Thomas Alcock (priest)

He was born at Aston, near Runcorn, Cheshire the third son of David Alcock and his wife Mary née Breck. David Alcock was a descendant of Bishop John Alcock, the founder of Jesus College, Cambridge. Thomas was educated at Boteler Grammar School Warrington, then matriculated from Brasenose College, Oxford in 1728, proceeded B.A. in 1731 and M.A. in 1741. ==Ministry==

He was licensed as curate of Stonehouse, Plymouth in 1731. In November 1732 he began acting as the minister of the nearby parish of St Budeaux to which he was officially licensed the following year. He was also instituted as vicar of Runcorn in 1756 and ran this parish as a pluralist with the aid of curates. In 1769 the living of St Andrew, Plymouth became vacant and Alcock expected to be elected to it. He was unsuccessful and refused to preach his regular sermon at the church or indeed to enter the church again. In 1771 he helped to purchase land at Weston Peverel to provide a master for the St Budeaux charity school and to clothe the poor. In 1769 he was granted the freedom of the borough of Plymouth. ==Farmer and cidermaker==

Thomas Alcock farmed at Ernesettle and described himself as ‘A Cydermaker’. He attacked the excise duty on cider and this was repealed in 1766. It had been suggested that a severe colic peculiar to Devon was the result of lead poisoning from the presses, pipework, and storage vessels of cider. This was refuted by Alcock who argued that the colic resulted only from the small shot used in bottle cleansing. ==Personal and family life ==

He married Mary Harwood of Ernesettle, Plymouth and through his marriage he obtained considerable property locally. The marriage was childless His estate included £20,000 in 3% consols as well as land and property in Runcorn. In 1796 he also edited and arranged for the publication of Nathan's The Rise of Mahomet, Accounted for on Natural and Civil Principles. ==Publications==

• Observations on the Defects of the Poor Laws (1752) • Remarks on Two Bills for the Better Maintenance of the Poor (1752) • Observations on that Part of the Late Act of Parliament which Lays an Additional Duty on Cider (1763) • ''Cursory Remarks on Dr. Baker's Essay on the Endemial Colic in Devon'' (1767) • The Endemial Colic of Devon not Caused by a Solution of Lead in the Cyder (1769) ==References==