Thomas Cocke (1639-97) built the first house at Malvern Hill. Rebuilt entirely of brick around 1690-1700, the house was sold in the late 18th century to Robert Nelson, brother of Thomas Nelson of Yorktown, signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house burned in 1905.
More information about the Cocke family and Malvern Hill are found further on this page.
- (County of Henrico,1995 (HC3))
Richard Cocke:
Thomas Cocke was the son of Richard Cocke (1597-1665), who immigrated to Virginia from England in 1627. "Richard Cocke did well in the colony both financially and politically. He was the appointed lieutenant-colonel of his county and was a member of The House of Burgesses, the first group of elected representatives of the English colony. He owned three plantations named Curles, Bremo, and Malvern Hills. These totaled over 7,000 acres of land. His plantations remained in the Cocke family for generations." He settled at "Bremo" on the James River, in Henrico County, about 15 miles east of current day Richmond, VA.
Below are biographies about the Cocke family:
The Long History of the Cocke Family in the Varina Magisterial District of Henrico County:
The place where Bremo Cemetery is located is on Curles Neck Farm, which is private property and not open to the public. Malvern Hill Farm is the location of the ruins of the home of Richard Cocke. Malvern Hill Battlefield is located along that corridor. Malvern Hill Farm, where the ruins are located, is now owned and preserved by Henrico County.
It is suggested that the name Bremo was probably adapted from Breamore, in the western part of Hants, in England and Malvern from the fact that Malvern Hills rise in the county of Gloucester, England.
Additional sources of information regarding Bremo, Malvern Hill, and the Cocke family are:
- Virginia Museum of History and Culture Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, https://virginiahistory.org/
We have not found connections between the Cocke family of Bremo and Malvern Hill with the Cox Cemetery at Newstead Landing (lower end of Osborne Turnpike). There has been a variation in the spelling of each name that has caused some confusion. The Cemetery at Newstead Landing is the family of Edward Cox born in 1701, in Henrico, Virginia, United States, his father, George Cox, was 19 and his mother, Martha Stratton, was 26. He had at least 1 son and 2 daughters with Elizabeth. He died before 4 February 1743, in Henrico.
Malvern Hill:
Information about Malvern Hill:
Curles Neck and Bremo:
Information about Bremo and Curles Neck, once owned by Richard Cocke, are found on the plaque below and in this Bremo and Curles Neck marker (PDF) .
Cocke Family Cemetery on Curles Neck Farm:
The following PDF is an aerial view of the Cocke family cemetery from 2018. This is followed by images of the Cocke family cemetery and the headstone of Richard Cocke.
The gravesite and headstone of Richard Cocke.
Cocke Family Connection to Henrico's Old Courthouse
The Cocke family also had a connection with Henrico's old Courthouse.
Lost Architecture Sites: Malvern Hill
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