Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 46.djvu/9

 with all its dependencies and the men-of-war in the harbour—to the number of twelve ships of the line, besides smaller vessels—surrendered by capitulation. The money value of the prize was enormous. The share of Pocock alone, as naval commander-in-chief, was 122,697l. 10s. 6d.; that of Albemarle was the same. In November Pocock delivered over the command to Keppel, who had just been promoted to staff rank, and sailed for England with five ships of the line, several of the prizes, and some fifty of the transports. The voyage was an unfortunate one. Two of the line-of-battle ships, worn out and rotten, foundered in the open sea, though happily without loss of life. Two others had to throw all their guns overboard, and with great difficulty reached Kinsale. Twelve of the transports went down in a gale; many were wrecked in the Channel, with the loss of most of their crews; and, in those ships which eventually got safe in, a large proportion of the men died, worn out with fatigue, hunger, thirst, and cold. Pocock, in the Namur, arrived at Spithead on 13 Jan. 1763.

He had no further service, and in a letter to the admiralty, dated 11 Sept. 1766, stated that 'the king had been pleased to grant his request of resigning his flag,' and desired that 'his name might be struck off the list of admirals,' which was accordingly done. It was generally believed that this was in disgust at the appointment of Sir [q. v.], his junior, to be first lord of the admiralty. Although Saunders's patent, which was dated 15 Sept., may have been the deciding reason, the prospect of continued peace, his large fortune, and a wish not to stand in the way of his poorer friends doubtless had their weight. He died at his house in Curzon Street, Mayfair, on 3 April 1792, and was buried at Twickenham. A monument to his memory is in Westminster Abbey.

Pocock married in November 1763 Sophia Pitt, daughter of George Francis Drake, granddaughter of Sir Francis Drake of Buckland Monachorum, Devonshire, third baronet, and widow of Commodore Digby Dent, and by her left issue a daughter and one son, George (1766-1840), created a baronet at the coronation of George IV. A portrait belongs to the family. The face is that of a young man, and it would seem probable that the ribbon of the Bath was painted in many years after the portrait was taken. Two engravings, one by J. S. Miller, are mentioned by Bromley.

 POCOCK, ISAAC (1782–1835), painter and dramatist, born in Bristol on 2 March 1782, was eldest son of [q. v.], marine painter, by Ann, daughter of John Evans of Bristol. William Innes Pocock [q. v.] was his brother. Isaac inherited his father's artistic talents, and about 1798 became a pupil of Romney. After Romney's death he studied under Sir [q. v.] He acquired something of the distinctive style of each of his masters. William Hayley's son, Thomas Alphonso Hayley, was a fellow student under Romney, and in February 1799 Pocock accompanied Romney on a month's visit to the elder Hayley at Eartham. During this visit Romney made drawings of his two pupils, and Hayley addressed a sonnet to Pocock, beginning ‘Ingenious son of an ingenious sire’ (Life of Romney, p. 292).

Between 1800 and 1805 Pocock exhibited subject-pictures and portraits at the Royal Academy, and occasionally sent portraits during the next fifteen years. In 1807 his ‘Murder of St. Thomas à Becket’ was awarded the prize of 100l. given by the British Institution. In 1812 Pocock became a member of the Liverpool Academy, and sent to their exhibitions paintings in both oils and water-colours. His last historical painting was an altar-piece for the new chapel at Maidenhead. The Garrick Club has a portrait by him of Bartley as Hamlet.

In 1818 Pocock inherited from his uncle, Sir Isaac Pocock, some property at Maidenhead, and thenceforth he mainly devoted himself to the drama. For some time he lived in London, and served in the Royal Westminster Volunteers, in which he was raised to the rank of major ‘by the suffrage of its members.’ He afterwards became a J. P. and D. L. for Berkshire, and was an active magistrate. Pocock died at Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, on 23 Aug. 1835, and was buried in the family vault at Cookham. He married, on 24 Aug. 1812, Louisa, daughter of Henry Hime of Liverpool, and left three daughters and a son (see below).

Pocock's first piece was a musical farce in two acts, entitled ‘Yes or No.’ It was produced at the Haymarket on 31 Aug. 1808, and acted ten times. Genest calls it a poor piece, but Oulton says it had some effective