Thomas Somers-Cocks
British politician and banker
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Thomas Somers-Cocks (5 February 1815 – 30 August 1899) was a British Conservative Party[1] 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.[2] Lord Somers as head of the family was chosen as his godfather. His father's oldest sister, Mrs Vernon, became his godmother.[3] He received his education at Christ Church, Oxford, but did not obtain a degree.[2]
Cocks became engaged to Sarah Louisa Wynne just before he turned 27.[4] They married on 24 May 1842. She was the daughter of Charles Griffith-Wynne and the sister of Charlotte Griffith Wynne, who married John Robert Godley.[2]
They had three children: Thomas Somers Vernon (1850–1932), Alfred Heneage (1851 – ca 1930/31) and Alice Agneta (1853–1899).[5]
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.[2]
Politics
Somers-Cocks was elected at the 1847 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for borough of Reigate in Surrey.[6] He was re-elected in 1852,[7] and held the seat until he stood down at the 1857 general election.[1][8]
Death and commemoration
His wife died in the 1894 influenza epidemic.[9] Cocks died on 30 August 1899 at Thames Bank, Great Marlow.[2] Somers Place in the Christchurch (New Zealand) suburb of Spreydon is named after him.[10] Mount Somers / Te Kiekie, 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.[2]