Baron Somers
Encyclopedia
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
in 1697 for Sir John Somers
John Somers, 1st Baron Somers
John Somers, 1st Baron Somers, PC, FRS was an English Whig jurist and statesman. Somers first came to national attention in the trial of the Seven Bishops where he was on the their defence counsel. He published tracts on political topics such as the succession to the crown, where he elaborated his...
, so that he could sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and serve as Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. The title became extinct on Lord Somers' death in 1716. His sister and co-heiress, Mary Somers, married Charles Cocks, a member of a prominent Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
family. Their grandson Charles Cocks
Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers
Charles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers , known as Sir Charles Cocks, 1st Baronet, from 1772 to 1784, was a British politician....
represented Reigate
Reigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in Parliament from 1747 to 1784, and was created a Baronet, of Dumbleton in the County of Gloucester, in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1772. In 1784 the barony held by his great-uncle was revived when he was made Baron Somers, of Evesham in the County of Worcester, in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
.
His eldest son, the second Baron, sat as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for West Looe
West Looe (UK Parliament constituency)
West Looe was a rotten borough represented in the House of Commons of England from 1535 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1797 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
, Grampound
Grampound (UK Parliament constituency)
Grampound in Cornwall, was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1821. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.-History:Grampound's...
and Reigate and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire. Before the English Civil War, the lieutenancy of Herefordshire was always held by the Lord Lieutenant of Wales, but after the Restoration, its lieutenants were appointed separately...
. In 1821 he was created Viscount Eastnor, of Eastnor Castle in the County of Hereford, and Earl Somers. Both titles were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He represented Reigate and Hereford
Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and like his father served as Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire. Before the English Civil War, the lieutenancy of Herefordshire was always held by the Lord Lieutenant of Wales, but after the Restoration, its lieutenants were appointed separately...
. In 1841 Lord Somers assumed by Royal license the additional surname of Somers. His son, the third Earl, sat as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament for Reigate.
However, on his death in 1883 the viscountcy and earldom became extinct. He was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony by his first cousin once removed, the fifth Baron. He was the son of Hon. Philip James Cocks, third son of the first Baron. On his death the title passed to his great-nephew, the sixth Baron. He was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and also served as Governor of Victoria. He was succeeded by his uncle, the seventh Baron. His son, the eighth Baron, was a Professor at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. On his death in 1995 the titles passed to his second cousin once removed, the ninth and present holder of the baronetcy and barony. He is a great-grandson of Hon. John James Thomas Somers Cocks, younger brother of the fifth Baron.
The ancestral seat of the Cocks family was Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle is a 19th century mock castle, two miles from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, by the village of Eastnor. It was founded by John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers as his stately home and continues to be inhabited by his descendents. Currently in residence is the family of...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. It is now in the hands of a female-line grandson of the sixth Baron Somers.
The title of the barony is pronounced "Summers".
Barons Somers, Second creation (1784)
- Charles Cocks, 1st Baron SomersCharles Cocks, 1st Baron SomersCharles Cocks, 1st Baron Somers , known as Sir Charles Cocks, 1st Baronet, from 1772 to 1784, was a British politician....
(1725–1806) - John Somers Cocks, 2nd Baron Somers (1760–1841) (created Earl Somers in 1821)
Earl Somers (1821)
- John Somers Cocks, 1st Earl Somers (1760–1841)
- John Somers Somers-Cocks, 2nd Earl Somers (1788–1852)
- Charles Somers Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers (1819–1883)
Barons Somers, Second creation (1784; Reverted)
- Philip Reginald Cocks, 5th Baron Somers (1815–1899)
- Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron SomersArthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron SomersLieutenant-Colonel Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers, KCMG, DSO, MC , son of Herbert Haldane Somers-Cocks by Blanche Margaret Standish Clogstoun...
(1887–1944) - Arthur Percy Somers Cocks, 7th Baron Somers (1864–1953)
- John Patrick Somers Cocks, 8th Baron Somers (1907–1995)
- Philip Sebastian Somers-Cocks, 9th Baron Somers (b. 1948)