Archibald Cochrane (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Captain Archibald Cochrane was a Royal Navy
officer of the early nineteenth century, who served in the Napoleonic Wars
. His most noticeable activity came early in his career when he was employed as a midshipman
aboard his brother, Commander Thomas Cochrane
's (known as Lord Cochrane) ship HMS Speedy. Aboard Speedy, Cochrane participated in the engagement and capture of the Spanish frigate Gamo, which was more than three times the size of the British ship. Although captured by the French shortly afterwards, Cochrane's career continued successfully and he was promoted to lieutenant in 1804, sailing to the East Indies
on HMS Victor and rapidly gaining promotion to post captain in the frigate HMS Fox
. In 1811, Cochrane returned to Europe and did not serve again, retiring to Sunderland and dying in 1829.
and his first wife Anna Gilchrist. Archibald had two elder brothers, Thomas Cochrane
and William Erskine Cochrane, both of whom would have successful military careers, Thomas in the Royal Navy
and William in the British Army
. Sent to sea at a young age, by 1799 Archibald was serving alongside Thomas, styled Lord Cochrane, as a midshipman
in the ship of the line
HMS Barfleur
, flagship of Lord Keith in the Mediterranean. Following the capture of the French ship of the line Genereux
in February 1800, Lord Cochrane was placed in temporary command of the prize and took his younger brother aboard as part of the prize crew. The ship passed through a severe storm on the voyage to Port Mahon
, and was almost sunk, the Cochrane brothers forced to climb the mainmast alone at the height of the storm to reef the sails.
For his exertions, Lord Cochrane was promoted to commander and given command of the 14-gun sloop
HMS Speedy, again taking his brother aboard. Archibald Cochrane was involved in most of his brother's successful operations during the following year, including the capture of the Spanish frigate Gamo on 6 May 1801. Attacked by the much larger warship, Cochrane took his tiny vessel alongside, and the Spanish sailors could not depress their guns sufficiently to open fire on it. Leading a boarding party, Archibald assisted in the fighting on deck and the successful capture of the ship. He later participated in a landing operation at Oropesa del Mar
, but was captured when Speedy was seized by a French squadron under Charles Linois on 3 July 1801.
In 1804, during the Napoleonic Wars
, Cochrane was promoted to lieutenant, sailing for the East Indies
in the sloop HMS Victor. Rapidly promoted, by 1807 he was post captain in command of the frigate
HMS Fox
and participated in the Raid on Griessie
against the Dutch port of Griessie on Java
in December. Cochrane remained in the East Indies until 1811, when he returned to Britain and was not employed at sea again. He married in 1812 to Jane Mowbray and had six children, the family retiring to Sunderland, where he was popular in the community. He died in 1829 in Paris
.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer of the early nineteenth century, who served in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. His most noticeable activity came early in his career when he was employed as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
aboard his brother, Commander Thomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
's (known as Lord Cochrane) ship HMS Speedy. Aboard Speedy, Cochrane participated in the engagement and capture of the Spanish frigate Gamo, which was more than three times the size of the British ship. Although captured by the French shortly afterwards, Cochrane's career continued successfully and he was promoted to lieutenant in 1804, sailing to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
on HMS Victor and rapidly gaining promotion to post captain in the frigate HMS Fox
HMS Fox (1780)
HMS Fox was a 32-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 2 June 1780 at Bursledon, Hampshire by George Parsons.She was broken up in April 1816....
. In 1811, Cochrane returned to Europe and did not serve again, retiring to Sunderland and dying in 1829.
Life
Archibald Cochrane was born in 1783, the son of Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of DundonaldArchibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald
Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald was a Scottish nobleman and inventor. The son of Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald, he joined the British Army as a youth and also served time in the Royal Navy before returning to Culross in 1778 after inheriting the Earldom of Dundonald from his...
and his first wife Anna Gilchrist. Archibald had two elder brothers, Thomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
and William Erskine Cochrane, both of whom would have successful military careers, Thomas in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and William in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Sent to sea at a young age, by 1799 Archibald was serving alongside Thomas, styled Lord Cochrane, as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Barfleur
HMS Barfleur (1768)
HMS Barfleur was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Thomas Slade on the lines of the 100-gun ship Royal William, and launched at Chatham Dockyard on 30 July 1768, at a cost of £49,222. In about 1780, she had another eight guns added to her quarterdeck, making...
, flagship of Lord Keith in the Mediterranean. Following the capture of the French ship of the line Genereux
French ship Généreux (1785)
The Généreux was a French Téméraire class ship of the line.She was launched in 1785 at Rochefort. With the Guillaume Tell, she was one of only two ships to escape the British attack at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798....
in February 1800, Lord Cochrane was placed in temporary command of the prize and took his younger brother aboard as part of the prize crew. The ship passed through a severe storm on the voyage to Port Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
, and was almost sunk, the Cochrane brothers forced to climb the mainmast alone at the height of the storm to reef the sails.
For his exertions, Lord Cochrane was promoted to commander and given command of the 14-gun sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
HMS Speedy, again taking his brother aboard. Archibald Cochrane was involved in most of his brother's successful operations during the following year, including the capture of the Spanish frigate Gamo on 6 May 1801. Attacked by the much larger warship, Cochrane took his tiny vessel alongside, and the Spanish sailors could not depress their guns sufficiently to open fire on it. Leading a boarding party, Archibald assisted in the fighting on deck and the successful capture of the ship. He later participated in a landing operation at Oropesa del Mar
Oropesa del Mar
Oropesa del Mar is a municipality in the comarca of Plana Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain....
, but was captured when Speedy was seized by a French squadron under Charles Linois on 3 July 1801.
In 1804, during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Cochrane was promoted to lieutenant, sailing for the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
in the sloop HMS Victor. Rapidly promoted, by 1807 he was post captain in command of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Fox
HMS Fox (1780)
HMS Fox was a 32-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 2 June 1780 at Bursledon, Hampshire by George Parsons.She was broken up in April 1816....
and participated in the Raid on Griessie
Raid on Griessie
The Raid on Griessie was a British attack on the Dutch port of Griessie on Java in the Dutch East Indies in December 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars...
against the Dutch port of Griessie on Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in December. Cochrane remained in the East Indies until 1811, when he returned to Britain and was not employed at sea again. He married in 1812 to Jane Mowbray and had six children, the family retiring to Sunderland, where he was popular in the community. He died in 1829 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.