Stephen Roche (Attorney-General)

Stephen Roche (died after 1444) was an Irish Crown official and Law Officer. He held office as Attorney-General for Ireland and was a member of the Privy Council of Ireland.

He is first heard of as an official in the Irish Chancery in the early 1420s. In 1423 he was Chief Engrosser (copier) of the Exchequer of Ireland. His duties as Engrosser were onerous enough for him to require the appointment of a deputy, Alexander White. He visited England in the same year. In 1425 he was appointed to the senior position of Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper, with the same fee as his predecessor, John Passavant, i.e. 100 shillings a year, plus "certain arrears". The Council authorised him to go to England to lay the Irish Government's grievances about the misrule of Ireland before King Henry VI and his Council. An itemised list of these grievances survives: they include the uncertain legal status of Englishmen born in Ireland, the utter inadequacy of the Irish revenue and customs, and the failure of the towns of Cork and Limerick to pay the rents due on their fee farm grants.

He served as Attorney General until 1444, when his place was taken by William Sutton.