Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cocker, Edward
COCKER, EDWARD (1631–1675), arithmetician, was born late in 1631, as shown by two dated portraits (1657, set. 26; 1660, set. 28). A passage under ' Norfolk ' in ' Cocker's English Dictionary,' 2nd ed. 1715, cited to show that he was a Norfolk man, was added forty years after his death, and has no special reference to a particular county. He was probably one of the Northamptonshire Cokers. In 1657 he was living 'on the south side of St. Paul's Churchyard, over against St. Paul's Chain ... where he taught the art of writing and arithmetick in an extraordinary manner.' In 1661 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. temp. Chas. II) a warrant was issued to pay 'Edward Cocker, scrivener and engraver, 150l. as a gift.' His advertisements in 'The Newes,' September and October 1664, set forth that he is starting at 'Michaelmas a public school for writing and arithmetic, and takes in boarders, near St. Paul's. The last leaf of his 'London Writing Master' shows he was living in 'Gutter Lane, near Cheapside,' in 1666. Shortly after he was settled at Northampton, as appears from a letter of John Collins to Wallis in February 1666-7. Pepys mentions him several times in 1664, describing him as 'very ingenious and well read in all our English poets,' and a pleasant companion. He had collected a large library of rare manuscripts and printed books on science in various languages. His quaint poems and distichs show some poetical ability; and if he was the author of 'Cocker's Arithmetick' his fame is well deserved, for the book is well written and suited to the wants of his day. His sudden death at an early age is sufficient to account for this and other works being left for posthumous publication by his friend John Hawkins, a probable successor in a school originally founded by Cocker near St. George's Church, Southwark. He died in 1675. In Bagford's 'Collections' (Harl. MS.) there is a copy of a street ballad of 1675, 'Cocker's Farewell to Brandy,' with these lines :
- Here lyes one dead, by Brandy's mighty power,
- Who the last quarter of the last flown hour,
- As to his health and strength, was sound and well.
Hatton in his 'New View of London,' 1722, writing of St. George's Church, Southwark, says he 'learned from the sexton that the famous Mr. Cocker was buried in the passage at the west end near the school,' and John Hawkins, whose school had been there, lies close by. The largest and best of Cocker's numerous portraits is in 'A Guide to Penmanship,' 1675.
Cocker's works, many of which went through several editions, are: I. Calligraphic: 1. 'The Pen's Experience ' [before 1657]. Of this no copy is known, but it is called his first work in 'Poems by S. H.' (in the 'Pen's Triumph '), 1658, and by H. Pinhorne in 'The Rules of Arithmetic,' 1660. 2. 'Art's Glory, or the Penman's Treasury,' 1657. 3. 'The Pen's Transcendencie, or Fair Writings Storehouse,' 1657 (sometimes with the title ' Labyrinth for Store-house '). 4. 'The Pen's Triumph ... adorned with incomparable knots and flourishes,' 1657, portrait, 1658 (sometimes quoted as 'Plumæ Triumphus,' the design of the first plate). 5. 'The Pen's Gallantry,' 1657 (probably the original of No. 16). 6. 'The Rules of Arithmetic ... in Ornamental Writing,' 1660. 7. 'The Copy Book of Fair Writing,' 1657 or 1660 ? (no copy known). 8. 'The Pen's Celerity,' 1660 ? (unknown, except from advertisements). 9. 'The Penman's Recreation, by James Hodder, engraved by Edward Cocker' [1660]. 10. 'Penna Volans, or the Young Man's Accomplishment,' 1661. 11. 'A Guide to Penmanship,' 1664. 12. 'Daniel's Copy Book ... all the hands of England, Netherlands, France, Spain, and Italy ... ingraven by Edw. Cocker, Philomath,' 1664. 13. 'Tutor to Writing and Arithmetick : Part i. Calligraphic,' 1664 ; 'Part ii. Arithmetical,' is the first work of the kind done by Cocker [1664] (see No. 24). 14. 'England's Penman, or Cocker's New Copy Book ' [1665]. 15. 'The London Writing Master, or Schollar's Guide' [1665]. 16. 'Multum in Parvo, or the Pen's Gallantry ' [1670] (see No. 5). 17. 'Magnum in Parvo, or the Pen's Perfection ... engraven on silver plates,' 1672. No copies are known of the following five works: 18. 'Youth's Directions to write without a Teacher.' 19. 'The Young Lawyer's Writing Master.' 20. 'The Pen's Facility.' 21. 'The Country Schoolmaster.' 22. 'Introduction to Writing.' 23. 'The Competent Writing Master,' 23 pp. 8vo, published before 1675.
II. Arithmetical Works : 24. 'Cocker's Tutor to Arithmetic,' &c. [1664] (the second or letterpress part of the 'Tutor to Writing and Arithmetic,' No. 13). De Morgan, who thought that the arithmetical books attributed to Cocker were forged by Hawkins, had not seen this book, which gives rules, definitions, and examples. He says that the 'Tutor to Writing and Arithmetick' was only an engraved book of copies and arithmetical examples. 25. 'Cocker's Compleat Arithmetician,' published before 1669. No copy is known, but in Wing's 'Ephemeris for Thirty Years,' London, 1669, is mentioned '"Cocker's Compleat Arithmetician," which hath been nine years his study and practice; the piece so long and so much expected.' 26. 'Cocker's Arithmetick, being a Plain and Easy Method ... composed by Edward Cocker. ... Perused and published by John Hawkins, Writing Master ... by the author's correct copy,' 1678. This contains an address by John Collins, an early F.R.S. and mathematician, certifying his acquaintance with Cocker. The name Collins is spelt correctly in the first editions, though De Morgan infers forgery from an error in the later editions. Hawkins says that the author had refused to publish in his lifetime. The work is far more learned than the author's earlier 'Arithmetick' (No. 24). It is generally said that sixty editions of this hook appeared; but there were probably at least 112, including Scotch and Irish editions. An allusion in Murphy's farce, 'The Apprentice' (1756), is thought by De Morgan to account for the popularity of the name, but fifty editions had already appeared. 27, 28, 29. 'Cocker's Decimal Arithmetic; His Artificial Arithmetic, or Logarithms; His Algebraical Arithmetic, or Equations. Composed by Edward Cocker . . . perused and published by John Hawkins,' &c., 3 parts, 1684, 1685, 8vo. These are announced (though De Morgan asserts the contrary) in early editions of the 'Arithmetic.' A dedication in cipher to John Perkes speaks of Hawkins's labours as an editor, but does not claim the authorship. Hawkins's own works are very inferior.
III. Miscellaneous Works: 30. 'The Young Clerk's Tutor for Writing. ... A Collection of the best Presidents of Recognizances, Obligations, Bills of Sale, Warrants of Attorney, &c., by Edward Cocker. Ex Studiis N. de Latibulo Φιλονόμον' [1st ed. 1660?]. This book is by Hawkins himself, with a few plates of Cocker's writing hands at the end, and the title-page only claims the plates, not the letterpress, for Cocker. 31. 'Cocker's Urania, or the Scholar's Delight,' a series of alphabetical couplets in letterpress, 1670, 4to. 32. ' Cocker's Morals, or the Muses Spring Garden . . . containing Disticks and Poems,' 1675. 33. 'Cocker's English Dictionary . . . Historico-Poetical . . . Proper Names, &c. By Edward Cocker, the late famous Practitioner in Fair Writing and Arithmetic, from the author's correct copy. By John Hawkins,' 1704, 8vo.
[Cocker's Works in the Brit. Mus. Lib.; Massey's Origin of Letters, ii. 51; Pepys's Diary, 1664; More's Invention of Writing; Champion's Parallel Evelyn's Sculptura, p. 92; Hatton's New View of London, i. 247; Murphy's Apprentice; Miller's Fly Leaves, 1855, p. 40; Willis's Current Notes, 1851, p. 61; Wing's Ephemeris, 1669; The Newes, 1664, pp. 628, 645, 653; De Morgan's Arithmetical Books, p. 56; Budget of Paradoxes, pp. 30, 454; Correspondence of Scientific Men in Seventeenth Century, ii. 471; Athenaeum, 1869, pp. 412,463, 672, 706; All the Year Round, xxiii. 590; Once a Week, xvii. 324; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. xi. 57, 2nd ser. ii. 252, 312, 4th ser. v. 63, 142, 159,205; Hawkins's Works; Baker's Northamptonshire, ii. 266; Bibliographer, 1885, ii. 25; Bagford's Collections, Harl. MS.]