Nicholas Pocock (1814–1897) was an English academic and cleric, known as a historical writer.

Life

Born at

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Falmouth was founded in 1613 by the Killigrew family on a site near the existing Pendennis Castle. It developed as a po ...

in January 1814, he was eldest son of Nicholas Pocock of Falmouth and grandson of

Nicholas Pocock Nicholas Pocock (2 March 1740 – 9 March 1821) was an English artist known for his many detailed paintings of naval battles during the age of sail. Birth and early career at sea Pocock was born in Bristol in 1740, the son of a seaman.Chatte ...

the marine painter;

Isaac Pocock Isaac Pocock (2 March 1782 – 23 August 1835) was an English dramatist and painter of portraits and historical subjects. He wrote melodramas, farces and light operatic comedies, many being stage adaptations of existing novels. Of his 40 or so w ...

and William Innes Pocock were his uncles. He was educated at a private school in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

by the Rev. John Manly, and on 3 February 1831 matriculated at

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...

, as Michel exhibitioner; in 1834 he was elected scholar. He graduated B.A. that year with a first class in the final mathematical school, and a second class in literae humaniores In 1835 he won the Johnson mathematical scholarship, and the senior mathematical scholarship in 1836. In 1837 he graduated M.A. In 1838 Pocock became Michel fellow of Queen's, where later he was mathematical lecturer. He had a reputation as mathematical tutor, and among his pupils was

Bartholomew Price Reverend Bartholomew Price (181829 December 1898) was an English mathematician, clergyman and educator. Life Bartholomew Price was born at Coln St Denis, Gloucestershire, on 14 May 1818, the son of the Revd W. Price, Rector of that parish. He ...

; he was public examiner in mathematics in 1839, 1844, and 1848, and in literae humaniores in 1842 and 1852. He was ordained deacon in 1838 and priest in 1855, but never held any ecclesiastical preferment. He married in 1852 Edith, a daughter of

James Cowles Prichard James Cowles Prichard (11 February 1786 – 23 December 1848) was a British physician and ethnologist with broad interests in physical anthropology and psychiatry. His influential ''Researches into the Physical History of Mankind'' touched upon ...

, and moved to

Clifton, Bristol Clifton is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, and the name of one of the city's thirty-five Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. The easter ...

, where he spent the remainder of his life with the exception of a year when he was in charge of

Codrington College Codrington College is an Anglican theological college in Saint John, Barbados, St. John, Barbados now affiliated with the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill. It is one of the oldest Anglican theological colleges in the Americas. It was ...

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

. He died at Clifton on 4 March 1897, survived by his widow, sons and daughters.

Works

Pocock did much to undermine the traditional

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

view of the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. His major work was his edition of

Gilbert Burnet Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish people, Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch language, Dutch, French language, French, Latin language, Latin, Greek language, Gree ...

's ''History of the Reformation'', published in seven volumes by the Clarendon Press in 1864–65. The seventh volume consisted of Pocock's discussion on Burnet's authorities, sources, and errors. In 1847 Pocock edited the third edition of

Henry Hammond Henry Hammond (18 August 1605 – 25 April 1660) was an English churchman, church historian and theologian, who supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Early life He was born at Chertsey in Surrey on 18 August 1605, the y ...

's ''Miscellaneous Theological Works'', and in 1852 published ''The First two Books of Euclid … with additional figures''. Later he devoted himself almost exclusively to the history of the Reformation in England. The series ''Records of the Reformation'' issued by the Clarendon Press in 1871 was stopped at the year 1535, because of poor sales: and Pocock's collections remained mostly in manuscript, though some were published in ''Troubles connected with the Prayer-Book of 1549'' (Camden Society, 1884). Pocock also edited, for the

Camden Society The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary ...

Nicholas Harpsfield Nicholas Harpsfield, in latin sometimes Harspheldius,For example in Angelus à Sancto Francisco, ''Certamen seraphicum provinciae angliae pro sancta Dei Ecclesia'', reissue Quaracchi, 1885, p. 4online (1519–1575) was an English historian and a R ...

's ''Treatise of the Pretended Divorce of Catherine of Aragon'' (1878). Other works included: * ''The Ritual Commission'', Bristol, 1872. * ''The Abolition of the Thirty-nine Articles'', 3 parts, London, 1874. * ''The Principles of the Reformation'', London, 1875. * ''The Recovery from the Principles of the Reformation'', London, 1877. He contributed articles on Reformation history to the '' Saturday Review'', the ''Union Review'', ''

Quarterly Review The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London publishing house John Murray. It ceased publication in 1967. It was referred to as ''The London Quarterly Review'', as reprinted by Leonard Scott, f ...

'', ''Church Quarterly Review'' and ''

English Historical Review ''The English Historical Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1886 and published by Oxford University Press (formerly by Longman). It publishes articles on all aspects of history – British, European, a ...

'', and to '' The Athenæum'' and ''

The Academy An academy is an institution of secondary education or higher learning, research, or honorary membership. Academy may also refer to: Education * Academy (English school), formerly known as city academy, type of publicly financed but independently ...

''. He also wrote for the ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Pocock, Nicholas 1814 births 1897 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests 19th-century English historians Fellows of the Queen's College, Oxford People from Falmouth, Cornwall