Walls and Vitrines

Dr Hocken had two variant bookplates (or ex libris [Latin, ‘from the books of…]). The motto Hoc in loco Deus rupes (‘In this place God is a rock’ and which confirms ‘Hockin’ spelling) refers to one Thomas Hockin who about 1700 single-handedly drove off a landing party from a French privateer in the Bristol Channel who was intent on raiding Godrevey, the family estate. The privateers were forced to withdraw after Hockin, from behind a rock, vigorously fired back at them. Dr Hocken had no right to the coat of arms and appropriated the original from arms granted to the Rev. John Hockin, County Devon, in 1764. Dr Hocken’s variant states are those that frequently have the scripted ‘F.L.S’ on it, and the other with a printed ‘F.L.S’ on cream and or white stock paper. The scripted ‘F.L.S’ variant was printed before 1882, the year that Dr Hocken was made a Fellow of the Linnean Society, London.

Dr Hocken in his library at ‘Atahapara’, his home at Moray Place in 1893. This photograph was probably taken by his wife Bessie, a skilled photographer.

Album 43. Original Collection, Hocken Library.