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Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765) was an English clergyman and writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church of Ireland. However, he is best known for his travel writings and diaries.
Pococke was born in 1704 in Southampton, into a family of Church of England clergymen. His father was the Reverend Richard Pococke, and his mother, born Elizabeth Milles, or Mills, was a daughter of Rev. Isaac Milles the younger, the son of Rev. Isaac Milles (1638–1720). His parents had been married on 26 April 1698. Pococke’s paternal grandfather was also a priest, and one of his uncles was Thomas Milles, Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, soon to become Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland. He was also distantly related to Edward Pococke, the English Orientalist and biblical scholar. Jeremiah Milles (1714–1784) was a first cousin.
Pococke was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, receiving a Bachelor of Law degree, and was ordained in 1725.
Between 1733 and 1741, Pococke undertook two Grand Tours with his cousin, Jeremiah Milles. The first (1733–34) was to France and Italy and the second (1737) was to various European countries, then again to Italy. Milles was recalled in 1737 to attend his uncle, the Bishop of Waterford & Lismore, leaving Pococke to continue his major excursion to the Middle East. He returned via Italy in 1741, visiting the Alps on his way back to England by 1742. He was considered one of the first Alpine travellers.
Detailed accounts of his travels survive in a collection of letters written to Pococke's mother and their mutual uncle, the Bishop, as well as in a number of note-books (British Library, Add. Ms. 19939, 15779, 22998, etc.). The earlier manuscripts, recently edited and published by Rachel Finnegan, include probably the most detailed description of Venice's "Marriage to the Sea" ceremony as well as precious information on contemporary music, especially opera. Pococke was a prolific library tourist and visited libraries in Amsterdam, Vienna, and Mount Sinai.
From 1737 to 1741 he visited the Middle East, visiting Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon & Syria, Asia Minor and Greece. These travels were later published in his Description of the East of 1743 and 1745, works which were praised by Edward Gibbon. The complete collection of correspondence written to his mother from his Eastern voyage is now in print (2013), thus completing the publication of all his known travels. Among other things, he was one of the European travellers to give an account of the origins of the medieval Arabic document, the Achtiname of Muhammad, which claims that Muhammad had personally confirmed a grant of protection and other privileges to the monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt.
During the years 1747–60, Pococke made a number of tours around various parts of Ireland. The longest of these tours occurred in 1752, when he travelled to just over half of Ireland's counties. He kept a record of this tour, but did not publish it. It ended up in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. Eventually, in 1891, an edited edition of Pococke's 1752 tour was published by George Thomas Stokes.
Pococke made three tours in Scotland. The first two were quite short, the third in 1760 very extensive taking him as far north as Orkney. The first tour commenced on 27 September 1747 and finished on 26 October of the same year. During that month, he visited Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and Ayr, returning to Ireland via Port Patrick. The second tour was very short, only a few days duration. He crossed from Carlisle on 16 July 1750, visiting Dumfries and Drumlanrig Castle before returning via Carlisle.
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Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765) was an English clergyman and writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church of Ireland. However, he is best known for his travel writings and diaries.
Pococke was born in 1704 in Southampton, into a family of Church of England clergymen. His father was the Reverend Richard Pococke, and his mother, born Elizabeth Milles, or Mills, was a daughter of Rev. Isaac Milles the younger, the son of Rev. Isaac Milles (1638–1720). His parents had been married on 26 April 1698. Pococke’s paternal grandfather was also a priest, and one of his uncles was Thomas Milles, Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, soon to become Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland. He was also distantly related to Edward Pococke, the English Orientalist and biblical scholar. Jeremiah Milles (1714–1784) was a first cousin.
Pococke was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, receiving a Bachelor of Law degree, and was ordained in 1725.
Between 1733 and 1741, Pococke undertook two Grand Tours with his cousin, Jeremiah Milles. The first (1733–34) was to France and Italy and the second (1737) was to various European countries, then again to Italy. Milles was recalled in 1737 to attend his uncle, the Bishop of Waterford & Lismore, leaving Pococke to continue his major excursion to the Middle East. He returned via Italy in 1741, visiting the Alps on his way back to England by 1742. He was considered one of the first Alpine travellers.
Detailed accounts of his travels survive in a collection of letters written to Pococke's mother and their mutual uncle, the Bishop, as well as in a number of note-books (British Library, Add. Ms. 19939, 15779, 22998, etc.). The earlier manuscripts, recently edited and published by Rachel Finnegan, include probably the most detailed description of Venice's "Marriage to the Sea" ceremony as well as precious information on contemporary music, especially opera. Pococke was a prolific library tourist and visited libraries in Amsterdam, Vienna, and Mount Sinai.
From 1737 to 1741 he visited the Middle East, visiting Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon & Syria, Asia Minor and Greece. These travels were later published in his Description of the East of 1743 and 1745, works which were praised by Edward Gibbon. The complete collection of correspondence written to his mother from his Eastern voyage is now in print (2013), thus completing the publication of all his known travels. Among other things, he was one of the European travellers to give an account of the origins of the medieval Arabic document, the Achtiname of Muhammad, which claims that Muhammad had personally confirmed a grant of protection and other privileges to the monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt.
During the years 1747–60, Pococke made a number of tours around various parts of Ireland. The longest of these tours occurred in 1752, when he travelled to just over half of Ireland's counties. He kept a record of this tour, but did not publish it. It ended up in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. Eventually, in 1891, an edited edition of Pococke's 1752 tour was published by George Thomas Stokes.
Pococke made three tours in Scotland. The first two were quite short, the third in 1760 very extensive taking him as far north as Orkney. The first tour commenced on 27 September 1747 and finished on 26 October of the same year. During that month, he visited Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and Ayr, returning to Ireland via Port Patrick. The second tour was very short, only a few days duration. He crossed from Carlisle on 16 July 1750, visiting Dumfries and Drumlanrig Castle before returning via Carlisle.
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