Isaac Pocock
Encyclopedia
Isaac Pocock was an English dramatist and painter of portraits and historical subjects (N.B: Sir Isaac Pocock, 1751–1810, mariner, was his uncle). He wrote melodrama
s, farce
s and light operatic comedies, many of his works being adapted for stage from existing novels. Of his 40 or so works, the most successful was "Hit and Miss" (1810), a musical farce.
on 2 March 1782, the eldest son of Nicholas Pocock
, marine painter, and Ann Evans (daughter of John Evans of Bristol). William Innes Pocock was his brother. Around 1798, Isaac became a pupil of George Romney
, and, after Romney's death in 1802, studied under Sir William Beechey; Thomas Alphonso Hayley, the son of writer William Hayley
, was a fellow student under Romney.
Between 1800 and 1805 Pocock exhibited subject-pictures and portraits at the Royal Academy
, London
, and occasionally showed portraits there during the next fifteen years. In 1807 his ‘Murder of St. Thomas à Becket’ was awarded a prize of £100 by the British Institution
. In 1812 Pocock became a member of the Liverpool Academy
, and exhibited both oils and water-colours there. His last historical painting was an altar-piece for a new chapel at Maidenhead
.
In 1818 Pocock inherited some property at Maidenhead
after the death of his uncle, Sir Isaac Pocock (1751–1810, mariner), and after this time devoted himself to writing dramas. For some time he lived in London
, and served in the Royal Westminster Volunteers, rising to the rank of Major
. Afterwards, he became a Justice of the Peace
(JP) and Deputy Lieutenant
(DL) for Berkshire
, and was an active magistrate
.
Pocock died at Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, on 23 August 1835, and was buried in the family vault at Cookham
.
, in London on 31 August 1808, and performed ten times; it received mixed reviews. It was followed by numerous similar productions.
Of the musical farces, Hit or Miss!, with music by Charles Smith, was by far the most successful, opening at the Lyceum on 26 February 1810, and performed at least 33 times; its success, it was said, was owed to the performance of Charles Mathews
as the character "Dick Cypher". In 1815 Mathews appeared also in Pocock's Mr. Farce-Writer at the Covent Garden Theatre
.
Twenty Years Ago, a melodramatic entertainment, was performed at the Lyceum Theatre in 1810. Anything New, with overture and music by Charles Smith, was given on 1 July 1811; but the Green-eyed Monster, produced on 14 October with William Dowton
, William Oxberry, and Miss Mellon in the cast, was harshly reviewed. It was, however, revived at Drury Lane
in 1828, when William Farren
and Ellen Tree acted in it. The music was composed by Thomas Welsh
. A burletta
, called "Harry Le Roy", by Pocock, was also performed in 1811.
Pocock's Miller and his Men, a very popular romantic melodrama, with music by Henry Bishop, was still playing in 1835. For England Ho!, a melodramatic opera, produced at Covent Garden on 15 December 1813, and acted about 11 times, was published in 1814. "John of Paris", a comic opera adapted from the French, was produced at Covent Garden on 12 October 1814, and performed seventeen times. Liston played an innkeeper. When revived at the Haymarket in 1826, Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
was in the cast. It was again played at Covent Garden in 1835. "Zembuca, or the Net-maker", first given at Covent Garden, as ‘a holiday piece,’ on 27 March 1815, was played twenty-eight times. The "Magpie or the Maid", a drama in three acts, a second edition of which appeared in 1816, was adapted from the French of Louis-Charles Caigniez and J. M. T. Badouin d'Aubigny. It was first printed in 1814. "Robinson Crusoe, or the Bold Buccaneers", a romantic drama in two acts, was produced as an Easter piece at Covent Garden in 1817, with Charles Farley
in the title-rôle, and Joseph Grimaldi
as Friday. It was published, with remarks by George Daniel
, and was printed in Lacy's and Dick's ‘Collections.’ It was revived in 1826.
Pocock subsequently converted some of the Waverley novels
into operatic dramas. On 12 March 1818 his "Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne", an operatic drama in three acts, was first played at Covent Garden. William Charles Macready
took the title role; John Liston
played Baillie Nicol Jarvie, and Miss Stephens Di Vernon. It was acted thirty-four times. It was played at Bath, for Farren's benefit, on 15 April 1815, when James Prescott Warde was very successful as Rob Roy. In the revival of the following year Farren took Liston's place as the Baillie. This play and Pocock's "John of Paris" were given together at Bath on the occasion of Warde's farewell to the stage, on 5 June 1820. James William Wallack
played in "Rob Roy" at Drury Lane in January 1826; and Madame Vestris impersonated Di Vernon at the Haymarket in October 1824. The play was published in 1818. "Montrose, or the Children of the Mist", three acts, produced at Covent Garden on 14 February 1822, was not so successful, though it was played nineteen or twenty times. Liston appeared as Dugald Dalgetty. "Woodstock", five acts, first acted on 20 May 1826, was a comparative failure, though the cast included Charles Kemble
and Farren. "Peveril of the Peak", three acts, produced on 21 October of the same year, was acted nine times. "The Antiquary" was also unsuccessful. ‘Home, Sweet Home, or the Ranz des Vaches’, a musical entertainment, was produced at Covent Garden on 19 March 1829, with Madame Vestris and Keeley in the cast.
Besides these plays, Pocock wrote The Heir of Veroni and The Libertine, operas, 1817; Husbands and Wives, a farce, 1817; The Robber's Wife, a romantic drama in two acts, adapted from the German, 1829, music by F. Ries; The Corporal's Wedding, a farce, 1830; The Omnibus, an interlude, 1831; Country Quarters and The Clutterbucks, farces, 1832; Scan Mag, farce, 1833; The Ferry and the Mill, melodrama, 1833; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, a Christmas equestrian spectacle, 1834–35. ‘The Night Patrol,’ a farce, and Cavaliers and Roundheads, an adaptation of Old Mortality, were posthumous.
, and Merton College, Oxford (B.A. in 1842), and called to the bar on 19 Nov. 1847. In 1872 he privately published "Franklin, and other Poems". He married, on 4 April 1850, Louisa, second daughter of Benjamin Currey.
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s, farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
s and light operatic comedies, many of his works being adapted for stage from existing novels. Of his 40 or so works, the most successful was "Hit and Miss" (1810), a musical farce.
Life
Isaac Pocock was in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 2 March 1782, the eldest son of Nicholas Pocock
Nicholas Pocock
thumb|Pocock's bird's-eye-view painting of the [[Battle of Copenhagen ]]Nicholas Pocock was a British artist best known for his many detailed paintings of naval battles during the age of sail....
, marine painter, and Ann Evans (daughter of John Evans of Bristol). William Innes Pocock was his brother. Around 1798, Isaac became a pupil of George Romney
George Romney (painter)
George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures - including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson....
, and, after Romney's death in 1802, studied under Sir William Beechey; Thomas Alphonso Hayley, the son of writer William Hayley
William Hayley
William Hayley was an English writer, best known as the friend and biographer of William Cowper.-Biography:...
, was a fellow student under Romney.
Between 1800 and 1805 Pocock exhibited subject-pictures and portraits at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, 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...
, and occasionally showed portraits there during the next fifteen years. In 1807 his ‘Murder of St. Thomas à Becket’ was awarded a prize of £100 by the British Institution
British Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
. In 1812 Pocock became a member of the Liverpool Academy
Liverpool Academy of Arts
The Liverpool Academy of Arts was founded in April 1810 as a regional equivalent of the Royal Academy, London. Two local art collectors, Henry Blundell and William Roscoe were its first Patron and Secretary, the Prince Regent gave his patronage for the next three years, and it was actively...
, and exhibited both oils and water-colours there. His last historical painting was an altar-piece for a new chapel at Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
.
In 1818 Pocock inherited some property at Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
after the death of his uncle, Sir Isaac Pocock (1751–1810, mariner), and after this time devoted himself to writing dramas. For some time he lived 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...
, and served in the Royal Westminster Volunteers, rising to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. Afterwards, he became a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(JP) and Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(DL) for Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, and was an active magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
.
Pocock died at Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, on 23 August 1835, and was buried in the family vault at Cookham
Cookham
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
.
Dramatic works
Pocock's first dramatic work was a musical farce in two acts, entitled Yes or No?, produced at the Haymarket TheatreHaymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
, in London on 31 August 1808, and performed ten times; it received mixed reviews. It was followed by numerous similar productions.
Of the musical farces, Hit or Miss!, with music by Charles Smith, was by far the most successful, opening at the Lyceum on 26 February 1810, and performed at least 33 times; its success, it was said, was owed to the performance of Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well-known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment...
as the character "Dick Cypher". In 1815 Mathews appeared also in Pocock's Mr. Farce-Writer at the Covent Garden Theatre
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
.
Twenty Years Ago, a melodramatic entertainment, was performed at the Lyceum Theatre in 1810. Anything New, with overture and music by Charles Smith, was given on 1 July 1811; but the Green-eyed Monster, produced on 14 October with William Dowton
William Dowton
William Dowton was a British actor.- Early life :Dowton, the son of an innkeeper and grocer at Exeter, was born in that city on April 25, 1764. At an early age he worked with a marble cutter, but in 1780 was articled to an architect...
, William Oxberry, and Miss Mellon in the cast, was harshly reviewed. It was, however, revived at Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in 1828, when William Farren
William Farren
William Farren , English actor, was born the son of an actor of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.-Life:...
and Ellen Tree acted in it. The music was composed by Thomas Welsh
Thomas Welsh (composer)
Thomas Welsh was an English composer and operatic bass. Welsh spent most of his life in London and is now particularly remembered for his light-hearted stage works.-Life:...
. A burletta
Burletta
A burletta , also sometimes burla or burlettina, is a musical term generally denoting a brief comic Italian opera...
, called "Harry Le Roy", by Pocock, was also performed in 1811.
Pocock's Miller and his Men, a very popular romantic melodrama, with music by Henry Bishop, was still playing in 1835. For England Ho!, a melodramatic opera, produced at Covent Garden on 15 December 1813, and acted about 11 times, was published in 1814. "John of Paris", a comic opera adapted from the French, was produced at Covent Garden on 12 October 1814, and performed seventeen times. Liston played an innkeeper. When revived at the Haymarket in 1826, Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris was an English actress and a contralto opera singer, appearing in Mozart and Rossini works. While popular in her time, she was more notable as a theatre producer and manager...
was in the cast. It was again played at Covent Garden in 1835. "Zembuca, or the Net-maker", first given at Covent Garden, as ‘a holiday piece,’ on 27 March 1815, was played twenty-eight times. The "Magpie or the Maid", a drama in three acts, a second edition of which appeared in 1816, was adapted from the French of Louis-Charles Caigniez and J. M. T. Badouin d'Aubigny. It was first printed in 1814. "Robinson Crusoe, or the Bold Buccaneers", a romantic drama in two acts, was produced as an Easter piece at Covent Garden in 1817, with Charles Farley
Charles Farley
Charles Farley , was an English actor and dramatist.Farley was born in London in 1771 and entered the theatrical profession at an early age, making his appearance as a page at Covent Garden Theatre, London, in 1782...
in the title-rôle, and Joseph Grimaldi
Joseph Grimaldi
Joseph Grimaldi , was an English actor and comedian who is perhaps best known for his invention of the modern day whiteface clown. He chiefly appeared at Drury Lane in pantomime where his greatest success was appearing in Harlequin and Mother Goose; or the Golden Egg and followed with a successful...
as Friday. It was published, with remarks by George Daniel
George Daniel
George Daniel is the Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League. He was appointed to the position effective January 10, 2009, succeeding Jim Jennings.-Career:...
, and was printed in Lacy's and Dick's ‘Collections.’ It was revived in 1826.
Pocock subsequently converted some of the Waverley novels
Waverley Novels
The Waverley Novels are a long series of books by Sir Walter Scott. For nearly a century they were among the most popular and widely-read novels in all of Europe. Because he did not publicly acknowledge authorship until 1827, they take their name from Waverley , which was the first...
into operatic dramas. On 12 March 1818 his "Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne", an operatic drama in three acts, was first played at Covent Garden. William Charles Macready
William Charles Macready
-Life:He was born in London, and educated at Rugby.It was his intention to go up to Oxford, but in 1809 the embarrassed affairs of his father, the lessee of several provincial theatres, called him to share the responsibilities of theatrical management. On 7 June 1810 he made a successful first...
took the title role; John Liston
John Liston
John Liston , English comedian, was born in London.He made his public debut on the stage at Weymouth as Lord Duberley in The Heir-at-law...
played Baillie Nicol Jarvie, and Miss Stephens Di Vernon. It was acted thirty-four times. It was played at Bath, for Farren's benefit, on 15 April 1815, when James Prescott Warde was very successful as Rob Roy. In the revival of the following year Farren took Liston's place as the Baillie. This play and Pocock's "John of Paris" were given together at Bath on the occasion of Warde's farewell to the stage, on 5 June 1820. James William Wallack
James William Wallack
James William Wallack was an Anglo-American actor and manager, born in London, and brother of Henry John Wallack.Wallack's parents were comedians, who performed at the London minor playhouses and in the British provinces. His first appearance on the stage was as a child at the Surrey Theatre in...
played in "Rob Roy" at Drury Lane in January 1826; and Madame Vestris impersonated Di Vernon at the Haymarket in October 1824. The play was published in 1818. "Montrose, or the Children of the Mist", three acts, produced at Covent Garden on 14 February 1822, was not so successful, though it was played nineteen or twenty times. Liston appeared as Dugald Dalgetty. "Woodstock", five acts, first acted on 20 May 1826, was a comparative failure, though the cast included Charles Kemble
Charles Kemble
Charles Kemble was a British actor.-Life:The youngest son of Roger Kemble, and younger brother of John Philip Kemble, Stephen Kemble and Sarah Siddons, he was born at Brecon, South Wales. Like John Philip, he was educated at Douai...
and Farren. "Peveril of the Peak", three acts, produced on 21 October of the same year, was acted nine times. "The Antiquary" was also unsuccessful. ‘Home, Sweet Home, or the Ranz des Vaches’, a musical entertainment, was produced at Covent Garden on 19 March 1829, with Madame Vestris and Keeley in the cast.
Besides these plays, Pocock wrote The Heir of Veroni and The Libertine, operas, 1817; Husbands and Wives, a farce, 1817; The Robber's Wife, a romantic drama in two acts, adapted from the German, 1829, music by F. Ries; The Corporal's Wedding, a farce, 1830; The Omnibus, an interlude, 1831; Country Quarters and The Clutterbucks, farces, 1832; Scan Mag, farce, 1833; The Ferry and the Mill, melodrama, 1833; King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, a Christmas equestrian spectacle, 1834–35. ‘The Night Patrol,’ a farce, and Cavaliers and Roundheads, an adaptation of Old Mortality, were posthumous.
Family
Pocock married Louisa Hime in 1812. They had one son, Isaac John Innes Pocock (28 July 1819 – 28 May 1886), educated at EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and Merton College, Oxford (B.A. in 1842), and called to the bar on 19 Nov. 1847. In 1872 he privately published "Franklin, and other Poems". He married, on 4 April 1850, Louisa, second daughter of Benjamin Currey.
External links
- Isaac Pocock online (ArtCyclopedia)
- Dramatic works by Pocock (archive.org - texts free to read and download)