Background
Coke was the only son of Thomas Coke (1700–1776), a barrister, and his wife, Matilda Goodwin (1706–1777).
Coke was the only son of Thomas Coke (1700–1776), a barrister, and his wife, Matilda Goodwin (1706–1777).
He was educated at Derby School, Queen"s College, Oxford, and All Souls College, Oxford, graduating Bachelor in 1769 and Master of Arts in 1772, then at Lincoln"s Inn, London.
He belonged to an old Derbyshire family, the Cokes of Trusley. Coke was called to the bar in 1768, and practised as a barrister on the midland circuit. In 1773 and 1774 he was in Italy where he met Joseph Wright of Derby.
Wright was not the first to note on what an attractive man Coke was, and Coke visited Wright at his abode in Italy.
Coke is thought to be the only person who appears in a Wright painting and who also bought one of Wright"s industrial landscapes. From 1793, Coke supported the British government"s policy on war with France.
By the 1802 general election Coke was unpopular in Nottingham because of his support for the war, blamed for high food prices, and lost to Doctor Joseph Birch of Preston. He fought Birch successfully again in 1806.
After retiring from parliament, Coke continued as chairman of the Derbyshire quarter sessions until 1818.
Coke never married. He died in Derby in 1825 and he has a substantial monument in Derby Cathedral. This painting is now in Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
1st United Kingdom Parliament. 2nd United Kingdom Parliament. 3rd United Kingdom Parliament.
4th United Kingdom Parliament]
From 1776 to 1780 he was a member of parliament for Derby, then from 1780 to 1812 for Nottingham.