Simon Cock

Description: Simon Cock of Simon Cock and Co. was theSecretary to the Committee of the African Company of Merchants. In testimony given to Parliament, Cock reflects that he had never travelled to Africa but was involved in underwriting voyages on behalf of the African Company. While we at present do not have information pertaining to his underwriting of voyages explicitly on behalf of the African Company later testimony from 1816 demonstrates that as Secretary, he solicits insurance on their behalf at Lloyd’s. “The Secretary also laid before the Committee the invoice and bill of lading of the cargo of the store-ship; and it appearing by the former, that, to cover the expenses incident to a loss, will require that the sum of £20,000 should be effected; and the sum of £10,000 having been assured at the Royal Exchange and £8,000 at the London–Resolved unanimously, that the further sum of £2,000 be effected at Lloyd’s, and the Secretary was desired to effect the same accordingly, which, when done, the Treasurers were requested to draw for the cost thereof.”
Citations/Sources: Great Britain., Report from the Select Committee on Papers Relating to the African Forts., 219 p. ([London: House of Commons, 1816), 24,76 //catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100654895.