Charles Cocks (1646–1727) facts for kids

Charles Cocks (born 1646, died 1727) was an English politician. He was a member of the Whig party, which was one of the main political groups in England at the time. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for two different areas: Worcester and Droitwich.

Cocks was born in 1646 and was the oldest son of Thomas Cocks. His mother was Elizabeth Gower. His family lived in a place called Castleditch in Herefordshire, England.

Charles Cocks married Mary Somers. Her brother was Lord Somers, who later became a very important judge and politician known as the Lord Chancellor. This connection was very helpful for Charles Cocks's career.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1693, Charles Cocks's brother-in-law, Lord Somers, became the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. This meant Lord Somers had to leave his seat as an MP for Worcester. A new election was held to decide who would take his place.

The Worcester Election Dispute

The election in Worcester was very competitive. Charles Cocks, a Whig, ran against Samuel Swift, who was a Tory (the other main political party). Swift won the election at first. However, Cocks believed there were unfair voting practices. He asked the House of Commons to look into it.

On February 7, 1694, the House of Commons agreed with Cocks. They decided that the election results were not fair. So, Charles Cocks was given the seat as MP for Worcester instead of Swift. This decision made many people in Worcester very upset.

Moving to Droitwich

In the next general election in 1695, Charles Cocks did not run for Worcester again. Instead, he ran for the area of Droitwich and was elected as their MP. He continued to be a strong supporter of his brother-in-law, Lord Somers, and the Whig Junto. The Whig Junto was a group of powerful Whig leaders.

In 1699, Cocks received an important job. He was made the Clerk of the Patents. This job was part of the Court of Chancery, which was a court of law. Since his brother-in-law, Lord Chancellor Somers, was in charge of this court, he was able to give Cocks this position.

The Droitwich Salt Springs

Charles Cocks became involved in a big issue concerning the salt springs in Droitwich. These springs were very important for making salt, which was a valuable product.

Trying to Pass a Bill

In 1707, Cocks and another politician named William Bromley tried to create a new law about managing these salt springs. However, their proposed law faced a lot of opposition and was not passed.

Cocks tried again on January 17, 1708, with another bill. This new law also faced problems. The main issue was that the town's local government (the corporation) had not officially agreed to the bill in writing. Cocks was leading the committee discussing the bill. When he saw it was about to fail, he stopped the meeting for two weeks. He hoped that during this time, the corporation would give their written consent.

Losing His Seat

This situation with the salt springs bill likely caused Cocks to lose his position as MP in the 1708 election. He did not run for Parliament again after that.

Later Life and Death

Charles Cocks passed away in early 1727. His son, James Cocks, wrote a letter on February 27, 1727, mentioning that he was starting to handle his father's will.

Family

Charles Cocks and his wife, Mary Somers, had several children:

• Margaret Cocks (died 1761): She married twice. Her second husband was Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, who also became a Lord Chancellor.
• John Cocks (died 1771): He was the father of Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers.
• Catherine Cocks (died 1705): She married James Harris.
• James Cocks (died 1750): He also became a Member of Parliament.
• Elizabeth Cocks