Isaac Pocock facts for kids

Isaac Pocock (born March 2, 1782 – died August 23, 1835) was a talented English writer of plays and a painter. He created many different kinds of stage shows, including exciting melodramas, funny farces, and light musical comedies. Many of his plays were based on popular novels of his time. He wrote about 40 works for the stage. His most successful play was a musical comedy called Hit and Miss, which came out in 1810. His uncle, Sir Isaac Pocock (1751–1810), was a famous sailor.

About Isaac Pocock's Life

Isaac Pocock was born in Bristol, England, on March 2, 1782. He was the oldest son of Nicholas Pocock, who was a famous painter of ships and sea scenes. Isaac's brother, William Innes Pocock, was a naval officer and also an author.

Around 1798, Isaac began to study painting with a well-known artist named George Romney. After Romney passed away in 1802, Isaac continued his art studies with Sir William Beechey.

Between 1800 and 1805, Pocock showed his paintings at the Royal Academy in London. He displayed pictures of different subjects and also portraits of people. He continued to show portraits there for about 15 more years. In 1807, his painting called Murder of St. Thomas à Becket won a special prize of £100 from the British Institution. In 1812, Pocock became a member of the Liverpool Academy of Arts. He showed both oil and watercolor paintings there. His last historical painting was an altar-piece for a new church in Maidenhead.

In 1818, Isaac Pocock inherited some land in Maidenhead after his uncle, Sir Isaac Pocock, died. After this, he decided to focus mostly on writing plays. For some time, he lived in London and was part of a volunteer military group called the Royal Westminster Volunteers. He rose to the rank of Major. Later in his life, he became a Justice of the Peace (which means he helped keep law and order) and a Deputy Lieutenant for Berkshire. He was very active in his community as a magistrate.

Isaac Pocock passed away at Ray Lodge in Maidenhead on August 23, 1835. He was buried in his family's special burial place in Cookham.

Isaac Pocock's Plays

Pocock's very first play was a musical comedy called Yes or No?. It opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London on August 31, 1808. It was performed ten times, and people had different opinions about it.

After this, he wrote many more plays. His most successful one was Hit or Miss!, which had music by Charles Smith. It opened at the Lyceum Theatre on February 26, 1810, and was performed at least 33 times. People said its success was largely thanks to the actor Charles Mathews, who played the character "Dick Cypher." Mathews also appeared in Pocock's play Mr. Farce-Writer in 1815.

Twenty Years Ago, an exciting melodrama, was performed at the Lyceum Theatre in 1810. Another play, Anything New, with music by Charles Smith, was shown on July 1, 1811. However, The Green-eyed Monster, which opened on October 14, received some harsh reviews. Even so, it was brought back to the stage at Drury Lane in 1828. The music for this play was written by Thomas Welsh. The next season, a short musical comedy by Pocock called "Harry Le Roy" was performed.

Pocock's play Miller and his Men was a very popular romantic melodrama with music by Henry Bishop. It was still being performed in 1835, many years after it first came out. For England Ho!, a musical play, was performed at Covent Garden on December 15, 1813. It was acted about 11 times and was published in 1814. John of Paris, a funny musical play adapted from a French story, was performed at Covent Garden on October 12, 1814. It was performed 17 times. When it was brought back in 1826, the famous actress Lucia Elizabeth Vestris was in the cast. It was played again in 1835.

Zembuca, or the Net-maker was first shown at Covent Garden on March 27, 1815, as a special holiday play. It was performed 28 times. The Magpie or the Maid (1815) was a drama in three acts, adapted from a French play. It was first printed in 1814. "Robinson Crusoe, or the Bold Buccaneers", a romantic drama, was performed as an Easter play at Covent Garden in 1817. Joseph Grimaldi, a famous clown, played the character Friday. This play was later published. It was brought back to the stage in 1826.

Pocock also adapted some of the famous Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott into plays. On March 12, 1818, his play Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne was first performed at Covent Garden. It was acted 34 times and was very popular. This play was published in 1818.

Montrose, or the Children of the Mist, another play based on a novel, was performed at Covent Garden on February 14, 1822. It was played 19 or 20 times, but it wasn't as successful as Rob Roy. "Woodstock", a five-act play, was first performed on May 20, 1826, but it wasn't very popular. Peveril of the Peak, a three-act play, was performed on October 21 of the same year, nine times. The Antiquary was also not very successful. Home, Sweet Home, or the Ranz des Vaches, a musical play with music by Henry Bishop, was performed at Covent Garden on March 19, 1829.

Besides these, Pocock wrote many other plays, including:

• The Heir of Veroni (opera, 1817)
• The Libertine (opera, 1817)
• Husbands and Wives (farce, 1817)
• The Robber's Wife (romantic drama, 1829)
• The Corporal's Wedding (farce, 1830)
• The Omnibus (short play, 1831)
• Country Quarters (farce, 1832)
• The Clutterbucks (farce, 1832)
• Scan Mag (farce, 1833)
• The Ferry and the Mill (melodrama, 1833)
• King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Christmas show, 1834–1835)

Some of his plays, like The Night Patrol and Cavaliers and Roundheads, were performed after he had passed away.

Family Life

Isaac Pocock married Louisa Hime in 1812. They had one son named Isaac John Innes Pocock (born July 28, 1819 – died May 28, 1886). Their son went to famous schools like Eton and Merton College, Oxford. He later became a lawyer. In 1872, he published some of his own poems.

Images for kids

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  Portrait by Pocock of Henry Bishop, a composer who worked with Pocock.

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  Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne was performed at the Theatre Royal, Jersey, on January 31, 1829.