James Rogers Cocke

Full Name: James Rogers Cocke
Date of birth: March 27, 1838
Date of death: January 26, 1919

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	84	Jan 8, 1895 - Jan 12, 1897	24th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Populist	Rancho / Gonzales		Gonzales
H	84	Jan 10, 1893 - Jan 8, 1895	23rd ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾	Populist	Rancho / Gonzales		Gonzales

(1) Populist. Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas: List of Senators and Representatives.
(2) Discussion of populists elected to 24th Legislature, populist pluralities by county, and roster with party affiliation, "Official Returns," "The Next Legislature," The Galveston Daily News, 11/15/1894, p. 6, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(3) Populist. Roster, "News from Austin: Twenty-Fourth Legislature," The Galveston Daily News, 12/23/1894, p. 2, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(4) Rancho post office closed in 1911. Handbook of Texas Online.
(5) Populist. Texas Legislative Manual.

Terms of Service top

House District 84
Jan 8, 1895 - Jan 12, 1897
Legislatures: 24th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾
Party: Populist
Home City/County: Rancho / Gonzales
Counties in district: Gonzales

House District 84
Jan 10, 1893 - Jan 8, 1895
Legislatures: 23rd ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾
Party: Populist
Home City/County: Rancho / Gonzales
Counties in district: Gonzales

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

COCKE, JAMES ROGERS (1838–1919). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch of the Cocke family. 4th col., "My grandfather, Frederick Bird Cocke was the first of our name to enter Texas (and that on horseback) in 1852 . . . During the Civil War, five of their sons, including my father, William G. Cocke, served in the Confederacy; one of them, James, was a lieutenant (and during the nineties was a member of the Texas Legislature). Two of them, Jack and Fred, became captains; and still later lawyers in San Antonio . . . After his retirement to Hays County, Fred also served in the Texas Legislature."
Relatives: Frederick Bird Smith Cocke - father; James Cocke and Fred Cocke - sons.
James Cocke and Fred Cocke - uncles, William A. Cocke - nephew.
Frederick Bird Smith Cocke - grandfather, William A. Cocke - grandson.
"Centennial Information . . . Early Settlers: Some recollections concerning the Ridley and Cocke Families, pioneer Kerr County settlers," by William A. Cocke, 3/15/1956, p. 11. Kerrville Mountain Sun.

Military Service Notes

Texas State Troops, Private, Company A, Frontier Regiment, Col. J.M. Norris commanding; commanding officer Captain Thomas Rabb. J.R. Cocke, enlistment date 1/13/1862 in Karnes County, muster date 1/23/1862 at Helena. Texas, U.S., Muster Roll Index Cards, 1838-1900. Ancestry.com.
Texas State Troops, 2nd Lieutenant, Helena Guards. Confederate States Army, Private, 36th Texas Cavalry Regiment under Col. Peter C. Woods. Handbook of Texas Online.
Confederate States Army, Lieutenant. "Centennial Information . . . Early Settlers: Some recollections concerning the Ridley and Cocke Families, pioneer Kerr County settlers," by William A. Cocke, 3/15/1956, p. 11. Kerrville Mountain Sun.

Other Resources

James Richard Cocke, birth date 3/27/1837 in Tennessee; death date 1/26/1919 in Nixon, Gonzales County, Texas; farmer. FamilySearch Texas Deaths, 1890-1976.
James Rogers Cocke, birth date 3/27/1838, death date 1/26/1919, burial in Rancho Cemetery, Nixon, Gonzales County, with wife Grace Elizabeth Cocke. Find a Grave.
James Rogers Cocke, pp. 297, 306. The People's Revolt: Texas Populists and the Roots of American Liberalism, 2020.
Death notice, "J.R. Cocke Sr. Dies at Nixon," San Antonio Express, 1/27/1919, p. 2, crediting Abilene Library Consortium. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
Relatives: James Rogers Cocke, birth date 3/28/1838 in Grainger County, Tennessee, death date 1/27/1919 in Gonzales County, Texas, son of Frederick Bird Smith Cocke.
Frederick Bird Smith Cocke, Jr., birth date 11/17/1839 in Grainger County, Tennessee, death date 9/7/1912 in Hays County, Texas, son of Frederick Bird Smith Cocke.
William Alexander Cocke, born 9/24/1874 in Nueces County, Texas, died in Arkansas, son of William Gabriel Cocke (1842-1935), grandson of Frederick Bird Smith Cocke (1913-1903).
Message board posting, Descendants of Frederick Bird Smith Cocke. RootsWeb.com Internet genealogical service.
23rd Legislature (1893) - J.R. Cocke, postoffice Rancho, nativity Tennessee, age 55 (born circa 1838), farmer. Texas Legislative Manual.

Photographs

Photograph. J.R. Cocke, 24th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.R. Cocke, 23rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. J.R. Cocke, 23rd Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

23rd session composite photo of House members (House chamber vestibule, east wall. 2W.V1). State Preservation Board.
24th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.
23rd session composite photo of House members by Hill (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
23rd session composite photo of House members by Journeay (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
24th session composite photo of House members by Hill (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Committee Information top

24th R.S. - 1895 Absence of Hon. T. R. Watkins, Investigate, Special Bribery in Frost-O'Neal Case, Investigate Roads, Bridges and Ferries State Affairs Towns and City Corporations
23rd R.S. - 1893 Agricultural Affairs Public Buildings and Grounds Public Debt

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.