Thomas Potter Cooke (1786-1864)<br><p>A full-length portrait of the actor T. P. Cooke in Royal Naval seaman's dress of the unofficial mid-19th-century style which preceded the first formal ratings' uniform of 1857, and in which he appeared in sailor parts, most notably that of William in Douglas Jerrold's 'Black-Eyed Susan'. Though it was not his earliest in this line he created it at the play's first production in 1829 and by 1853 had played it nearly 800 times. The beach scene background here (which was Deal, Kent, in the play, with the heroine Susan's cottage) shows that the portrait represents him as William. 
</p><p>The dress consists of a blue jean collar with three rows of tape and garnished with anchors in the corners, over a black silk scarf and a blue round jacket , with white duck trousers and a sennit hat. There is also a broad leather sword belt diagonally over his right shoulder and he holds a cutlass in walking-stick fashion in his right hand. The medal on his left breast is wrongly shown with a red ribbon, since it is undoubtedly the Naval General Service Medal of 1847, which he was awarded and wore when in costume on stage in his later years.  
</p><p>Cooke was the son of a Lambeth surgeon who died in 1793. Sponsored by the Marine Society, he enetered the Navy as a boy in 1796 - having falsely claimed to be the minimum age of 13. He was originally in the sloop 'Raven' in which he served under Jervis at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797. When she was wrecked in February 1798 off Cuxhaven, Cooke was one of those who survived two cold days and nights clinging to the wreckage until he managed to stuggle ashore. He nearly died of rheumatic fever as a result but, while the episode affected his later health, he recovered enough to return to sea in the 'Prince of Wales'. In her he served in the blockade of Brest before permanantly coming ashore in April 1802 at the Peace of Amiens. After initial shore employment in a travelling circus, from 1804 he moved to the popular London stage and became a well-known figure. A practical man, he was both an arranger of pantomimes and spectacles and a performer, initially of villains (including the original monster in the first stage adaptation of 'Frankenstein') but subsequently sailors. His first notable hit in this line was Long Tom Coffin in 'The Pilot' adapted by Edward Fitzball from J. Fenimore Cooper's novel in 1825. In these roles his imposing figure, skilful dancing of the hornpipe, and genuine knowledge of  seamen and their habits made him unmatched. This primitive image was probably painted from a photograph by Mayall dated about 1853, or a wood engraving based on it, which acccounts for the error in the ribbon medal. Cooke applied for the Naval General Service medal in 1849 and was awarded it, with the St Vincent clasp, for his service in the 'Raven'.<br></p>
Thomas Potter Cooke (1786-1864)
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19<sup>th</sup> century <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7</div>
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