Charles Cocks (1646–1727)
Charles Cocks (1646–1727) was an English Whig politician, MP for Worcester and Droitwich.

Cocks was baptised on 9 September 1646, the oldest son of Thomas Cocks of Castleditch, Herefordshire, and his second wife Elizabeth Gower.

Cocks' wife Mary was the sister of Lord Somers, the future Lord Chancellor.

In 1693 Somers, having been appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, vacated his seat at Worcester. A bitter by-election ensued, contested by the Whig Cocks and the Tory Samuel Swift. Swift was elected by 682 votes to 575, but Cocks petitioned the House of Commons to overturn the result on the grounds of illegal voting practices. The petition was upheld on 7 February 1694, and Cocks took the seat, prompting outrage among the citizens of Worcester.

In 1695, instead of standing at Worcester (where Swift was re-elected), Cocks stood at Droitwich, and was elected. He was a supporter of Somers and the Whig Junto.

In 1699 Cocks was appointed Clerk of the Patents, an office in the Court of Chancery (therefore in the gift of his brother-in-law, Lord Chancellor Somers).

Cocks was involved in manoeuvring regarding the management of the salt springs in Droitwich. He and William Bromley prepared a bill in 1707, which ran into opposition and lapsed in committee. Cocks presented another bill on 17 January 1708, which again faced opposition in committee on the issue of the town corporation's consent: the bill had not been signified in writing. Cocks (who chaired the committee), facing defeat, adjourned the committee for a fortnight, "that in the meantime the corporation might signify their consent to it if it was their intention". The fiasco probably cost Cocks his seat in 1708. He did not stand for parliament again.

Cocks evidently died early in 1727: on 27 February 1727, his son James Cocks wrote to his son-in-law Philip Yorke about commencing administration of the will.
Q108700
Whig
Concept
Q613294
Worcester
LOC
Q5308237
Droitwich
LOC
Q2855776
Lord Somers
PER
Q1869896
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
PER
Q30322507
Samuel Swift
PER
Q5378575
1695
EVE
Q4392129
Whig Junto
UNK
Q284804
Court of Chancery
Concept
Q28061649
William Bromley
PER
Q4971349
1708
EVE
Q24254900
James Cocks
UNK
Q2708598
Philip Yorke
PER
Q40476901
Charles Cocks (1646–1727)
PER
1646-09-09T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
9 September 1646
DATE
1693-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1693
DATE
1694-02-07T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
7 February 1694
DATE
1695-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1695
DATE
1699-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1699
DATE
1707-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1707
DATE
1708-01-17T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
17 January 1708
DATE
1708-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1708
DATE
1727-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1727
DATE
1727-02-27T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
27 February 1727
DATE
+1646^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1646
NUMBER
+1727^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1727
NUMBER
date of death
point in time
point in time