Clan Cochrane

Origins and History

The Cochranes take their name from the barony of Cochrane in Renfrewshire, a place name of uncertain origin. The family appears in Renfrewshire records from the thirteenth century and gradually established themselves as one of the important families of the region. The earldom of Dundonald, created in 1669, elevated the family to the Scottish peerage and gave them a name — Dundonald — associated with Ayrshire, where the ruined Dundonald Castle stands as one of the great early medieval fortifications of the west of Scotland.

The early Cochranes were typical of the Scottish nobility — involved in the dynastic politics of the kingdom, occasionally in royal favour and occasionally out of it. Sir William Cochrane, the first earl, was a Royalist supporter during the Civil War, and his earldom reflected the rewards that came to those who backed Charles II's restoration. The family's subsequent history was tied to the politics of Restoration Scotland and the complex tensions between Presbyterian and Episcopalian Scotland that dominated the later seventeenth century.

Admiral Thomas Cochrane — the most daring sailor of his age

Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald (1775–1860), is the defining figure of the Cochrane name and one of the most extraordinary individuals in British history. His naval career was a series of improbable victories against superior forces: in 1801, commanding the tiny sloop HMS Speedy with 54 crew, he captured the Spanish frigate El Gamo with 319 men — one of the most audacious single-ship actions in naval history. His capture of the fort of Trinidad with a bluff involving a handful of men became legendary.

Cochrane's political radicalism — he was a Member of Parliament, an outspoken critic of naval corruption and prize money abuses — made him powerful enemies. A stock exchange fraud conviction in 1814 (which he always denied and which was eventually rehabilitated) ended his Royal Navy career. He then did what only Cochrane could: he went to serve as admiral in three separate navies — Chile, Brazil, and Greece — helping each win their independence. His service to Chilean independence, Greek independence from the Ottomans, and the Brazilian navy is honoured in those countries to this day.

The literary legacy

C.S. Forester explicitly acknowledged Thomas Cochrane as his primary inspiration for Horatio Hornblower, the fictional Royal Navy captain of his celebrated novel series. Patrick O'Brian, author of the Aubrey-Maturin series featuring Captain Jack Aubrey, also drew heavily on Cochrane's life — the capture of the El Gamo, for instance, appears almost directly in the novels. Cochrane thus inhabits two great traditions simultaneously: the real history of naval warfare and the fictional tradition of the great British sea captain.

Notable Cochranes

• Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald — The most daring naval commander of the Napoleonic era; inspiration for Hornblower and Jack Aubrey
• Sir William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald — Royalist nobleman and first holder of the Dundonald earldom, rewarded by Charles II
• Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald — Pioneering Scottish chemist who discovered coal tar and anticipated industrial chemistry