Thomas Somers-Cocks (5 February 1815 – 30 August 1899) was a British
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
politician and a banker. He was a founding member of the
Canterbury Association.
Early life
Cocks was born at Thames Bank,
Marlow, Buckinghamshire. His parents were Thomas Somers-Cocks (b.1769), a banker of Thames Bank, and Agneta Pole-Carew, 5th daughter of Sir
Reginald Pole-Carew and sister of
William Pole-Carew.
as head of the family was chosen as his godfather. His father's oldest sister, Mrs Vernon, became his godmother. He received his education at
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, but did not obtain a degree.
Cocks became engaged to Sarah Louisa Wynne just before he turned 27. They married on 24 May 1842. She was the daughter of
Charles Griffith-Wynne
Charles Wynn Griffith-Wynne (4 March 1780 – 22 March 1865), sometimes known more simply as Charles Griffith-Wynne, was a British Tory-leaning politician and, between 1830 and 1832, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarvonshire in North Wal ...
and the sister of Charlotte Griffith Wynne, who married
John Robert Godley.
They had three children: Thomas Somers Vernon (1850–1932), Alfred Heneage (1851 – ca 1930/31) and Alice Agneta (1853–1899).
Canterbury Association
He attended the inaugural meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 Mar 1848, joined the management committee and became the banker for the group.
Politics
Somers-Cocks was elected at the
1847 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for
borough of Reigate in Surrey. He was re-elected in
1852
Events
January–March
* January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic.
* January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...
,
and held the seat until he stood down at the
1857 general election.
Death and commemoration
His wife died in the 1894 influenza epidemic. Cocks died on 30 August 1899 at Thames Bank, Great Marlow.
Somers Place in the
Christchurch (New Zealand) suburb of
Spreydon
Spreydon is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, south-south-west of Cathedral Square. The most central street through Spreydon is Barrington Street. Spreydon is flanked by the suburbs Hoon Hay, Sydenham, and Lower Cashmere. State Highway ...
is named after him.
Mount Somers / Te Kiekie
Mount Somers / Te Kiekie is a mountain in the South Island of New Zealand, located in the foothills of the Southern Alps. At , it is prominently visible from the Canterbury Plains. The area around the mountain offers opportunities for day walks ...
, a mountain in the foothills of the Southern Alps, was named after him. Subsequently, the name Mount Somers was used for a
nearby village and a
railway branch line.
Notes
References
*
External links
Family tree*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somers-Cocks, Thomas
1815 births
1899 deaths
Members of the Canterbury Association
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
UK MPs 1847–1852
UK MPs 1852–1857
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford