Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas John Cochrane (5 February 1789 – 19 October 1872) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer. After serving as a junior officer during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

, he captured the French ship ''Favourite'' off the coast of

Dutch Guiana Dutch Guiana may refer to: * Dutch colonisation of the Guianas, the coastal region between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America * Surinam (Dutch colony), commonly called "Dutch Guiana" after the loss of other large colonies in the area ...

and then took part in various actions including the capture of the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...

from

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forces, the capture of the French island of

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

and the capture of the French

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

of Îles des Saintes during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. He also took part in the burning of Washington and the attack on

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Cochrane went on to serve as colonial governor of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

and then as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

before becoming Commander-in-Chief, East Indies and China Station and then Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Early career

Born the son of Admiral

Sir Alexander Cochrane Admiral of the Blue Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane (born Alexander Forrester Cochrane; 23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars and achieved the rank of admiral. He had previously captai ...

and Maria Cochrane (daughter of David Shaw and widow of Sir Jacob Wheate, 5th Baronet), Cochrane joined the Royal Navy in June 1796. He was appointed as a first class volunteer to the fifth-rate HMS ''Thetis'' on the

North American Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the t ...

and, having been promoted to

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

, transferred to the

third-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...

HMS ''Ajax'' in the

Channel Squadron Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

early in 1800.Heathcote, p. 46 In HMS ''Ajax'', he saw action supporting French Royalist exiles at

Quiberon Quiberon (; , ) is a commune in the French department of Morbihan, administrative region of Brittany, western France. It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It ...

in spring 1800, escorting troops for an abortive landing at Belle Île in May 1800 and taking part in the equally unsuccessful

Ferrol Expedition The Ferrol Expedition (or Battle of Brión) took place on 25 and 26 August 1800, and was an unsuccessful British attempt to capture Ferrol from Spain. Ferrol was a major Spanish naval base with a shipyard for shipbuilding and dry dock for rep ...

in August 1800, before landing troops in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in preparation for the more successful

Battle of Alexandria Battle of Alexandria, Raid on Alexandria, or Siege of Alexandria may refer to one of these military operations fought in or near the city of Alexandria, Egypt: * Siege of Alexandria (169 BC), during the Syrian Wars * Siege of Alexandria (47 BC), ...

in March 1801 during the

. Cochrane transferred to the third-rate HMS ''Northumberland'', on the north coast of Spain, in early 1803 and, having been promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 14 June 1805, transferred to the fifth-rate HMS ''Jason'' in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, where his father was serving as Commander-in-Chief

Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...

. His rapid rise through the ranks clearly reflects his father's

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

. Promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 24 September 1805, he became commanding officer of the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

HMS ''Nimrod'' in September 1805 and commanding officer of the fifth-rate HMS ''Jason'' in January 1806. In HMS ''Jason'', having been promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 23 April 1806. He captured the French ship ''Favourite'' off the coast of

in January 1807 and then took part in the capture of the

from

forces in December 1807 during the

. He became commanding officer of the fifth-rate HMS ''Ethalion'' in October 1808 and took part in the capture of the French island of

in February 1809 and of the French

of Îles des Saintes in April 1809. He went on to command of the fifth-rate HMS ''Surprise'' on the North American Station in August 1812 and saw action capturing the American ship ''Decatur'' in January 1813, taking part in the burning of Washington in August 1814 and the attack on

in September 1814 and being deployed in operations off the coast of Georgia during the

. After that, he became commanding officer of the fifth-rate HMS ''Forte'' in June 1820.

Colonial governor

When

became an official

Crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...

in 1825, Cochrane was appointed as its first governor. At the time, military officers were appointed to direct colonies that did not yet have representative government. He directed the construction of

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

, located between Fort William and Fort Townshend, which has since been designated as a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...

. He split the colony into three judicial districts over each of which he placed a chief justice and two puisne judges and reinvigorated the

poor relief In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of hel ...

system by building roads. Although Cochrane had opposed the introduction of

representative government Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy, is a types of democracy, type of democracy where elected people Representation (politics), represent a group of people, in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern liberal democr ...

to the colony, a new

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

was granted in 1832 and he was appointed as the first civil governor. He became involved in various conflicts while governor, especially with reformers in the new legislature and with the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

bishop, Michael Fleming. In 1834, the colonial office recalled Cochrane, who had become unpopular. When he left, he and his daughter were pelted with filth on their way down to the wharf.

Later career

Quarr Abbey c1910 - Project Gutenberg eText 17296

Cochrane was elected

for

in July 1839. He went on to be second-in-command of the East Indies and China Station in July 1841 during the

First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...

and, having been promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

on 23 November 1841, he became Commander-in-chief of that station, with his flag in the third-rate HMS ''Agincourt'' in 1844. He took part in anti-piracy operations around north-west

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

including the destruction of the forts at

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

in July 1846. He was promoted to vice admiral on 14 January 1850 and became Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1852.Heathcote, p. 47 Promoted to full

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

on 31 January 1856, he was appointed

Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once operational) office which was vested in th ...

on 16 May 1863 and then promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 12 September 1865. He was appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

on 18 April 1839, advanced to Knight Commander on 29 October 1847, and finally to Knight Grand Cross on 18 May 1860. Cochrane died at

Quarr Abbey House The Quarr Abbey House was one of several houses constructed along the north coast of the Isle of Wight in southern England. Built in the 19th century from the ruins of a Norman abbey, it was a residence of the Cochrane family and was later incorp ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

on 19 October 1872 and was buried in the family mausoleum at Kensal Green Cemetery in London. His wife died at Quarr Abbey House on 27 May 1901. She was also buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, interred in the mausoleum alongside her husband. Survivors present at her funeral included her brother Major Cuffe, her son Lieutenant Thomas Belhaven Henry Cochrane (deputy governor of the Isle of Wight), her husband's two daughters by his first marriage, and their daughter Minna Cochrane.

Family

In January 1812, Cochrane married Matilda Lockhart-Ross, daughter of Lieutenant General Sir Charles Ross. They had two sons, including Alexander Dundas Ross Cochrane, and two daughters. After the death of his first wife, he married Rosetta Wheler-Cuffe (daughter of Sir Jonah Denny Wheler-Cuffe, 1st Baronet) in January 1853; they had two sons (including Thomas Belhaven Henry Cochrane) and two daughters (including Dame

Anne Cochrane Dame Anne Annette Minna Cochrane (6 March 1855 – 6 January 1943) was a British courtier. Early life Cochrane was born in Portsmouth, Portsea Island, Hampshire, into the Scottish Cochrane family, a noble branch of Clan Cochrane. She was the dau ...

References

Sources

* *

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cochrane, Thomas John 1789 births 1872 deaths Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Governors of Newfoundland Colony Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Ipswich UK MPs 1837–1841 Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Thomas John Military personnel from Edinburgh Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Royal Navy personnel of the War of 1812