James Jeffrey Roche

Born in Mountmellick, Ireland, on May 31, 1847, he moved with his family as a child to Prince Edward Island and later settled in Boston in 1866. After years in business, he joined the staff of the Boston Pilot, the influential Irish-Catholic newspaper, and eventually became its editor-in-chief.

He was known as a poet, journalist, and man of letters whose writing often combined wit with strong views on public life. His books included Songs and Satires, Life of John Boyle O'Reilly, and The Story of the Filibusters, and he became an important literary voice among Irish-American and Catholic readers in New England.

Late in life, he also served as a U.S. diplomat. He was appointed American consul at Genoa, and he died in Berne, Switzerland, on April 3, 1908.