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	Edward Innes Pocock

Edward Innes Pocock selected for Scotland in 1877 while playing for Edinburgh Wanderers. He was born on 3rd December 1855 at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. He died on the 14th Jan 1905 in Fort Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He was educated at Clifton College from 1872-1875. He played rugby for the school in his final year when he won his Black Cap. He had started playing rugby for Clifton Club in 1873

Above 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol.

His father was Rev. Nicholas Pocock M.A. was born on 16th January 1814 in Falmouth, Cornwall. He was christened on 22nd March 1814 in Falmouth, Cornwall. He married Edith Prichard on 13th January 1852 in Oxford (St. Peter in the East). Nicholas was employed as Clerk in Holy Orders. Edith was the daughter of Dr J.C.Pritchard MD.

His mother Edith Prichard was born on 27th July 1829 in Bristol, Gloucester. She died on 6th March 1919 in Clifton, Bristol.

In 1861 the Pocock family were still living at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. It was occupied by

In 1871 the Pocock family were still living at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. It was occupied by

He was commissioned into the British Army (Infantry). Served in Edinburgh.

Back Row (L-R): ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, George Turnavine Budd, ?. Front Row: ?, C.Villar, James R. Reid, Edward Innes Pocock, ?, ?. On Ground: ?, ?.

Above the Edinburgh Wanderers side of 1876-1877 with Edward Pocock. At the time the Wanderers ground was at the Grange cricket field, just off Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, which is next to the Edinburgh Academicals ground where the first England v Scotland international took place and Pocock would play his disastorous 2nd and last match for Scotland. George Turnavine Budd, became captain of Edinburgh Wanderers in 1879-80

Above the Grange Cricket Ground, Stockbridge, Edinburgh where Edinburgh Wanderers played.

Back Row (L-R): D.Lang (Paisley), H.H.Johnston (Edinburgh University). Middle Row (L-R): J.R.H.Gordon (Edinburgh Academicals), J.Junor (Glasgow Academicals), J.R.Reid (Edinburgh Wanderers), J.H.S.Graham (Edinburgh Academicals), C.Villars (Edinburgh Wanderers). Sitting (L-R): D.H.Watson (Glasgow Academicals), M.Cross (Glasgow Academicals), R.W.Irwine (Captain) (Edinburgh Academicals), R.C.MacKenzie (Glasgow Academicals). On Ground (L-R): S.H.Smith (Glasgow Academicals), E.I.Pocock (Edinburgh Wanderers), H.M.Napier (West of Scotland).

Above Scotland team that played Ireland in Belfast, 19th February 1877 with ex Clifton College and Clifton RFC Edward Innes Pocock. Image courtesy of SRU. The Scottish Rugby Union had to obtain consent from the RFU to play Pocock.

Above: Programme from the match Scotland v England on 5th March 1877. Edward Pocock’s second and last game for Scotland. There are good accounts of his first international but in the second he had such a bad game he was moved from the backs to the forwards.

Back Row (L-R): H.M.Napier (West of Scotland), C.Villars (Edinburgh Wanderers), J.R.H.Gordon (Edinburgh Academicals), J.H.S.Graham (Edinburgh Academicals). Sitting (L-R) H.H.Johnston (Edinburgh University), J.R.Reid (Edinburgh Wanderers), R.W.Irvine (Captain) (Edinburgh Academicals), A.G.Petrie (RHSFP), T.J.Torrie (Edinburgh Academicals), J.S.Carrick (Glasgow Academicals). On Ground (L-R): D.H.Watson (Glasgow Academicals), M.Cross (Glasgow Academicals), J.Junor (Glasgow Academicals), R.C.MacKenzie (Glasgow Academicals), E.I.Pocock (Edinburgh Wanderers).

Above Scotland team that played England in Edinburgh, 5th March 1877 with ex Clifton College and Clifton RFC Edward Innes Pocock. Image courtesy of SRU.

He served in Brighton (where he was attached to the 16th Lancers) in 1880, Aldershot, India and the West Indies.

His Great-grandfather was the world renowned Marine Artist Captain Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821) who was a founder member of the Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1804. The National Maritime Museum holds a large collection of his works, mainly of naval subjects, and Bristol Art Gallery also has a good holding, especially of Bristol-related ones. Edward had 8 brother and sisters. 3 of his brothers also played for Clifton. They were

Herbert Innes Pocock 1879-80 : Colonel R.A.M.C. He is on the 1885-86 team photo.

Reginald Innes Pocock 1883-84 : Employed as Zoologist / Author in London Zoological Gardens. His wife Constance gave birth to a son on 9th March 1905 at the Zoological Society Gardens.

Walter Innes Pocock 1884-85 : Scholar Trinity College, Dublin. M.A. Local Governer Board 1882 - 1900 Student of Anthropology.

In 1881 the Pocock family were still living at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol. Edward had left home by then but it was occupied by

He was transferred to the newly formed R.A.S.C. in 1888 and promoted to Captain. Stationed first in Dublin and then Claremont, Capetown. He resigned his commission in 1890 to join the Pioneer Column.

On 18th April 1890 Captain Edward Pocock was recruited by Cecil John Rhodes to be part of C Troop of the Pioneer Column. The Column was organized by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company in 1890 and used in his efforts to annex the territory of Mashonaland, later part of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The column consisted of a Pioneer Corps of 180 men, accompanied by a paramilitary police force (later christened the British South Africa Police) of 300; it was commanded by Major Frank Johnson and guided by the hunter Frederick Selous.

As the column set off northwards Pocock played in a cricket match in Mafeking. "Skipper" Hoste in his book, "Gold Fever" wrote:

"On Thursday 15th May we took the day off from drill and played a match - Home-born versus Colonials. I played for Home-born and was in for two hours with one of our men, Pocock, during which time he piled up 60 runs. I also managed to pile up quite a score, consequently by the time I was bowled I felt as though I had cooked to a turn."

Before crossing into the the new colony it seems possible that the pioneers continued their cricket contests at Fort Macloustie with E and D Troops who already occupied. The company commander, Major A. G. Leonard, wrote in his book, "How We Made Rhodesia", that cricket helped to "while away many a weary hour".

On the 3rd June 1890 he was appointed to B Troop. He was reprimanded and sentanced to 1 extra inlying Picquet for being absent from laager whilst on inlying Piquet.

The Column's route began at Macloutsie in Bechuanaland on 28th June 1890 and proceeded east towards what is now Harare. The British union flag was hoisted on 13th September 1890 (later celebrated as a Rhodesian public holiday).

Captain Henry Francis Hoste was one of the officers in the column and commanded B Troop. A few years before his death in 1936 he compiled an account of Forty Years Ago: Rhodesia in 1890. One paragraph mentions Pocock captaining in the first cricket match in the country on 16th August 1890. It said

"Fry, who was our official photographer, got his camera going, to the great alarm of the natives, who watched him in fear and trembling, expecting an explosion every moment. We in the meantime wandered about the place. We camped there that night, and the next morning after an early breakfast saddled up and returned to the laager, where we arrived in the forenoon. In the afternoon the first cricket match in the country was played. The sides were 'A' Troop (Pioneers) v. 'B' and 'C' Troops (Pioneers). I forget who won; it was probably 'A' Troop as they had several outstanding cricketers, notably Monty Bowden, the celebrated Surrey wicket-keeper. He had come out to the Cape in an English team, Read's I think, and hearing of the Pioneer expedition, had joined as a trooper. L. Vintcent and B. Wimble, both noted South African cricketers, were also in 'A' Troop. Our side was captained by Trooper E. I. Pocock, an ex-military officer, and a most useful cricketer."

Above Captain Henry Francis Hoste

This first cricket match in the country played on 16th August 1890 was staged at Providential Pass, near Fort Victoria (now known as Masvingo). Bowden had, on 25th March 1888, become the youngest ever cricket captain of England at 23 years 144 days old.

Above map of Fort Victoria area and Providential Pass in 1890 where the first cricket match in the country took place. The Zimbabye Ruins were once the capital of the Queen of Sheba.

Above Monty Bowden (Montague Parker Bowden)

Above hoisting the flag at Fort Salisbury on 13th September 1890. It subsequently changed its name to Salisbury and finally changed its name to Harare on April 18th 1982, the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence, taking its name from the Shona chieftain Neharawa.

Above the Camp at Fort Salisbury in 1890.

The Pioneer Corps was officially disbanded on 1st October 1890 and each member was granted land on which to farm (with mining concessions). Some of the men sold their farm right for £100 and their claim right for £100. By 1899 over 15.7 million acres had been granted, with only about 4 million left for the native Ndebele.

Pocock played cricket for The Public School Old Boys along with Hoste in Salisbury. They played their matches in the enclosure of Messrs. Frank Johnson & Co. Ltd., prior to the establishment of the Salisbury Cricket Club ground which ran parallel to Pioneer Street on the south side of Manica Road. On one particular occasion The World beat the Public School Old Boys by 4 runs, aided by the fact that they scored 46 extras, due largely to the nature of the pitch rather than the wicket-keeping.

In 1891 the Pocock family were still living at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol.

Edward had a farm in one of the richest farming areas outside Salisbury now called the Mazoe Valley (3 miles north of Mount Hampden), then in the district of Abercorn from 1890 - 1892. He wrote to his mother to say that "this is no farming country" but it was a mining country and he had tried to mine for gold in partnership with O.R.Armstrong.

He sold his land to Sir Francis Newton, a direct descendant of Sir Isaac Newton.

He prospected and developed mining properties in the Lomagundi District (Simoona) in 1893.

He was in hospital in Salisbury in 1893 with an abscess on his knee. During his convalescence he worked as a temporary Civil Servant in Salisbury. Organised the Queen's Birthday Gymkana on May 24th 1894.

He was a member of a patrol collecting Hut Tax when Trooper Cooper, B.S.A. Company's Police was stabbed to death in August 1894.

He was appointed Gwelo District Mines Inpector in February 1896. He admitted he knew very little about mining  and in one of his letters he wrote that the Chief Inspector of Mines was coming to his district, so in order to avoid having his knowledge tested, he got on his horse and left the district until the Chief Inspector had gone back to Salisbury. In another letter to his mother, he mentioned that he had had a promotion and as a result had been given a ox cart and span of oxen - today's equivalent of the company car!  He also said there was a sad lack of suitable young ladies to marry and asked his mother to advertise for a bride in the Matrimonial Post in Britain. He met Johan and Molly Colenbrander, and wrote very affectionately about Molly, as she had a "good seat on a horse"! The Colenbranders were well know in Rhodesian history.

He served as a Captain in the Gwelo District Volunteers in the 1896 Rebellion. He was wounded in the left arm by a spear at Maven on the 24th October 1896.

He commanded at Fort Gibbs (25 miles north of Gwelo) from September to October 1896.

He was on leave in England from January to August 1897.

His father died on 4th March 1897 in Clifton, Bristol. The funeral service took place at St. Raphael's, Bristol and he was buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol.

In 1901 the Pocock family were still living at 5 Worcester Terrace, Clifton, Bristol.

In 1901 at 7 Worcester Terrace lived his brother, Gilbert Innes Pocock, Headmaster of a Preparatory School.

He was appointed Mining Commissioner, Lomagundi District in November 1897. He resigned from the Civil Service in 1901 and was then employed by United Excelsior Mines Ltd., to take charge of Alliance Mine in the Abercorn District (68 miles south of Salisbury). He continued to live on the property, with J.A.Hervey, after mining operations ceased in June 1903.

Edward Pocock died on on the 14th January 1905 in Salisbury Hospital from pneumonia. He was 49 years of age.

In a letter from Mother Patrick the Irish nun in charge of the little hospital St. Anne's in Salisbury, to Edwards mother after he died, she said he had black water fever, but had been held up by a flooded river for 3 days and by the time he got to the hospital, he was collapsed over the horses neck and very weak, he had developed pneumonia from which he died. Mother Patrick said there was nothing she could do for him.   He is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Salisbury (now Harare) near Mother Patrick's grave.

His mother died 6th March 1919 in Clifton, Bristol.

Above Harare today.