Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers

Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers, KCMG, DSO, MC (20 March 1887 – 14 July 1944), was a British Army officer who served as the 16th Governor of Victoria, in office from 1926 to 1931. He had a long involvement with the Scout Movement, and was Chief Scout of the British Empire from 1942 until his death, in succession to The 1st Baron Baden-Powell.


Lord Somers

KCMG, DSO, MC
Administrator of Australia
In office
2 October 1930  21 January 1931
MonarchGeorge V
Preceded byThe Viscount Stonehaven
(as Governor-General)
Succeeded bySir Isaac Isaacs
(as Governor-General)
16th Governor of Victoria
In office
28 June 1926  23 June 1931
MonarchGeorge V
PremierJohn Allan
Edmond Hogan
William McPherson
Preceded byLord Stradbroke
Succeeded byLord Huntingfield
Personal details
Born(1887-03-20)20 March 1887
Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England
Died14 July 1944(1944-07-14) (aged 57)
Ledbury, Herefordshire, England
Spouse(s)
Daisy Meeking
(m. 1921)
Alma materNew College, Oxford
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1906–1922
RankLieutenant Colonel
Commands6th Battalion Tank Corps
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches
Legion of Honour (France)

Early life

Somers was born in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, the eldest son of Herbert Haldane Somers-Cocks and the former Blanche Clogstoun. His godfather was Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Somers' father died when he was seven years old. He succeeded a distant relative as Baron Somers at the age of twelve. He attended Charterhouse School before going on to New College, Oxford.[1] He was an able cricketer, and played 17 first-class games. In 1904, whilst a schoolboy at Charterhouse, he made 115 against Westminster,[2] and two years later he made his first-class debut for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Worcestershire, scoring 0 and 13.[3] He rarely had enough time to play cricket, but in the 1920s he made a further 16 first-class appearances for Worcestershire, his highest score being 52 against Essex in May 1925.[4] In later life he became both a vice-president of Worcestershire County Cricket Club and, in 1936, President of the MCC.[2]

Military career

In 1906, Somers joined the 1st Regiment of Life Guards of the British Army, later taking leave to farm in Canada before rejoining his regiment in 1914 at the start of the First World War. He commanded the 6th Battalion of the new Tank Corps in 1918. He was twice wounded, mentioned in despatches, awarded the Military Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, and appointed to the French Legion of Honour.[1]

Governor of Victoria

Somers was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1926, in succession to Lord Stradbroke. Aged 39, he was (and remains) one of the youngest holders of the office. He "had charm and natural gaiety which won him popularity ... warm and generous, he had a genuine interest in people, as well as a high sense of duty and leadership ... a shrewd and successful governor".[1] A Freemason, he was initiated into Household Brigade Lodge No.2614 under the United Grand Lodge of England some 18 years before he arrived in Victoria, and served as the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria between 1927 and 1932.[5] Following the expiry of Lord Stonehaven's term as Governor-General in October 1930, Somers – as the longest serving state governor – was called upon to act as Administrator of the Commonwealth until Sir Isaac Isaacs took office in January 1931.[6]

Lord Somers Camp & Chief Scout

In 1929, at his own expense, Somers brought together teenage boys from different backgrounds in Australia to what was named Lord Somers Camp which continues to this day. The idea of the camp was based upon the Duke of York camps in the England that operated until the start of the Second World War.

Back in England, he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Boy Scouts in 1932, was deputy Chief Scout from 1935 to 1941, and was designated by Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement, who had been Chief Scout of the World, as his successor as Chief Scout. He was appointed as Chief Scout of the British Empire in March 1941, on the death of Baden-Powell.[1][7] He served until his death in 1944. He was succeeded by Lord Rowallan.

Family

Somers married Daisy Finola Meeking in 1921 and had issue, an only daughter:

  • Hon. Elizabeth Violet Virginia Somers Cocks (1922–1986), who married Major Benjamin Alexander Frederick Hervey-Bathurst (1920–1997), 2nd son of Sir Frederick Edward William Hervey-Bathurst, 5th Baronet.

Notes

  1. Australian Dictionary of Biography article on Lord Somers
  2. Obituaries, 1944. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1945.
  3. "Marylebone Cricket Club v Worcestershire in 1906". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  4. "Essex v Worcestershire in 1925". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  5. Thorton, Peter T; Lord Somers, Grand Master (1989). "12". A Century of Union. United Grand Lodge of Victoria. pp. 115–120. ISBN 0 7316 5791 8.
  6. Christopher Cunneen, Kings' Men: Australia's Governors-General from Hopetoun to Isaacs, 1983, George Allen & Unwin, p.172.
  7. "Meet the Chiefs" (PDF). The Scout Information Centre. October 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2007.

References

Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sir John Cottrell, 4th Baronet
Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
1933–1944
Succeeded by
Sir Richard Cottrell, 5th Baronet
Political offices
New title
New government
Lord-in-waiting
1924–1926
Succeeded by
Earl of Airlie
Government offices
Preceded by
Earl of Stradbroke
Governor of Victoria
1926–1931
Succeeded by
Lord Huntingfield
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Philip Cocks
Baron Somers
1899–1944
Succeeded by
Arthur Somers-Cocks
The Boy Scouts Association
Preceded by
Lord Baden-Powell
Chief Scout of the British Empire
1941–1944
Succeeded by
Lord Rowallan
Masonic offices
Preceded by
William Bice
Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria
1927–1932
Succeeded by
William Kerr
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