Thomas Cochrane - Revision history

Irlandos at 15:49, October 10, 2006

2006-10-10T15:49:15Z

Irlandos: /* Political career */

2006-01-09T16:26:55Z

Political career

Irlandos: /* Early life and career */

2006-01-09T16:26:44Z

Early life and career

Irlandos at 16:26, January 9, 2006

2006-01-09T16:26:09Z

New page

'''Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald''' ([[December 14]], [[1775]] – [[October 31]], [[1860]]), styled '''Lord Cochrane''' between [[1778]] and [[1831]], was a politician and naval adventurer. He was one of the most daring and successful captains of the Napoleonic Wars, leading the French to nickname him "''le loup des mers''" ("the sea wolf"). His life and exploits served as inspiration for the naval fiction of [[20th century]] novelists C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian.

==Early life and career==
Thomas Cochrane was born at Annsfield, near Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, the son of Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald and nephew of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. As a child he was fictitiously listed on the ship's books of the Royal Navy ship commanded by his uncle but officially joined in [[1793]] at the age of seventeen, upon the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served aboard HMS ''Hind'' and in [[1795]] was appointed acting lieutenant on HMS ''Thetis''. The following year he was confirmed in the rank. In [[1798]] he transferred to HMS ''Barfleur''. During his service on this ship he was court-martialled for being disrespectful to Lieutenant Philip Beaver.

In [[1800]] Cochrane was appointed to command the sloop HMS ''Speedy'' in which he achieved his most famous exploit, the capture of the Spanish xebec ''El Gamo'', 32 guns and 319 men compared to ''Speedy's'' 14 guns and 54 men, on [[May 6]], [[1801]]. On [[8 August]] [[1801]] he was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain. He served with distinction in the frigates HMS Pallas and HMS ''Imperieuse''. On [[April 11]], [[1809]] he was responsible for the destruction of much of the French fleet in the Battle of the Basque Roads at Rochefort using fire ships.

==Political career==
Cochrane pursued a very active political career, serving as [[Member of Parliament]] for Honiton in England from [[1806]] to [[1807]] and for Westminster , London, from [[1807]] to [[1815]], and campaigning for parliamentary reform in Britain, being allied with such Radicals as William Cobbett and Henry Hunt. His outspoken criticism of the conduct of the war and the corruption in the Navy made him powerful enemies in the government, and his criticism of Admiral Gambier's conduct in the Basque Roads operation (so severe as to require a court-martial of Gambier) made him enemies in the Admiralty.

Cochrane was tried and convicted as a conspirator in a London Stock Exchange fraud in [[1814]] although he maintained his innocence throughout his life. Most historians agree however that although Ellenborough's summing up was biased, the weight of circumstantial evidence against Cochrane indicated that at the least he had been the pawn of his uncle, a conspirator. He was sentenced to the pillory (a more severe form of the stocks) and a year's imprisonment. He was also expelled from Parliament and the Navy. As an additional humiliation he was stripped of his knighthood and a Degradation Ceremony performed. He was, however, immediately re-elected for Westminster. There was considerable public anger at his trial and sentence, especially the degrading pillory. The administration backed down: the Foreign Secretary, Lord Castlereagh, announced that Cochrane and others had received a Royal Pardon. The sentence of pillorying has not been used in the United Kingdom since.

==Service in foreign navies==
He left Britain in official disgrace, but went on to command the Chilean ([[1817]]–[[1822]]), Brazilian ([[1823]]–[[1825]]) and [[Greece|Greek]] ([[1826]]–[[1828]]) navies in those countries' wars of independence. In [[1828]] he returned to Britain to appeal for a pardon and a return to the Royal Navy. In [[1832]] he was successful and was appointed a rear admiral. He later became vice admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the North American station and in [[1851]] rose to the rank of admiral. He died on [[October 31]], [[1860]] in Kensington.

==References==
* Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860. ''The Autobiography of a Seaman''. Introduction by Richard Woodman. New York: Lyons Press, 2000.
*Grimble, Ian. ''The Sea Wolf: The Life of Admiral Cochrane''. Rev. ed. Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2000. Original edition 1978, London: Blond & Briggs.
* Harvey, Robert. ''Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain''. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2000.
* Thomas, Donald. ''Cochrane: Britannia's Sea Wolf''. 2nd Edition 2001, Cassell Military Paperbacks, London, 383pp, ISBN 030435659X.
* Vale, Brian. ''The Audacious Admiral Cochrane: The True Life of A Naval Legend''

==External links==
*[http://heritage.scotsman.com/profiles.cfm?cid=1&id=39502005 The Scotsman newspaper - Great Scots - Admiral Thomas Cochrane]
*[http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRcochrane.htm Spartacus Educational - Thomas Cochrane]
*[http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst498.html Gazeteer for Scotland - Thomas Cochrane]
*[http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/5806.html Royal Navy - Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald 1775-1860]
*[http://www.napoleonguide.com/sailors_cochrane.htm Napoleonic Guide - Thomas Cochrane]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/13351 Project Gutenberg edition of the continuation of ''Autobiography of a Seaman'', comprising the years 1814 to 1827]

[[Category:1775 births|Cochrane, Thomas]]
[[Category:1860 deaths|Cochrane, Thomas]]
[[Category:Greek War of Independence|Cochrane, Thomas]]

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 ==Political career==
-Cochrane pursued a very active political career, serving as [[Member of Parliament]] for Honiton in England from [[1806]] to [[1807]] and for Westminster , London, from [[1807]] to [[1815]], and campaigning for parliamentary reform in Britain, being allied with such Radicals as William Cobbett and Henry Hunt. His outspoken criticism of the conduct of the war and the corruption in the Navy made him powerful enemies in the government, and his criticism of Admiral Gambier's conduct in the Basque Roads operation (so severe as to require a court-martial of Gambier) made him enemies in the Admiralty.
+Cochrane pursued a very active political career, serving as Member of Parliament for Honiton in England from [[1806]] to [[1807]] and for Westminster , London, from [[1807]] to [[1815]], and campaigning for parliamentary reform in Britain, being allied with such Radicals as William Cobbett and Henry Hunt. His outspoken criticism of the conduct of the war and the corruption in the Navy made him powerful enemies in the government, and his criticism of Admiral Gambier's conduct in the Basque Roads operation (so severe as to require a court-martial of Gambier) made him enemies in the Admiralty.
 Cochrane was tried and convicted as a conspirator in a London Stock Exchange fraud in [[1814]] although he maintained his innocence throughout his life. Most historians agree however that although Ellenborough's summing up was biased, the weight of circumstantial evidence against Cochrane indicated that at the least he had been the pawn of his uncle, a conspirator. He was sentenced to the pillory (a more severe form of the stocks) and a year's imprisonment. He was also expelled from Parliament and the Navy. As an additional humiliation he was stripped of his knighthood and a Degradation Ceremony performed. He was, however, immediately re-elected for Westminster. There was considerable public anger at his trial and sentence, especially the degrading pillory. The administration backed down: the Foreign Secretary, Lord Castlereagh, announced that Cochrane and others had received a Royal Pardon. The sentence of pillorying has not been used in the United Kingdom since.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Thomas Cochrane was born at Annsfield, near Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, the son of Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald  and nephew of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. As a child he was fictitiously listed on the ship's books of the Royal Navy ship commanded by his uncle but officially joined in [[1793]] at the age of seventeen, upon the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served aboard HMS ''Hind'' and in [[1795]] was appointed acting lieutenant on HMS ''Thetis''. The following year he was confirmed in the rank. In [[1798]] he transferred to HMS ''Barfleur''. During his service on this ship he was court-martialled for being disrespectful to Lieutenant Philip Beaver.
-In [[1800]] Cochrane was appointed to command the sloop HMS ''Speedy'' in which he achieved his most famous exploit, the capture of the Spanish xebec ''El Gamo'', 32 guns and 319 men compared to ''Speedy's'' 14 guns and 54 men, on [[May 6]], [[1801]]. On [[8 August]] [[1801]] he was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain. He served with distinction in the frigates HMS Pallas and HMS ''Imperieuse''. On [[April 11]], [[1809]] he was responsible for the destruction of much of the French fleet in the Battle of the Basque Roads at Rochefort using fire ships.
+In [[1800]] Cochrane was appointed to command the sloop HMS ''Speedy'' in which he achieved his most famous exploit, the capture of the Spanish xebec ''El Gamo'', 32 guns and 319 men compared to ''Speedy's'' 14 guns and 54 men, on [[May 6]], [[1801]]. On [[August 8]], [[1801]] he was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain. He served with distinction in the frigates HMS Pallas and HMS ''Imperieuse''. On [[April 11]], [[1809]] he was responsible for the destruction of much of the French fleet in the Battle of the Basque Roads at Rochefort using fire ships.
 ==Political career==