After a costly political battle over a naval contract for the in 1885, Roach, by now a terminally ill old man, retired and placed his business empire into receivership. Following the settlement of all his debts however, his family found themselves still in possession of both the Chester shipyard and the Morgan Iron Works. Roach's oldest surviving son, John Baker Roach, took over running of the business as a whole, while his younger son Stephen became treasurer of the Morgan Works.