George Lewis Coke
Encyclopedia
George Lewis Coke inherited his father’s property at Melbourne, Derbyshire
. Some accounts say he returned from his Grand Tour
to complete his father’s work on Melbourne Hall
. On his death, the property went to his sister who was to become grandmother to William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
, the Victorian Prime Minister.
to Queen Mary and George I. Thomas Coke had also been Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer
briefly in 1704.
His father died when he was twelve and he was taken care of by his uncle, John Coke, in London
. He attended Oxford University in 1732 and property at Kings Newton
was purchased for him by his uncle.
When Coke was nineteen he embarked on the traditional Grand Tour
of Europe, despite being appointed Surveyor-General of His Majesty's Customs two years before when he was just 17. In the first year he visited Paris and ?? after staying over the winter in Montpelier
, he visited Rome
, Venice
.... Whilst in Italy he had his portrait made by the Italian painter, Pompeo Batoni
- who made a good living from young English aristocrats. Like other Grand Tour portraits, Coke appears amongst antiquities. In this case the Coliseum is in the background of Batoni’s composition.
Between 1742 and 1745, Coke hired William Smith to remodel the gardens of Melbourne Hall which together with rebuilding the front and east wing completed the plans of his father who had died prematurely.
In 1745 a key event happened in British History when Bonnie Prince Charlie travelled with Scottish supporters south to London to claim the throne of England. The troops made it as far as Swarkestone Bridge which takes the road between Derby
and Melbourne
over the River Trent
. A source says, the Deputy Lieutenant and the monarch’s representative in the county in 1745 was George Lewis Coke.
Coke died without any children and his lands passed to his sister , Charlotte, who had married the family lawyer. Coke’s companion lived until the year 1793 after marrying and having three children in England. Pasteur paid the Hearth Tax on the hall over twenty years after Coke’s death in 1777.
who also noted the story about his valet, John Lewis Pasteur. According to Briggs, Coke had returned from abroad in the coffin, 109 years before, with Pasteur as velet. It was Pasteur who went on to be a shepherd (‘’Pasteur in French’’) in Bredon
. Briggs indicates that Coke never returned alive from his foreign tour and that his coffin was of "foreign" construction. Others agree with Briggs and say that “J.L.Pasteur” set out on the journey with him.
Melbourne, Derbyshire
Melbourne is a Georgian market town in South Derbyshire, England. It is about 8 miles south of Derby and 2 miles from the River Trent. In 1837 a then tiny settlement in Australia was named after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, and thus indirectly takes...
. Some accounts say he returned from his Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to complete his father’s work on Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire, England was once the seat of the Victorian Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, and thus is the ultimate origin for the naming of Melbourne, Australia. The house is now the seat of Lord Ralph Kerr and Lady Kerr and is open to the public...
. On his death, the property went to his sister who was to become grandmother to William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
, the Victorian Prime Minister.
Biography
George Lewis Coke was born in 1715 to Thomas Coke and his wife Mary (née Hale). His father had been Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdVice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
to Queen Mary and George I. Thomas Coke had also been Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer
Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer
The Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer was an office in the English Exchequer.The Tellers of the Exchequer received any money to be paid into the Exchequer, noted the amount in a book, and sent a copy of the entry, called a Teller's Bill, to the Tally Court so that a tally could be made of it...
briefly in 1704.
His father died when he was twelve and he was taken care of by his uncle, John Coke, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He attended Oxford University in 1732 and property at Kings Newton
Kings Newton
Kings Newton is a village in South Derbyshire. The Holy well was constructed around 1660, but has been refurbished at the end of the twentieth century.-History:...
was purchased for him by his uncle.
When Coke was nineteen he embarked on the traditional Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
of Europe, despite being appointed Surveyor-General of His Majesty's Customs two years before when he was just 17. In the first year he visited Paris and ?? after staying over the winter in Montpelier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, he visited Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.... Whilst in Italy he had his portrait made by the Italian painter, Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter whose style incorporated elements of the French Rococo, Bolognese classicism, and nascent Neoclassicism.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, the son of a goldsmith, Paolino Batoni...
- who made a good living from young English aristocrats. Like other Grand Tour portraits, Coke appears amongst antiquities. In this case the Coliseum is in the background of Batoni’s composition.
According to some sources
Coke returned from abroad and unusually he came back with a “companion and tutor” known as John Lewis Pasteur.Between 1742 and 1745, Coke hired William Smith to remodel the gardens of Melbourne Hall which together with rebuilding the front and east wing completed the plans of his father who had died prematurely.
In 1745 a key event happened in British History when Bonnie Prince Charlie travelled with Scottish supporters south to London to claim the throne of England. The troops made it as far as Swarkestone Bridge which takes the road between Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
over the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
. A source says, the Deputy Lieutenant and the monarch’s representative in the county in 1745 was George Lewis Coke.
Coke died without any children and his lands passed to his sister , Charlotte, who had married the family lawyer. Coke’s companion lived until the year 1793 after marrying and having three children in England. Pasteur paid the Hearth Tax on the hall over twenty years after Coke’s death in 1777.
Afterwards and alternatively
In 1860, the fabric of Melbourne church was restored and this involved the removal of “hundreds of skulls” and the first coffin to be removed was that of George Lewis Coke which was unusual in shape. This was recorded by the local historian John Joseph BriggsJohn Joseph Briggs
John Joseph Briggs , naturalist and topographer, was born in the village of Kings Newton , Derbyshire on 6 March 1819...
who also noted the story about his valet, John Lewis Pasteur. According to Briggs, Coke had returned from abroad in the coffin, 109 years before, with Pasteur as velet. It was Pasteur who went on to be a shepherd (‘’Pasteur in French’’) in Bredon
Breedon on the Hill
Breedon on the Hill is a village and civil parish about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in North West Leicestershire, England. The parish adjoins the Derbyshire county boundary and the village is only about south of the Derbyshire town of Melbourne. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 958...
. Briggs indicates that Coke never returned alive from his foreign tour and that his coffin was of "foreign" construction. Others agree with Briggs and say that “J.L.Pasteur” set out on the journey with him.