A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Roche, Joseph
ROCHE. (Commander, 1838. f-p., 22; h-p., 19.)
Joseph Roche entered the Navy, 12 May, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Majestic 74, Capts. Joseph Hanwell, Geo. Hart, Valentine Collard, Matthew Forster, Fred. Watkins, and Thos. Harvey, in which ship, bearing the flag at first of Vice-Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell, he was for three years and nine months actively employed on the North Sea and Baltic stations – the chief part of the time in the capacities of Midshipman and Master’s Mate. He saw much boat-service in the Great Belt, and was often engaged either in protecting British or in attacking Danish convoys. On 23 July, 1810, having removed to the Nemesis 28, Capt. Wm. Ferris, he contributed, in the boats of that ship and of the Belvidera 36, to the spirited capture, on the coast of Norway, of two Danish gun-vessels, the Bolder and Thor (carrying 2 long 24’s, 6 6-pounder howitzers, and 45 men), and the destruction of a third. In command of one of three boats from the Nemesis alone we find him, in the early part of 1811, present at the cutting-out of a 10-gun schooner from under a fire from the Dutch fort of St. Jago d’Elmina, on the coast of Guinea. In the course of the same year he joined the Namur 74, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Thos. Wells at Sheerness, and Crocodile 28, Capts. John Rich. Lumley and Wm. Elliott; and, in July, 1812, he participated in an attempt made by four boats belonging to the latter ship, carrying 62 volunteers, under Lieut. Wm. John Cole, to bring out in open day four armed vessels, together with a convoy, lying beneath the batteries in the Bay of Paros, on the coast of France. The boat of which Mr. Roche had charge on this occasion was sunk by a shot from a national brig. After he had been for a few months borne on the books of the Sabrina and Rodney, flag-ships of Vicce-Admiral Geo. Martin at Lisbon, and had had command of their tenders, he was nominated, 29 March, 1814, Acting-Lieutenant of the Richmond 14, Capt. Edw. O’Shaughnessy. He was confirmed to that vessel 4 May following; and was subsequently appointed – 21 Nov. 1814 and 12 Aug. 1816, to the Akbar 50 and Niger 38, Capts. Chas. Bullen and Sam. Jackson, with whom he served on the Home and North American stations until Sept. 1817 – 3 Feb. 1820, as First, to the Harlequin 18, Capts. Chas. Christopher Parker and John Weeks, on the coast of Ireland, where, in the spring of 1823, a few months before he was paid off, he made prize in the boats, during a calm and after an arduous chase, of a smuggling lugger, an exploit for which he received the public thanks of the Commander-in-Chief – 15 April, 1824, and 5 March, 1825, as a Supernumerary, to the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Coast-Blockade ships, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye – in Sept. 1826, after 10 months of half-pay, to the Victory 104, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Martin at Portsmouth – 2 Jan. 1829, as Senior, for nearly 10 months, to the Ranger 28, Capt. Wm. Walpole, in the West Indies – and, 6 Sept. 1835, to the command, which he retained until Aug. 1838, of the Seaflower cutter, employed in protecting the Jersey fisheries. Since he left the latter vessel he has been on half-pay. His last promotion took place 28 June, 1838.
Commander Roche married, at Brighton, 17 Nov. 1825, Caroline Susanna, daughter of the late Arthur Robinson, Esq., M.D., of Broadwater.