Pocock Brothers

It appears his nickname was Sid, so imagine this was changed to i over the years. He moved to London in 1875. He, with his family partners, owned a wholesale dairy business, under the name of Freeth & Pocock, based in the Kensington district of London England. In 1881 he lived at 167, Goldbourne Rd. Notting Hill, Kensington. His funeral and family info, is in the book Without a Shilling. It is noted he made many trips to Canada, and owned considerable land around Winnipeg during his lifetime. On April 3, 1881 census, he was a visitor at Louisa Freeth's place, 167 Golborne Rd, London England, shown as Sidney here. One source says Sidney married in 1880, but 1881 census says he was single. So many discrepancies in dates here. He did officially marry bet Apr-June 1891, an Annie Cozens, Marriage registered in the Greenwich district of London. They had 6 children.

He was quite an honoured man, as he was visiting Magistrate for Brixton Prison and in 1917 was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex where he took his seat on the bench of the Spelthorne Petty Session. He was also visiting Magistrate of Pentonville and became chairman of the Visiting Committee in 1929. This explains the book he wrote- The Prisoner and the Prison. By Sir Sydney J. Pocock, J. P. 143 pp. Alston Rivers, London, 1930. He went from a Dairyman to a Judge! He was supposed to have visited Canada quite often. I did find a S. J. Pocock, left Liverpool in 1908 for the Montreal port, so looks like he made one more trip at least, and I am sure many more. I think he was a very wealthy man, and since half of his family was in Canada, he would visit often.

His will went to Probate, June 23, 1931, in London England, shown as Sir Sidney Job Pocock, Knight of Surbiton Hall, Kingston-on Thames,
to Harold Francis Freeth, Maurice Stuart Pocock, and Edwin Freeth, Gentlemen, effects 15,897 pounds 3s, resworn 19,913 pounds, 14s, 10d.

His brother George Pocock, son of Abraham and Lydia Pocock, near the end of May 1880, was in Emerson MB, Canada, but his wife and children were still in Chirton, Wiltshire, England. George was born Aug 30, 1850 at Forest Farm, Melksham, Wiltshire, England. He died in 1946 in Emerson MB. His wife was Eliza Jane, nee Weeks. He came alone to Emerson, leaving Liverpool on May 6, 1880 aboard the Circassian.

After a slow passage, he arrived at Point Levis, Canada, spent all day in customs, then 2 days on the train to Collingwood ON. He then took a boat to Duluth, Minnesota. Then 2 more days by train to Emerson MB. Not an easy trip in those days. In Apr 4, 1881 Canadian census he is 31 years old, born in 1850, occupation= Ingenieur, married, English Nationality, Baptist. Census place Morris, Provencher, Manitoba, with his wife, 2 sons, & 2 daughters. He appears in the 1901,1906 and 1911 census as well. He built and operated a mill in the Emerson area, as well as buying a mill from the Hudson's Bay co. at West Lynne, across the river from Emerson. He was a Miller in England. Today the only stone house in Emerson MB., is called the Pocock House, ca 1882. Built as a replica of Mrs. George Pocock`s family home in England. Mar 29th, 1901- He was declared as a shareholder in the The Manitoba Central Railway Company, when it was incorporated. He actually declared bankruptcy once in 1907.

Sydney (Sid) Job Pocock, came to Canada in 1882, to visit George, with investment assets, from his Dairy business, he was very interested in farm land and minerals. He booked his trip, leaving England on board the Allan Line, SS Parisian, in May, leaving Liverpool May 18, 1882, arriving in Quebec City, May 28, 1882. He then travelled for 5 days and 4 nights by train, arriving at West Lynne Manitoba, home of his brother George.

George and Sydney left Emerson on June 2, 1882. They bought 2 mustang ponies for $200, a buckboard wagon, a tent, compass, good map, and provisions for a month. A Winchester rifle, pair of revolvers, and a breechloader, Candles, matches, mosquito nets, coveralls, and a warm blanket each. Throw in some cooking equipment, and they were set.

Most history books say 1880 when the Pocock brothers, came to Roche Percee, some 1881, but these are wrong. If George came to Canada by himself, and left England on May 6th 1880, and had such a long trip just to get to Emerson, How in less than 2 weeks did he get Sydney there, get a horse and wagon, and everything else he needed for the trip? That eliminates 1880 in my mind. Now word on the diary that Sydney wrote was written on his travels in summer of 1882. This is why I am now recording 1882, as the year they came to the Souris Valley. It still could be 1881, but the diary should be right. I'll be searching the ship records for the exact year, before I am done.

They were joined by a homesteader, named Christopher (Chris) Troy, south of the Moose Mountains (49°47’ 102°35’). An English settlement, Cannington Manor was in this area. Possibly they were going through there. There would only be a few wagon trails in those days. Access to the diary will clarify this possibly. Chris Troy sadly is glossed over in the history books. Being more local to the area, he might have had a better idea on how to get to the Souris Valley, than the 2 Englishmen. He deserves the same credit for finding the coal, maybe not in developing it. Unfortunately I can't locate any personal info on him, as of yet. He doesn't appear in any census or homestead records. Possibly they got his name wrong.

The Groups destination was the the Souris River Valley, (Also known as the Mouse, or St. Pierre River), near Roche Percée or “Pierced Rock”, also known as La Roche Percee, to the Metis, which was at the junction of a small tributary, named Short Creek. The Souris River runs nearly 400 miles, with it's start at Wood Mountain in Canada, it winds down into North Dakota, and back into Canada, and empties into the Assiniboine river.

Almost the first ravine they entered, on the Souris River, near Roche Percee, on June 12, 1882, looking for minerals, they discovered a small 18ìn thick seam of coal. They then concentrated on looking just for Coal. They checked out more ravines, and found even bigger seams. They loaded 2 large chunks of the coal in their wagon, and headed back to Winnipeg, where it was received with great excitement.

The Pocock Coal sample was shipped across the Atlantic by George Pocock, and entered in the British Empire Exposition at London. For this exhibit, Pocock received a medal from the Prince of Wales. George returned to Canada and spent the rest of his life at Emerson. Sydney was knighted in 1912 and became Sir Sydney (Sidney?) of Surbiton Hall, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England.