Cocks to the rescue for the British

Diligence, application to duty and maybe tidy writing, most probably. But bravery in the face of a formidable foe would be looked on as beyond the job description. Unless, that is, your name happened to be Arthur Cocks.

For Arthur, a civil servant to the core, turned out to be one of Worcester’s most unlikely military heroes. The story of his courageous action is not often told, probably because it took place long ago and far away during a conflict that rarely gets mentioned these days.

An early litho print of the Cathedral end of High Street showing St Helen’s church. The Cocks family, a descendent of which built Eastnor Castle, lived in one of the houses opposite

It was back in 1848 that Arthur, whose family lived in High Street in a house almost opposite St Helen’s church, found himself in Goojerat, India at the height of the Sikh Wars. Not in the army, but as a rising member of the Bengal Civil Service.

After finishing his education at Haileybury College, young Cocks went to Bengal in 1837 and soon became very popular among his colleagues, both for his personality and ability. He was one of the young Bengal civilians sent to Sir Charles Napier when, after the conquest of Scinde, he asked for administrators.

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Giving a good show in this position, on the outbreak of the second Sikh war in 1848 he was attached to Lord Gough’s headquarters as political officer. He was in this capacity when the British and Sikh forces came to a standoff at Goojerat.

As they faced each other, a Sikh swordsman rode defiantly between the two armies, waving his razor-sharp blade above his head and challenging the English ranks to combat in the old ways of the East. The Sikhs were fine swordsmen and it was no idle boast they could lop off an opponent’s limb with one swipe. A few weeks before they had given an English regiment such a drubbing, its commanders doubted it would be fit to face a Sikh enemy again.

Against this background, the English soldiers at Goojerat were forbidden to break ranks and answer the Sikh champion’s challenge. But as his demoralising exhibition continued, up stepped Arthur Cocks, who, being a civil servant, was not bound by army orders.

Grabbing a sword, he rode fearlessly at the Sikh and despite being badly wounded himself in the ensuing struggle, Cocks cut his opponent down and saved the day for the British. In the East the defeat of a “champion” was a bad omen and the civil servant’s bravery was considered a turning point in the conflict. Lord Gough was so pleased with this gallant action that he presented Cocks with the sword he was carrying, while for his services throughout the campaign he received the Punjab war medal.

A very impressive top hatted gent stands in the shop entrance on the left of the image of High Street in Victorian times

In 1863 Arthur Cocks resigned from the Bengal Civil Service and returned to England. An account of his career said later: “During the mutiny his district had fortunately been undisturbed, so he did not gain so much credit as some of his colleagues; but his talent for administration, with the extraordinary affection he won from the natives, would have secured his promotion to high office if he had cared for it.”

Back home in Worcestershire, Cocks settled down into the life of a country squire, becoming a county JP and acting as captain in the Worcestershire militia from 1865 to 1872.

He died at his house in Ashburn Place, London, in August, 1881.

Unfortunately I could not find an image of the redoubtable Arthur Cocks and his brave act, taking place during an unfashionable conflict, did not attract the attention of the war artists of the time. So here are some old images of High Street, Worcester, near his one time family home. No substitute for whirling sword blades I know, but just use your imagination.