The Boyle Roches of Bellevue.
John Boyle Roche married Mary Frankland
born 1736 October 1778
died 4 Jun 1807 died September 1831
John Boyle Roche, youngest son of Jordan Roche of Galway joined the army and served
with 28 Foot Regiment and attained the rank of Major. It is thought that he fought at the
siege of Quebec. On his retirement he took a job with revenue. He was proud of his
mother's heritage by who he was connected to Lord Kenmare and his great grandfather
had been 4 times mayor of Limerick. 'I'm descended from a noble family of Ireland who
lost high honours and extensive properties for their loyalty'. He was an MP, sitting for
Tralee, Gowran in the County of Kilkenny, Portarlington and Old Leighlin over the years.
John married Mary Frankland, daughter of Sir Thomas Frankland, Bart of Stockfield Park,
Yorkshire on 20 Oct 1778. As an MP he was famous for his mixed Metaphors or Irish Bulls,
which were seen as blunders which were in fact aphorisms and shrewd observations.
His wit and good humoured blunders were really only appreciated after his death. He is
credited with coining the phrase ‘Protestant Ascendency’.
He proposed a bill ‘A quart bottle should hold a quart’, and to one noble lord, he said.
‘I hope my Lord that if you ever come within a mile of my house, that you’ll stay there all night.’
He died without issue at his house in Eccles Street on 5 Jun 1807 and was buried at St Marys.
His house Bellevue in Booterstown was put up for sale shortly afterwards. Mary died at Dublin
in September 1831. They had no issue.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – June 2020
John Boyle Roche married Mary Frankland
born 1736 October 1778
died 4 Jun 1807 died September 1831
John Boyle Roche, youngest son of Jordan Roche of Galway joined the army and served
with 28 Foot Regiment and attained the rank of Major. It is thought that he fought at the
siege of Quebec. On his retirement he took a job with revenue. He was proud of his
mother's heritage by who he was connected to Lord Kenmare and his great grandfather
had been 4 times mayor of Limerick. 'I'm descended from a noble family of Ireland who
lost high honours and extensive properties for their loyalty'. He was an MP, sitting for
Tralee, Gowran in the County of Kilkenny, Portarlington and Old Leighlin over the years.
John married Mary Frankland, daughter of Sir Thomas Frankland, Bart of Stockfield Park,
Yorkshire on 20 Oct 1778. As an MP he was famous for his mixed Metaphors or Irish Bulls,
which were seen as blunders which were in fact aphorisms and shrewd observations.
His wit and good humoured blunders were really only appreciated after his death. He is
credited with coining the phrase ‘Protestant Ascendency’.
He proposed a bill ‘A quart bottle should hold a quart’, and to one noble lord, he said.
‘I hope my Lord that if you ever come within a mile of my house, that you’ll stay there all night.’
He died without issue at his house in Eccles Street on 5 Jun 1807 and was buried at St Marys.
His house Bellevue in Booterstown was put up for sale shortly afterwards. Mary died at Dublin
in September 1831. They had no issue.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – June 2020