Family and Education

b. 27 July 1786, 1st s. of John Somers Cocks I*, 2nd Baron Somers, by 1st w. Margaret, da. of Rev. Treadway Russell Nash, DD; bro. of Hons. James Somers Cocks* and John Somers Cocks II*. educ. privately. unm.

Offices Held

Cornet 16 Drag. 1803, lt. 1805; capt. 48 Ft. 1806, 16 Drag. 1807; brevet maj. 1811, lt.-col. 1812.

Biography

Charles Cocks’s father had intended him to stand for Worcestershire when he came of age, but at the dissolution of 1806 he was still only 20 and the opportunity lapsed.1 Instead, he was returned unopposed for Reigate on the family interest:

Cocks made an able, animated and very impressive speech, which was received with great applause and real satisfaction. He spoke of his gratitude to the electors, his love for his country, the zeal with which he should execute this important trust, and the interest he should always take in the borough of Reigate, and for every individual in it. If he committed some errors, he hoped they would impute it to his inexperience, and give him credit for his determination to correct them.2

His father was well disposed to the Grenville ministry. On 2 Mar. 1807 he himself was a defaulter; on 16 Mar. and 13 Apr. he took leaves of absence. He was then with his regiment. He was absent ill on his re-election in May.3 He reached his majority in July and from February until May 1808 he certainly attended the House, voting with opposition (again his father’s line) on the Copenhagen expedition, 8 Feb., the droits of Admiralty, 11 Feb., for a larger grant to Maynooth College, 29 Apr., and for Irish Catholic claims, 25 May. No speech is known. His absence from the minority on 21 Feb. 1809 was noted: he was at Falmouth, whence he sailed on 24 Feb. for Portugal, with his regiment. Apart from leave in March 1811 he was never in London again.4 The opposition listed him among their adherents in 1810 and supposed that, if present, he would have supported Morpeth’s motion of 4 Feb. 1812 on Ireland.

Cocks was killed at the siege of Burgos, 8 Oct. 1812. According to Wellington, ‘Had Cocks outlived these campaigns, which from the way he exposed himself was morally impossible, he would have become one of the first generals in England’.5

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Authors: Brian Murphy / R. G. Thorne

Notes

• 1. Fortescue mss, Somers to Grenville, 1 Dec. 1806.
• 2. Add. 35646, f. 39.
• 3. Add. 35395, f. 45.
• 4. Fortescue mss, Fremantle to Grenville, 21 Feb. 1809; information from Julia V. Page.
• 5. CP, xii. 33.