John Somers Cocks, 1st Earl Somers ( ; 6 May 1760 – 5 January 1841), known as the Lord Somers between 1806 and 1821, was a British peer and politician.

Background and education

Somers was the son of

Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers (29 June 1725 – 30 January 1806), known as Sir Charles Cocks, 1st Baronet, from 1772 to 1784, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1747 to 1784. Life Cocks was the son of John Cocks and ...

, and Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Eliot. He was educated at

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

and

St Alban Hall, Oxford St Alban Hall, sometimes known as St Alban's Hall or Stubbins, was one of the medieval halls of the University of Oxford, and one of the longest-surviving. It was established in the 13th century, acquired by neighbouring Merton College in the ...

.thepeerage.com John Sommers Cocks, 1st Earl Sommers
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Political career

Somers sat as Member of Parliament for West Looe between 1782 and 1784, for

Grampound Grampound () is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Grampound with Creed, in the Cornwall (district), Cornwall district, in the ceremonial county of Cornwall, England. It is at an ancient crossing point of the River Fal and ...

between 1784 and 1790 and finally for

Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'', and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The ea ...

between 1790 and 1806. The latter year he succeeded his father in the barony and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. In 1817 he was appointed

Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, a post he held until his death in 1841. In 1821 he was created Earl Somers and accorded additional style Viscount Eastnor, of Eastnor Castle in the County of Hereford, to be the courtesy style of the eldest son of the Earl. Starting in the 1790s he had served with the Worcester Yeomen Cavalry.

Family

Lord Somers was twice married. He married as his first wife Margaret, daughter of Reverend

Treadway Russell Nash Treadway Russell Nash (24 June 1724 page 459 – 26 January 1811Chambers, p464) was an English clergyman, now known as an early historian of Worcestershire and the author of ''Collections for the History of Worcestershire'', an important source d ...

, on 19 March 1785. They had three sons and one daughter. His eldest son,

Edward Charles Cocks Edward Charles Cocks (27 July 1786 – 8 October 1812) was a British Army officer. He served with Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War and was killed at the Siege of Burgos. Life Cocks was the eldest son of John Co ...

, a British Army officer, was killed at the

Siege of Burgos At the siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General ...

in 1812 during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

, greatly to the regret of the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, who valued him highly. After his first wife's death in February 1831, he married as his second wife his first cousin, Jane, daughter of James Cocks and widow of Reverend George Waddington, in 1834. They had no children. Somers died in January 1841, aged 80, and was succeeded in his titles by his second but eldest surviving son,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. The Countess Somers died in November 1868.

Notes

References

*G. E. C., ed. Geoffrey F. White. ''The Complete Peerage''. (London: St. Chaterine Press, 1953) Vol. XII, Part 1, p. 32. {{DEFAULTSORT:Somers, John Cocks, 1st Earl 1760 births 1841 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of St Alban Hall, Oxford 1 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 Somers, E1 UK MPs who were granted peerages Worcestershire Yeomanry officers Lord-lieutenants of Herefordshire Peers of the United Kingdom created by George IV