A very happy and a very warm 'Blog Post Monday' to you.
You may remember a post from a few weeks ago where I told you about an interesting engraved Victorian glass tumbler I'd found and which I thought may have had an interesting connection and story. Well, I continued my research and there have been some rather interesting developments, and this week's post is a little update on this.
So, as always, get that kettle on, put those feet up and let me fill you in on what I've managed to confirm about this quite astonishing and important little find...
Image: My Glass
You may remember that my glass tumbler is decorated with a series of fun and interesting engravings, consisting of a name, a few skeletons, some flowers, a globe, some fun wording and a date of January 1842. But most importantly, the artist of the glass had signed it, W.P. Cocks.
Image: My Glass
I had found a 'William Pennington Cocks' (1791-1878) whom was an avid naturalist in Cornwall. He'd trained as a surgeon, but retired from medicine due to ill health. While still a medical man his drawings were used for Professor Cooper's 'Dictionary of Surgery', as well as in works by other leading medical men. However, with his artistic skill, coupled with a fine sense of humour, he later found an outlet in political cartoons.
Image: Sketches by William Pennington Cocks
But obviously, it's one thing finding names and speculative links, but they're nothing without hard evidence to substantiate such claims. With this in mind, I continued my research and stumbled across a quite extraordinary piece of information (pictured above). I'd discovered that the Rubenstein Library at 'Duke University' in the United States held a collection of historic archives and manuscripts, and within their personal papers series of a Henry Charlton Bastian, they had a "cabinet photograph of William Pennington Cocks (British naturalist) by Alfred Ellis, together with card with Cocks' birthdate, pen sketch (by Cocks?) of a skeleton sitting on a globe and a Welsh motto, undated (before 1878)".
Image: Duke University Collection
Instantly, the hairs shot up on the back of my neck! The description of this sketch matched the designs on my glass. I emailed the Rubenstein Library and informed them of the research I was conducting and asked if it was possible for them to send me an electronic copy of the sketch and photo they held of Cocks. They asked that I submit a formal request for this document through the appropriate department, which I did straight away, and a few weeks later I received the document.
Image: Sketch by W.P. Cocks courtesy of the Rubenstein Library at Duke University
Quite incredibly, not only did the sketch almost match that on my tumbler, but W.P. Cocks' signature was exactly the same, as was the Welsh motto! This, without doubt, confirms that the artist of my glass was indeed renowned Naturalist, Cocks. Mind blown!
Image: Sketch by W.P. Cocks courtesy of the Rubenstein Library at Duke University
Having confirmed the artist as William Pennington Cocks, I turned my attention to trying to find out who T.S. Cooper (the name on the glass) was and what the link was to Cocks. As such, I contacted a few of the museums in Cornwall, where Cocks was based and did most of his research, to see if they held any information. 'Falmouth Art Gallery and Library' subsequently got back to me and although they could not tell me more, they did provide an example of Cocks' sketch work which was in a similar vain to that on my tumbler. They also provided a name and contact details of someone who might be able to assist and who, they stated, would be very excited to see my tumbler.
Image: Sketch by Cocks - courtesy of Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
I made contact with this person, who, it seems, is rather knowledgable about our man, William Pennington Cocks. He stated that he knew it was the work of Cocks as soon as he saw the photos of my tumbler. Although he could not help with identifying T.S. Cooper, he did inform me that Cocks "was a West Country man, who came to Cornwall - in the year 1842", which, coincidentally is the year on my tumbler. So, was T.S. Cooper someone Cocks was leaving behind in the West Country.
I was also informed that a collection of Cocks' sketches went to auction fairly recently, and whilst he could not confirm what what the final price was, he said they went for thousands of pounds. It makes one wonder just how much a one-off piece of Cocks' work engraved on a glass might reach should it go to auction...?
Image: My Glass
There's very little known about Cocks' personal life. In fact, the only account was published in the Polytechnic’s journal in 1909, written by F. Hamilton Davey. Within this account, Cocks was described as:
"A figure whose general appearance and behaviour, though by no means bizarre, and at the farthest remove from studied eccentricity, was sure to arrest attention. Spare of build, of medium height, with an intensely intellectual face, made all the more striking by spectacles of a size and shape not much affected by the present generation, and wearing a coat whose chief attraction was an elaborate velvet collar – such was William Pennington Cocks, a prince among naturalists…Heedless of the rude gaze and idle comment of curious passers-by, yet never wanting in courtesy to all who crossed his path, this Gilbert White of Falmouth pursued his studies in his own quiet way, almost as one apart from his fellow men. For hours at a stretch would he sit by some rock-pool or on a favoured bank, by an almost unsurpassed keenness of observation, adding to a mental store (already almost encyclopaedic in its range), information with which he would subsequently delight his friends…”
Image: Me - Eureka!
And then I had a rather ridiculous "Eureka!" moment... I'd realised that perhaps the Cooper I was looking for had been right under my nose this whole time. Reading back through my blog I'd realised that Cocks had done the illustrations for "Professor Cooper's 'Dictionary of Surgery'". Professor Cooper? Was this my man? I researched this book and found that it was written by a Samuel Cooper (1780-1848)...
You can see an electronic copy of the book here, which shows some incredible illustrations by Cocks -
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/fq4kdgss/items?canvas=1
Image: Dictionary of Surgery - courtesy of Rooke Books
Samuel Cooper was an English surgeon and medical writer. In 1813 he entered the army as a surgeon and served at the battle of Waterloo. Retiring on the conclusion of peace, he devoted his attention to editing the successive editions of his two principal works, and also gained a considerable surgical practice. From 1831 to 1848 he was surgeon to University College Hospital and professor of surgery in the college. In 1845 he was elected president of the College of Surgeons, and in 1846 Fellow of the Royal Society. He died of gout on 2 December 1848.
So, did Samuel Cooper have a first name that began with 'T' that he didn't use, that Cocks was aware of...? Some people use their middle name, instead of their first name, don't they...? I mean, the connection is there for us all to see. It has to be the Cooper we're looking for...right...?
Image: Samuel Cooper - courtesy of Prabook.com
Either way, we've certainly managed to bring William Pennington Cocks to life. An eccentric man, a political and caustic social critic, a passionate and well respected Naturalist, whose work was admired by many, including Charles Darwin, and he was quite obviously a very talented artist too.
Image: Dr William Pennington Cocks - Royal Institution of Cornwall
Well, that's it for this week folks. I hope you've enjoyed this update on this fascinating little find that just keeps on giving. Remember, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, it's always lovely to hear from you. And, if you like my posts, please show your support by subscribing to my blog, which you can do here or via the 'Home' page.
So, until next week, stay safe, keep buying those antiques and keep spreading that Source Vintage love!
Cheerio!
Stephen
Owner Source Vintage
Shop from Source Vintage here
That’s a great piece of research fella. Just a thought but, as Cooper died in 1848 is this a commemorative piece…. Skeleton-depiction of death…sat atop the globe?!?
Regardless its informative read 👏👏👏