Clan Cochrane
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Clan Cochrane is a
Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
of the
Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( sco, Lallans or ; gd, a' Ghalldachd, , place of the foreigners, ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Lowlands and the Highlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowl ...
.


History


Origins

Traditionally the original ancestor of the Clan Cochrane in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
was a Scandinavian Viking who settled in what is now known as
Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfr ...
,Cochrane, Alexander. (1983). ''The Fighting Cochranes. A Scottish Clan With Over Six Hundred Years of Naval and Military History''. . between the eighth and tenth centuries. It is evident that the name is of territorial origin, derived from the lands of Cochrane near Paisley., p. 57., p. 158. The origin of the name itself is believed to be derived from two
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
words which jointly mean ''The Roar of the Battle'' or ''Battle Cry''. The Cochranes took the boar as their heraldic beast, in keeping with the character of their traditional ancestor. The three boar's heads adorning the chief's shield are said to represent the exploits of a warrior who killed three of the beasts who were terrorizing the countryside. Another traditional origin of the name Cochrane is that it comes from when an early member of the family fought in battle with such bravery that his leader singled him out from the others and clapped him on the shoulder calling him ''coch ran'' which means ''brave fellow''. The first record of the name occurs in 1262, when a certain Waldeve de Coueran witnessed a charter concerning a transfer of lands between
Dubhghall Mac Suibhne Dubhghall mac Suibhne (fl. 1232 ×1241 – 1262) was a Scottish landholder in Argyll, and a leading member of Clann Suibhne. He was a son of Suibhne mac Duinn Shléibhe, and appears to have held lordship of Knapdale from at least the 1240s to th ...
and
Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith Walter Bailloch, also known as Walter Bailloch Stewart (1225/1230 – 1293/1294), was distinguished by the sobriquet ''Bailloch'' or ''Balloch'', a Goidelic languages, Gaelic nickname roughly translated as "the freckled". He was the Earl of ...
. Other early bearers of the name are William ''de Coughran'' in 1296, who signed submission to King Edward the First in the Ragman Roll; and Robert ''de Cochrane'' in about 1360., p. 695. The name of 1296 appears in the
Ragman Rolls Ragman Rolls are the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favour of Balliol ...
swearing fealty to
Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
.


14th, 15th and 16th centuries

In 1346 John de Coveran appears as a witness in the election of an Abbot of Paisley. Goseline de Cochran appears as a witness to several grants made by Robert the Steward to
Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...
in 1366. Robert Cochrane (later to become an Earl of Mar (1458–79) constructed most of what is still standing of
Auchindoun Castle Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in Banffshire, Scotland. History While there is evidence of prehistoric or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible toda ...
. It was passed to the
Clan Ogilvy Clan Ogilvy/Ogilvie is a Scottish Highland clan from Angus, Scotland.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scott ...
in 1489 and from them to the
Clan Gordon Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...
in 1535. In 1456 Robert Cochrane of Cochrane resigned the lands of Cochrane to his successor Allen Cochrane who received a charter from King
James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. ...
. Edward Cochrane was accused but cleared of having anything to do with the detention of King
James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh Ca ...
at
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
in 1482. In 1556 William Cochrane, chief of Clan Cochrane obtained a charter of confirmation for the lands of Cochrane from
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
. In 1584 chief William Cochrane, along with several others, was charged with being involved in the murder of Patrick Maxwell, but Cochrane was never brought to trial. In 1592 the
Clan MacKintosh Clan Mackintosh (''Clann Mhic an Tòisich'') is a Scottish clan from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs of Cl ...
sacked
Auchindoun Castle Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in Banffshire, Scotland. History While there is evidence of prehistoric or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible toda ...
, which had been built by Clan Cochrane but which at the time belonged to the 6th Earl of Huntly, George Gordon, in retaliation for his killing of their ally, the Bonny Earl of Moray. Also in 1592 chief William Cochrane built a high free stone tower, known as Cochrane Tower or Cochrane Castle.


17th century and Civil War

In about 1350
Robert II of Scotland Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, he was the first monarch of the House of Stewa ...
had built
Dundonald Castle Dundonald Castle is situated on a hill overlooking the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland i ...
in
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
. The castle came into Cochrane hands in about 1638 and it was from there that William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald took his title. During the Civil War of the 17th century the Clan Cochrane supported the royalist cause. Throughout the war clansman Sir John Cochrane travelled extensively abroad as the king's representative. The chief 'Lord Cochrane' fought in the royalist army at the
Battle of Preston (1648) The Battle of Preston (17–19 August 1648), fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory for the New Model Army under the command of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke o ...
. In 1669 the Cochrane chief's title was raised from a Lord to an Earl when Sir William Cochrane was created 1st
Earl of Dundonald Earl of Dundonald is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1669 for the Scottish soldier and politician William Cochrane, 1st Lord Cochrane of Dundonald, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltre ...
. After the death of the 7th Earl, the descendants of Sir William's second son became the Earls.


18th century and Jacobite risings

During the
Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Franci ...
the main part of Clan Cochrane supported the British government and in the government army under General Sir John Cope there were two Cochrane officers; Captain John Cochrane and Captain Basil Cochrane, both were clansmen related to the chief, Earl of Dundonald. Both were taken prisoner at the
Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...
in 1745. However, on the Jacobite side William Cochrane of Ferguslie shared in the victory. In October 1745 the seventh Earl of Dundonald had his horse shot from underneath him by Jacobites at the
West Port, Edinburgh The West Port is a street in Edinburgh, Edinburgh's Old Town of Edinburgh, Old Town, Scotland, located just south of Edinburgh Castle. It runs from Main Point (the junction of Bread Street, Lauriston Street, East Fountainbridge and High Riggs) ...
. Later throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Cochranes distinguished themselves in both land and naval forces, and came to be nicknamed the "Fighting Cochranes." The Cochranes are known to have played an important role 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 ...
. The most noteworthy of these fighting Cochranes was
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, Marquess of Maranhão (14 December 1775 – 31 October 1860), styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a British naval flag officer of the Royal Navy, mercenary and Radical politician. He was a ...
(1775–1860) who joined the Royal Navy at the age of 18. The high point of his career was when a brig under his command with a crew of only fifty-four managed to capture a Spanish frigate with a crew of over three hundred sailors and 32 heavy guns. He followed this by defending Trinidad Castle against the French in 1808. He later became the commander of Chile's navy and assisted that country, along with
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
, Brazil and
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, to become independent. He was known as Lord Cochrane. He is buried at
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, London.


20th century

The father of the present chief, who was the fourteenth Earl served with the
Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...
, then during World War Two, he served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Greece. When the war ended, he served with the War Office and in Germany until he retired in 1953. Sir
Ralph Cochrane Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, (24 February 1895 – 17 December 1977) was a British aviator and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid. Early RAF career Ral ...
the youngest son of Thomas Cochrane, 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults, was a British pilot and
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise–the famous "Dambusters" raid.


Clan chief

The
chief of the Name and Arms The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...
of Cochrane is Iain Alexander Douglas Blair Cochrane, 15th
Earl of Dundonald Earl of Dundonald is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1669 for the Scottish soldier and politician William Cochrane, 1st Lord Cochrane of Dundonald, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltre ...
, 10th Baron Cochrane of Dundonald as well as 10th Baron of Paisley and Ochiltree.


Clan castles

Castles that have belonged to the Cochranes have included: * Cochrane Castle. *
Auchindoun Castle Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in Banffshire, Scotland. History While there is evidence of prehistoric or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible toda ...
. *
Johnstone Castle Johnstone Castle ( sco, Johnstoun Castle) is a structure and former mansion in the town of Johnstone in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It belonged to the Houstons of Milliken, who acquired the estate of Easter Cochrane in 1773. The original structure w ...
. see also
Dundonald Castle Dundonald Castle is situated on a hill overlooking the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland i ...
.


See also

*
Cochrane (surname) Cochrane is a surname with multiple independent origins, two Scottish and one Irish. One of the Scottish names derives from a place in Scotland; the Irish surname and the other Scottish surname are both anglicisations of surnames from the Irish ...
*
Robert Cochrane (favourite) Thomas Cochrane (said to have been executed and forfeited 1482), also referred to as 'Robert Cochrane' in sixteenth-century chronicle accounts, was a royal servant and alleged 'familiar' or favourite of King James III of Scotland. Chronicle accou ...


References


External links


Clan Cochrane in North AmericaCommentary and video on Auchans House and the Earls of Dundonald
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cochrane Gaelic families of Norse descent Scottish Lowlands