. Berry, under whom, while at the blockade of Malta, he assisted at the capture, 18 Feb. 1800, of Le Généreux: 74 and Ville de Marseilles armed store-ship, and, 31 March following, after a desperate conflict, in which the Foudroyant (in company at the time with the Lion 64 and Penelope 36) sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 64 wounded, of Le Guillaume Tell of 84 guns and 1000 men, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Decrès. In 1801 he was present, in the same ship, throughout the operations in Egypt. On leaving her he was received, in Oct. 1802, on board the Kent 74, flagship of Sir Rich. Bickerton in the Mediterranean, where, in the ensuing Oct. and in May, 1804, he joined the Weasel sloop, Capt. Wm. D’Urban, and Niger troop-ship, Capt. Jas. Hillyar. From Feb. 1805 until Oct. 1806 he served off Boulogne and on the Cape of Good Hope, Brazilian, and Lisbon stations, as Sub-Lieutenant, in the Defender, Encounter, and Whiting gun-brigs, Lieut.-Commanders John Geo. Nops, Talbot, and Orkney. On 23 of the month last mentioned he was promoted to the full rank of Lieutenant, and placed in command of the Neptune hired brig on the coast of Ireland, where, from April, 1808, to Jan. 1809, he had charge of a division of gun-vessels. During the remainder of the war he served in the West Indies and on the coasts of Portugal, France, and Spain, in the Druid frigate, Capts. Sir Wm. Bolton, John Louis, John Williams, and Thos. Searle, Redpole 10, Capt. John Macdonald, and Abergavenny, Capt. Fahie. He was afterwards appointed – 2 Aug. 1820, to the Forte 44, Capt. Sir Thos. John Cochrane, lying at Chatham – 24 Jan. 1824, to the Water- Guard service – next, to the command of the Harpy Revenue-cruizer – 8 Sept. 1829, to that of the Skipjack schooner at Jamaica, where he was superseded in March, 1831 – and, 18 Sept. 1839, as Additional-Lieutenant, to the Niagara 20, Capt. Williams Sandon, on the lakes of Canada. In the spring of 1840 he returned to England. He accepted his present rank 16 Sept. 1841, and was admitted, in April, 1845, to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.