David "Tiger" Roche, (born c. 1729) was an Irish soldier, duellist and adventurer, variously hailed as a hero and damned as a thief and a murderer at many times during his stormy life.

Roche was born to a middle-class family in Dublin in 1729 and received a gentleman's education, he was in fact so well turned out that his comportment sufficiently impressed the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to offer him a military commission at sixteen years' old.

Roche had fallen in with bad company and was possibly involved in an attack on a night watchman, one of many carried out by gangs of bucks at the time.

He continued to fight with distinction in the war, and then with money from friends in Ireland, sailed for England where he hoped to buy a commission in the army.

His status was further boosted after he raised a unit to patrol the streets at night against a particularly vicious brand of criminals active at the time.

After the Treaty of Paris in 1763 Roche was forced to retire from the army and move to London, where he married the wealthy Miss Pitt, but later squandered her money and she divorced him.

When they landed at the Cape of Good Hope Roche called on Captain Ferguson's house, who was later found dead behind it.

Roche received the best education Dublin could provide, and was instructed in all the accomplishments then deemed essential to the rank and character of a gentleman.

So expert was he in the various acquirements of polite life, that at the age of 16 he recommended himself to Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who offered him, gratuitously, a commission in the army.

[4] Roche displayed intrepidity and spirit in his military doings, and was expected to rise to a high rank until an unfortunate event destroyed his career.

[5] Roche subsequently challenged and attacked a number of the people involved in the incident, including Corporal Bourke.

He made his way to New York and eventually, in 1758, received some money from friends in Ireland and was able to obtain passage on a vessel bound for England.

This declaration of the dying man was properly attested and universally accepted, and instantly restored Roche's character.

[4] Dublin was at this time infested with criminals known as sweaters or pinkindindies (who cut off the points of their swords because they would rather "inflict considerable pain" than kill[6]).

This gave him the idea to form a body, consisting of officers and others of his acquaintance, to patrol Dublin at night, further enhancing his heroic status.

[4] The peace concluded in 1763 reduced the size of the army, and forced Roche to retire in indigent circumstances to London, where he soon lived beyond his income.

So high an opinion was entertained of his daring spirit, that it was thought by some of the popular party he might be of use in intimidating Colonel Luttrell, who was the declared opponent of John Wilkes at that election.

Less savoury stories of Roche's attachment, mismanagement and eventual dissipation of a young woman's fortune also survive from this period.

Apparently Roche was in such a temper that he fell out with all the passengers, including a Captain Ferguson, who called him out as soon as they arrived at Madeira.