| In [[1614]], he requested permission from the shogunate to establish formal EIC trade with the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], but was rebuffed. | | In [[1614]], he requested permission from the shogunate to establish formal EIC trade with the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], but was rebuffed. |
− | Cocks married a Japanese woman known only as Matinga.<ref>It is quite common in the European-language documents of the time for Japanese names to be sorely misrepresented. It is unclear what Japanese name - or even a European Christian name - "Matinga" might be derived from.</ref> She was from an elite background, and was perhaps the daughter of a retainer of [[Matsuura Shigenobu]], lord of [[Hirado han]]. In addition to presumably spending considerable time together, Cocks also set her up with a nice home of her own, and servants, and regularly sent gifts and so forth. On at least one occasion he received her father as a guest. Matinga helped out with Company business in a number of ways, chiefly as a tutor of [[Japanese language]] for the English staff. While the two were separated for a time, she continued to exchange correspondence; however, in [[1621]] Cocks discovered she had been having an affair with fellow EIC employee [[Richard Wickham]], among others, and terminated their relationship. | + | Cocks married a Japanese woman known only as Matinga.<ref>It is quite common in the European-language documents of the time for Japanese names to be sorely misrepresented. It is unclear what Japanese name - or even a European Christian name - "Matinga" might be derived from.</ref> She was from an elite background, and was perhaps the daughter of a retainer of [[Matsura Shigenobu]], lord of [[Hirado han]]. In addition to presumably spending considerable time together, Cocks also set her up with a nice home of her own, and servants, and regularly sent gifts and so forth. On at least one occasion he received her father as a guest. Matinga helped out with Company business in a number of ways, chiefly as a tutor of [[Japanese language]] for the English staff. While the two were separated for a time, she continued to exchange correspondence; however, in [[1621]] Cocks discovered she had been having an affair with fellow EIC employee [[Richard Wickham]], among others, and terminated their relationship. |
| Cocks is known to have sent gifts to the Japanese wives and children of [[William Adams]], [[Jan Joosten]], and a number of other prominent Dutchmen and Englishmen in Japan, and to have paid them visits; the documents seem to show a genuine fondness and personal relationship in many of these cases. | | Cocks is known to have sent gifts to the Japanese wives and children of [[William Adams]], [[Jan Joosten]], and a number of other prominent Dutchmen and Englishmen in Japan, and to have paid them visits; the documents seem to show a genuine fondness and personal relationship in many of these cases. |