John Talbot Coke was born at Trusley Manor, South Derbyshire on 9 Aug 1841. He was the eldest son of Colonel Edward Thomas Coke. His mother was Diana Talbot-Crosbie, a descendant of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Coke’s great grandfather was D’Ewes Coke, a colliery owner and philanthropist. He was educated at Harrow and joined the 25th King’s Own Borderers in June 1859.
He served in Canada and was appointed second-in-command of the 2nd Battalion KOB in the Suakin Field Force of 1888, present at the battle of Gemaizah (Mentioned in Despatches). He commanded the 2nd Battalion from 1 July 1887 until Sept 1890 while the battalion was in Egypt, and was appointed Assistant Adjutant General in Ireland in 1891 and Deputy Adjutant General in Aldershot in 1896. In 1899 he was commanding troops in Mauritius, but was appointed to the command of a brigade in South Africa, in Charles Warren’s Division of the Natal Field Force. He broke his leg in the advance to relieve Ladysmith and was unable to take part in his brigade’s effort to reinforce Major-General Woodgate’s failed attempt to occupy Spion Kop in January 1900.
Talbot Coke was married to Charlotte Fitzgerald in 1867. She was a descendant of the ancient Earls of Desmond. They had three sons and four daughters. He died on 2 February 1912. The photo shows him as a lieutenant-colonel in the dress tunic of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers with the Order of the Medjidie 3rd Class, awarded to him by the Khedive for his service in the Sudan in 1888.
1859 Ensign 24 June
1861 Lieutenant 23 Aug
1866 Captain 21 Aug
1879 Brevet Major 14 Nov
1881 Major 8 June
1885 Lieutenant-Colonel 21 June
1887 Commanding 2nd Battalion 1 July
1889 Colonel 21 June
1901 Major General retired March
1907 Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire 11 May
