THE ENGRAVED WALKING CANE OF ADMIRAL HOCKIN

The following is an obituary from the Torquay Times 14 Mar 1902:

"At the advanced age of 91 years, Admiral Charles Luxmoore Hockin, of Glorat, Teignmouth Road, passed away on Saturday, after an illness extending over period of thirteen months. Deceased had resided in Torquay since his marriage in 1858. The gallant officer was born at Dartmouth, on December 28th, 1810, and was the seventh son of the late Mr. W. L. Hockin, and nephew of Dr. Luxmoore, formerly Bishop of Hereford and afterwards of St. Asaph.

He joined the Navy before he was 15, under the auspices of Capt. the Hon. Robert Rodney, and saw his first service in Dryad. He was a midshipman at the blockade of Navarino in 1827; and in 1832 3, while sub-lieutenant in the Stag, took part in the blockading of the Tezel. During the Portuguese civil war he served off the Portuguese coast. In 1837, the year in which Queen Victoria came to the throne, he was appointed to the Dido, Capt. Lewis Davis. The Dido was attached to the British Embassy at Constantinople in 1832 and the beginning of 1840, Lord Ponsonby being the Ambassador. The young lieutenant learnt much about the "Eastern question" when so employed, and when the expedition to Syria commenced their "operations" in 1840, the Dido left Constantinople to join the fleet under Sir Robert Stopford. Seventeen sail of the line formed that fleet, St. Jean d'Acre being the priciple object of attack.

Lieut. Hockin was present at the capture of Djebel, and received the Syrian and Turkish medals. He next served two years on the West Coast of Africa, in 1844-46, for the suppression of the slave trade. He was senior lieutenant of the Wasp,a 16-gun brig, and was very successful in the capture of slave ships. The Wasp took eleven; six of these Lieut. Hockin captured with the boats of the Wasp, and two of them were piratical slavers. For these successful services Lord Auckland, the then First Lord of the Admiralty, promoted Lieut. Hockin to the rank of commander, and also appointed him to command the Star, a 10 gun brig on that station; but Commander Hockin was soon attacked with the coast fever, and was invalided home.

During the Russian war Commander Hockin was in command of the Cumberland, in the Baltic, and was wounded. He was at anchor off Cronstadt when the Russian squadron put to sea, and he chased them back into harbour. For this he was promoted to Captain (1855). He retired in 1864, and was subsequently advanced to rear-admiral (1873), vice-admiral (1878), and admiral (1884). He married, in 1858, Jane Gloriana Strirling, younger sister of the late Sir Samuel Home Striling, Barb., of Glorat and Renton, in Scotland, one of the oldest baronetcies in Great Britain.

The funeral took place on Wednesday, the first part of the service being conducted at All Saints' Church, Tor, by the Vicor (the Rev. J. T. Jacob), assisted by the Rev. W. A. Richmond. The mourners were Mrs. Hockin (widow), Mr. and Mrs. G. Hockin, Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Hockin (Dartmouth), and the servants at Glorat. Amongst those present at the church were Mrs. J. Kitson, Mrs. Spragge, Mrs. Saunders (The Knoll), Capt. the Hon. R. R. Best, Dr. Stabb, Mr. W. A. Abbott. Mr. Tully, and Mr. Sloman.

The coffin was of polished oak with brass mountings, and bore the following inscription:-Charles Luxmore Hockin, Born, December 28th, 1810, Died, March 7th, 1902."