Cockburn (surname)
Encyclopedia
Cockburn, often , is a Scottish surname that originated in the Borders
region of the Scottish Lowlands
. In the United States
most members of the same family have adopted the simplified spelling 'Coburn
'. The French branch of the family uses the spelling 'de Cockborne'.
; a place called 'Calkesburne' that was mentioned in a charter from 1162 to 1190 that awarded the land of Hermanston in East Lothian
; the hill called Cockburn's Law, north of present-day Duns
in Berwickshire
, which was fortified in Iron Age
times; and the town of Cockburnspath
, originally known as 'Kolbrand's Path', on the eastern coast of Scotland. There are several Cockburn placenames that are located near Cockburn's Law along Whiteadder Water
including Cockburn farm, Cockburn Mill, and the now ruined farm Cockburn East. A Cockburn Castle reportedly existed in this same general area. It is unclear, however, whether this region in Berwickshire is in fact the true origin of the family name.
In perhaps the first recorded mention of a Cockburn, a Petro de Cokburne witnessed a charter in the "Register of the House of Soltre
" that described a gift of arable land in Lempitlaw, just east of Kelso in Roxburghshire in about 1190-1220, during the reign of King William "the Lion"
(1165-1214). However, the dating of this document has been recently revised to 1251-1274. A Robert de Cockburn is mentioned as a ‘serviens’ (servant or sergeant) in a charter, dating from 1232 to 1242, in which land is granted to the Chapel of St. Nicholas, next to a bridge over the River Spey in Moray. The knight Sir Roberto de Cokeburn (perhaps the same Robert) is mentioned in a charter that was prepared in Chirnside
on November 4, 1261 during the reign of Patrick III, Earl of Dunbar (1248-1270). Sir Roberto de Cokeburne is mentioned in another charter (dated to 1269-1289) as being the constable of the royal burgh
of Roxburgh
. A Petro de Kokeburne is mentioned on a document, dated from 15 May 1285, that records the sale of land to Kelso Abbey
, near Roxburgh. In the mid 13th century, the landowner Johannes de Kocburn (John de Cockburn) granted land near his property at Collessie
in Fife
to Lindores Abbey
. In the summer of 1296, along with the bulk of the Scottish nobility and senior clergy, Pieres de Cokeburn and Thomas de Cokeburn 'del counte de Rokesburgh' signed the Ragman Roll
pledging their allegiance to King Edward I of England
.
Historically there have been many alternative spellings of the family name. Early medieval spellings included 'Cokburne', 'Cokeburne', 'Kokeburne' and other variations. In Scotland the spelling of the family name had stabilized to 'Cockburn' by the late 17th century, and this is the spelling most commonly used today in British Commonwealth countries. In the United States, the simplified spelling 'Coburn' is more widely used than 'Cockburn'. In Cumberland
, England
, the 'Cockbain' family emerged from Scottish Cockburn ancestors. A branch of the family was established in France in the 16th century by mercenary soldiers. In 1494, a Thomas Cocquebourne was serving as an archer in the Garde Écossaise
, which was the personal bodyguard of the King of France. Many more Cockburn mercenaries served the Kings of France in this elite unit over the next century. Cockburn descendants in France today use the family name 'de Cockborne'. The early 17th century mercenary leader Samuel Cockburn
used the spelling 'Cobron' while working for the King of Sweden. In the late 17th century, a Cockburn merchant established a German branch of the family, which adopted the surname 'Kabrun' in the Hanseatic
port of Danzig. A great-grandson of this Scottish-German Kabron was the wealthy merchant and renowned book collector, art collector and philanthropist Jakob Kabrun Jr. (1759-1814).
The Cockburn name was well known in the English possessions of the Caribbean
from the 17th century onwards. By the early 18th century, Cockburns were living in the Bahamas, Barbados
and Jamaica
. Cockburn Town
, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands
, was founded in 1681 by salt traders from the Bahamas. Dr. James Cockburn (b. c1659 in Langton, Scotland - d. 1718 in Jamaica), Dr. Thomas Cockburn (1700-c1769) and Dr. James Cockburn (c1770-1798) were three generations of medical doctors from the same Cockburn family in Jamaica. The first doctor in this line was the third son of Sir Archibald Cockburn, 2nd Baronet of Langton. Admiral Sir George Cockburn
led successful naval operations against the French and Spanish in the Caribbean during the Napoleonic Wars
. Sir Francis Cockburn
was a colonial administrator in both the British Honduras
(1830-37) and the Bahamas (1837-4). Cockburn Town, the administrative center of San Salvador Island
in the Bahamas, was named after Sir Francis. Some Scottish Cockburn men settled in the area and married Caribbean women, and their descendants live today in Trinidad and Tobago
and elsewhere in the Caribbean and North America.
The emerging technique of Y-DNA testing has been used to establish the Anglo-Saxon
roots of the Cockburn family in Scotland. Tested Cockburn men have been found to be genetically very similar to many tested men of the Dunbar
family, in particular, Dunbars who are known to be descended from the Earls of Dunbar
and their Anglo-Saxon noble predecessors from Northumbria
. The Cockburn men and the men from this particular branch of the Dunbar family are all members of the recently discovered R-L257 (R1b1a2a1a1a8)
haplogroup
of the human male family tree. R-L257 is in turn a subclade
of the much more widespread haplogroup R-U106 (R1b1a2a1a1a). The distribution of R-U106 men corresponds roughly with the expected distribution of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, with relatively high densities in Frisia
in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, northern Germany
, Denmark
and Norway
. Y-DNA testing has also confirmed close links between the Cockbain family in Northern England and the Cockburn family.
was located to the southwest of Duns
. For the next 400 years the Cockburns of Langton were prominent landowners in Berwickshire. Other branches of the family acquired estates in Ormiston
and Clerkington in East Lothian
. The Cockburns of Henderland and of Skirling held estates in Selkirkshire and Peebleshire, respectively.
William Cockburn of Henderland was a notorious border reiver in early part of the 16th century. His well-known thievery and his purported close connections with his English counterparts just south of the border made him a target for the young King James V
, who wished to clearly establish his authority over the more lawless parts of his kingdom. William Cockburn was arrested in 1530, taken to Edinburgh
, tried, convicted of treason
and beheaded
. His lands and property were forfeit to the Crown
.
By the middle of the 18th century, as a result of financial difficulties, the Langton and Ormiston branches of the Cockburn family lost most of their land holdings. Sir Archibald Cockburn, 4th Baronet of Langton borrowed increasing sums of money, primarily from the Cockburn of Cockburn branch of the family, to help finance ambitious agricultural reforms on his Langton estate. These financial difficulties were not resolved by the three succeeding baronets of Langton. At time of the tragic death of Sir Alexander Cockburn, 7th Baronet at Fontenoy
in 1745, the financial situation of the Langton branch had become critical. In 1747, his heir, Sir James Cockburn, 8th Baronet
, was unable to fend off the claims of his creditors, which included Sir James Cockburn, 3rd Baronet Cockburn of that Ilk, Thomas Hay, and others. The decision of the Lords of Session in Scotland in favor of the creditors was appealed to the House of Lords
in London, but the earlier decision was upheld . The resulting bankrupcy led to the auctioning off of the Estate of Langton, which was purchased in 1757 by David Gavin. Despite the loss of their land, the Langton branch of the Cockburn family would continue to be prominent in Great Britain
well into the 19th century, but now in the military and judicial arenas. The Cockburn of Langton baronetcy went dormant in 1880 when the 12th Baronet, Sir Alexander Cockburn
, died without legitimate issue.
John Cockburn of Ormiston
was another enthusiastic proponent for the modernization of Scottish agricultural practice. Unfortunately, the financial consequences of his plans were as ruinous to the Ormiston branch of the Cockburns as they were to the Langton branch. He attempted to demonstrate the benefits of his reforms in a model community
at Ormiston. Unfortunately, his ambitious schemes ran into financial difficulties and he was required to sell the estate of Ormiston in 1747 to John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun
.
Noteworthy (and in some cases notorious) members of the Cockburn family, given in alphabetical order, include:
in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia.
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
region of the Scottish Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
most members of the same family have adopted the simplified spelling 'Coburn
Coburn (surname)
Coburn is a surname, and may refer to:* Abner Coburn, Governor of Maine from 1863 to 1865* Bob Coburn, host of the nationally syndicated radio program Rockline* Braydon Coburn, Canadian hockey player* Frank P...
'. The French branch of the family uses the spelling 'de Cockborne'.
Family origins
The Cockburn surname had appeared by the early 13th century, when it was employed to identify individuals from a district or location called Cockburn (modern spelling). The name Cockburn has been viewed as originating from the juxtaposition of 'Cock', derived from the Old English word 'cocc' meaning 'moor-cock', 'wild bird' or 'hill', with 'burn' derived from the old word 'burna' meaning 'brook' or 'stream'. There are several possible candidates for this geographical name including: a former 'Cokoueburn' district in early medieval RoxburghshireRoxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
; a place called 'Calkesburne' that was mentioned in a charter from 1162 to 1190 that awarded the land of Hermanston in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
; the hill called Cockburn's Law, north of present-day Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
in Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, which was fortified in Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
times; and the town of Cockburnspath
Cockburnspath
Cockburnspath is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. It is at the eastern extremity of the Southern Upland Way, a long-distance footpath from the west to east coast of Scotland, and it is also the terminus...
, originally known as 'Kolbrand's Path', on the eastern coast of Scotland. There are several Cockburn placenames that are located near Cockburn's Law along Whiteadder Water
Whiteadder Water
Whiteadder Water is a river in East Lothian and Berwickshire, Scotland. It also flows for a very short distance through Northumberland before joining the River Tweed...
including Cockburn farm, Cockburn Mill, and the now ruined farm Cockburn East. A Cockburn Castle reportedly existed in this same general area. It is unclear, however, whether this region in Berwickshire is in fact the true origin of the family name.
In perhaps the first recorded mention of a Cockburn, a Petro de Cokburne witnessed a charter in the "Register of the House of Soltre
Soutra Aisle
Soutra Aisle, just within the Scottish Borders, not far from Fala, is the remains of the House of the Holy Trinity, a church that was part of a complex comprising a hospital and a friary...
" that described a gift of arable land in Lempitlaw, just east of Kelso in Roxburghshire in about 1190-1220, during the reign of King William "the Lion"
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
(1165-1214). However, the dating of this document has been recently revised to 1251-1274. A Robert de Cockburn is mentioned as a ‘serviens’ (servant or sergeant) in a charter, dating from 1232 to 1242, in which land is granted to the Chapel of St. Nicholas, next to a bridge over the River Spey in Moray. The knight Sir Roberto de Cokeburn (perhaps the same Robert) is mentioned in a charter that was prepared in Chirnside
Chirnside
Chirnside is a hillside village in Berwickshire in Scotland, west of Berwick-upon-Tweed and east of Duns.-Notables:David Hume, the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, lived in Ninewells House, just south of the village...
on November 4, 1261 during the reign of Patrick III, Earl of Dunbar (1248-1270). Sir Roberto de Cokeburne is mentioned in another charter (dated to 1269-1289) as being the constable of the royal burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
of Roxburgh
Roxburgh
Roxburgh , also known as Rosbroch, is a village, civil parish and now-destroyed royal burgh. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland...
. A Petro de Kokeburne is mentioned on a document, dated from 15 May 1285, that records the sale of land to Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, near Roxburgh. In the mid 13th century, the landowner Johannes de Kocburn (John de Cockburn) granted land near his property at Collessie
Collessie
Collessie is a village in Fife, Scotland.It is a hamlet set on a small hillock centre around a historic church. Due to rerouting of roads, it now lies off the main road.-The Church:The church was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Andrews in July 1243...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
to Lindores Abbey
Lindores Abbey
Lindores Abbey was a Tironensian abbey on the outskirts of Newburgh in Fife, Scotland. Now a much reduced and overgrown ruin, it lies on the southern banks of the River Tay, about north of the village of Lindores....
. In the summer of 1296, along with the bulk of the Scottish nobility and senior clergy, Pieres de Cokeburn and Thomas de Cokeburn 'del counte de Rokesburgh' signed the Ragman Roll
Ragman Rolls
Ragman Rolls refers to 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 favor of Baliol in November 1292; and again in 1296...
pledging their allegiance to King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
.
Historically there have been many alternative spellings of the family name. Early medieval spellings included 'Cokburne', 'Cokeburne', 'Kokeburne' and other variations. In Scotland the spelling of the family name had stabilized to 'Cockburn' by the late 17th century, and this is the spelling most commonly used today in British Commonwealth countries. In the United States, the simplified spelling 'Coburn' is more widely used than 'Cockburn'. In Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the 'Cockbain' family emerged from Scottish Cockburn ancestors. A branch of the family was established in France in the 16th century by mercenary soldiers. In 1494, a Thomas Cocquebourne was serving as an archer in the Garde Écossaise
Garde Écossaise
The Garde Écossaise was an elite Scottish military unit founded in 1418 by the Valois Charles VII of France, to be personal bodyguards to the French monarchy. They were assimilated into the Maison du Roi and later formed the first Company of the Garde du Corps du Roi...
, which was the personal bodyguard of the King of France. Many more Cockburn mercenaries served the Kings of France in this elite unit over the next century. Cockburn descendants in France today use the family name 'de Cockborne'. The early 17th century mercenary leader Samuel Cockburn
Samuel Cockburn (mercenary leader)
Major general Samuel Cockburn was a Scottish mercenary leader in the service of Sweden. He was born around 1574 in Scotland and died in December 1621 during a military campaign in Latvia...
used the spelling 'Cobron' while working for the King of Sweden. In the late 17th century, a Cockburn merchant established a German branch of the family, which adopted the surname 'Kabrun' in the Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
port of Danzig. A great-grandson of this Scottish-German Kabron was the wealthy merchant and renowned book collector, art collector and philanthropist Jakob Kabrun Jr. (1759-1814).
The Cockburn name was well known in the English possessions of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
from the 17th century onwards. By the early 18th century, Cockburns were living in the Bahamas, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. Cockburn Town
Cockburn Town
Cockburn Town is the capital city of the Turks and Caicos Islands.-Location and features:Cockburn Town is located on the largest island in the Turks Islands archipelago, Grand Turk Island. Historic 18th and 19th century Bermudian architecture line Duke and Front Streets in Cockburn Town...
, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
, was founded in 1681 by salt traders from the Bahamas. Dr. James Cockburn (b. c1659 in Langton, Scotland - d. 1718 in Jamaica), Dr. Thomas Cockburn (1700-c1769) and Dr. James Cockburn (c1770-1798) were three generations of medical doctors from the same Cockburn family in Jamaica. The first doctor in this line was the third son of Sir Archibald Cockburn, 2nd Baronet of Langton. Admiral Sir George Cockburn
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
led successful naval operations against the French and Spanish in the Caribbean 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...
. Sir Francis Cockburn
Francis Cockburn
Sir Francis Cockburn served in the British Army, played an important role in the early settlement of eastern Canada and was a colonial administrator....
was a colonial administrator in both the British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
(1830-37) and the Bahamas (1837-4). Cockburn Town, the administrative center of San Salvador Island
San Salvador Island
San Salvador Island, also known as Watlings Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. Until 1986, when the National Geographic Society suggested Samana Cay, it was widely believed that during his first expedition to the New World, San Salvador Island was the first land sighted and visited...
in the Bahamas, was named after Sir Francis. Some Scottish Cockburn men settled in the area and married Caribbean women, and their descendants live today in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and elsewhere in the Caribbean and North America.
The emerging technique of Y-DNA testing has been used to establish the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
roots of the Cockburn family in Scotland. Tested Cockburn men have been found to be genetically very similar to many tested men of the Dunbar
Clan Dunbar
-Origins of the Clan:The Clan Dunbar descends from Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, grandson of Crínán of Dunkeld and Seneschal of the Isles and nephew to King Duncan I of Scotland, who became Earl of Northumberland after his father’s death. William the Conqueror deprived Gospatric of the title in...
family, in particular, Dunbars who are known to be descended from the Earls of Dunbar
Earl of Dunbar
The title Earl of Dunbar, also called Earl of Lothian or Earl of March, was the head of a comital lordship in south-eastern Scotland between the early 12th century and the early 15th century. The first man to use the title of Earl in this earldom was Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian, son of Gospatric,...
and their Anglo-Saxon noble predecessors from Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
. The Cockburn men and the men from this particular branch of the Dunbar family are all members of the recently discovered R-L257 (R1b1a2a1a1a8)
Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
The point of origin of R1b is thought to lie in Eurasia, most likely in Western Asia. T. Karafet et al. estimated the age of R1, the parent of R1b, as 18,500 years before present....
haplogroup
Haplogroup
In the study of molecular evolution, a haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism mutation in both haplotypes. Because a haplogroup consists of similar haplotypes, this is what makes it possible to predict a haplogroup...
of the human male family tree. R-L257 is in turn a subclade
Subclade
In genetics, subclade is a term used to describe a subgroup of a subgenus or haplogroup. It is commonly used today in describing genealogical DNA tests of human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups....
of the much more widespread haplogroup R-U106 (R1b1a2a1a1a). The distribution of R-U106 men corresponds roughly with the expected distribution of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, with relatively high densities in Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, northern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Y-DNA testing has also confirmed close links between the Cockbain family in Northern England and the Cockburn family.
The rise and fall of the Cockburn landowners
In 13th century written charters, several Cockburns appear as landowners in Roxburghshire and Fifeshire. In 1330 Sir Alexander de Cokburne became the Baron of Langton and Carriden following his marriage to the wealthy Anglo-Norman heiress Mariota de Veteri-Ponte (also known as Mary Vipont). The Langton estateLangton Castle
Langton Castle is a now destroyed medieval fortress at Langton, near the burgh of Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland. Little remains of the structure.Originally belonging to the Viponts, the castle and its estate passed to the Cockburns in the early 14th century...
was located to the southwest of Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
. For the next 400 years the Cockburns of Langton were prominent landowners in Berwickshire. Other branches of the family acquired estates in Ormiston
Ormiston
Ormiston is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, UK, near Tranent, Humbie, Pencaitland and Cranston, located on the north bank of the River Tyne at an elevation of about 276 ft....
and Clerkington in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
. The Cockburns of Henderland and of Skirling held estates in Selkirkshire and Peebleshire, respectively.
William Cockburn of Henderland was a notorious border reiver in early part of the 16th century. His well-known thievery and his purported close connections with his English counterparts just south of the border made him a target for the young King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
, who wished to clearly establish his authority over the more lawless parts of his kingdom. William Cockburn was arrested in 1530, taken to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, tried, convicted of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and beheaded
Beheaded
Beheaded is a Death metal band from Malta. They were formed in 1991, by singer Marcel Scalpello, guitarist David Bugeja, and drummer Chris Brincat...
. His lands and property were forfeit to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
.
By the middle of the 18th century, as a result of financial difficulties, the Langton and Ormiston branches of the Cockburn family lost most of their land holdings. Sir Archibald Cockburn, 4th Baronet of Langton borrowed increasing sums of money, primarily from the Cockburn of Cockburn branch of the family, to help finance ambitious agricultural reforms on his Langton estate. These financial difficulties were not resolved by the three succeeding baronets of Langton. At time of the tragic death of Sir Alexander Cockburn, 7th Baronet at Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
in 1745, the financial situation of the Langton branch had become critical. In 1747, his heir, Sir James Cockburn, 8th Baronet
Sir James Cockburn, 8th Baronet
Sir James Cockburn, 8th Baronet was Member of Parliament for Linlithgow Burghs from 1772 to 1784.-Family:He was a son of William Cockburn and his wife and cousin Frances Cockburn. His paternal grandparents were Sir Alexander Cockburn, 6th Baronet and his wife Mary Ancrum. His maternal grandfather...
, was unable to fend off the claims of his creditors, which included Sir James Cockburn, 3rd Baronet Cockburn of that Ilk, Thomas Hay, and others. The decision of the Lords of Session in Scotland in favor of the creditors was appealed to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in London, but the earlier decision was upheld . The resulting bankrupcy led to the auctioning off of the Estate of Langton, which was purchased in 1757 by David Gavin. Despite the loss of their land, the Langton branch of the Cockburn family would continue to be prominent in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
well into the 19th century, but now in the military and judicial arenas. The Cockburn of Langton baronetcy went dormant in 1880 when the 12th Baronet, Sir Alexander Cockburn
Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet
Sir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet Q.C. was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge. A notorious womaniser and socialite, as Lord Chief Justice he heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the 19th century.-Life:Cockburn was born in Alţâna, in what is now Romania and was then...
, died without legitimate issue.
John Cockburn of Ormiston
John Cockburn (Scottish politician)
John Cockburn of Ormiston, East Lothian, was a Scottish politician, the son of Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Justice Clerk. He is also known as the father of Scottish husbandry....
was another enthusiastic proponent for the modernization of Scottish agricultural practice. Unfortunately, the financial consequences of his plans were as ruinous to the Ormiston branch of the Cockburns as they were to the Langton branch. He attempted to demonstrate the benefits of his reforms in a model community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
at Ormiston. Unfortunately, his ambitious schemes ran into financial difficulties and he was required to sell the estate of Ormiston in 1747 to John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun
John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun
John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun was the son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and Lady Henrietta Johnstone....
.
Noteworthy Cockburns
Noteworthy (and in some cases notorious) members of the Cockburn family, given in alphabetical order, include:
- Adam CockburnAdam CockburnAdam Cockburn is a former Australian child actor who appeared in movies filmed in Australia during the 1980s.He is currently working as a disc jockey.-Filmography:-External links:...
, an Australian actor and Disk Jockey (DJ) - Sir Alexander CockburnSir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet Q.C. was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge. A notorious womaniser and socialite, as Lord Chief Justice he heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the 19th century.-Life:Cockburn was born in Alţâna, in what is now Romania and was then...
, the 12th Baronet Cockburn of Langton and Lord Chief Justice - Alexander CockburnAlexander CockburnAlexander Claud Cockburn is an American political journalist. Cockburn was brought up in Ireland but has lived and worked in the United States since 1972. Together with Jeffrey St. Clair, he edits the political newsletter CounterPunch...
, an Irish-American journalist - Alison CockburnAlison CockburnAlison Cockburn also Alison Rutherford, or Alicia Cockburn was a Scottish poet, wit and socialite who collected a circle of eminent friends in 18th century enlightenment Edinburgh including Walter Scott, Robert Burns and David Hume.-Life:Born at Fairnilee House, in the Scottish Borders, between...
, a Scottish poet - Alistair CockburnAlistair CockburnAlistair Cockburn is one of the initiators of the agile movement in software development, helping write theManifesto for Agile Software Development in 2001 and the agile PM Declaration of Interdependence in 2005...
, a software methodologist - Andrew CockburnAndrew Cockburn (ornithologist)Professor Andrew Cockburn is an Australian ornithologist based at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has worked, and published extensively, on the breeding behaviour of White-winged Choughs and Superb Fairy-wrens. In 2004 he was awarded the Royal Australasian Ornithologists...
, an Australian ornithologist - Andrew CockburnAndrew CockburnAndrew Cockburn is a journalist who has lived in the United States for many years.-Early life and family:Born in London in 1947, Cockburn grew up in County Cork, Ireland. His father was socialist author and journalist Claud Cockburn...
, an Irish-American journalist - Bill CockburnBill CockburnWilliam Robb "Bill" Cockburn was an English professional association football player. After a five-year stint at Burnley without ever playing for the first team, he joined Gillingham in 1960 and went on to make 62 appearances in the Football League before dropping out of the professional...
, an English footballer - Bruce CockburnBruce CockburnBruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, a Canadian singer-songwriter - Catherine Trotter CockburnCatherine Trotter CockburnCatharine Trotter Cockburn was a novelist, dramatist, and philosopher.-Life:Born to Scottish parents living in London,Trotter was raised Protestant but converted to Roman Catholicism at an early age...
, a British writer - Claud CockburnClaud CockburnFrancis Claud Cockburn was a British journalist. He was well known proponent of communism. His saying, "believe nothing until it has been officially denied" is widely quoted in journalistic studies.He was the second cousin of novelist Evelyn Waugh....
, a British journalist - David CockburnDavid CockburnProfessor David Cockburn MA BPhil DPhil studied Philosophy at St Andrews and Oxford, and has taught at Swansea, the Open University, and, until 2010, has spent over 30 years at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he teaches courses on the philosophy of mind, Spinoza, Wittgenstein among others...
, a British philosopher - Sir Francis CockburnFrancis CockburnSir Francis Cockburn served in the British Army, played an important role in the early settlement of eastern Canada and was a colonial administrator....
, a British officer and colonial administrator in British Honduras, the Bahamas, and Canada - Sir George CockburnGeorge CockburnAdmiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
, the 10th Baronet Cockburn of Langton and British naval admiral - George Bertram CockburnGeorge Bertram CockburnGeorge Bertram Cockburn OBE was a research chemist who became an aviation pioneer. He represented Great Britain in the first international air race at Rheims and co-founded the first aerodrome for the army at Larkhill. He also trained the first four pilots of what was to become the Fleet Air...
, a British chemist and pioneer aviator - Hampden Zane Churchill CockburnHampden Zane Churchill CockburnMajor Hampden Zane Churchill Cockburn was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, a Canadian Army officer and recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - Henry CockburnHenry Cockburn (bishop)Henry Cockburn was a 15th century Scottish prelate. Between 1461 and 1476, he was the Bishop of Ross.On 23 March 1461 he received papal provision to the bishopric of Ross vacant by, presumably, the death of Thomas de Tulloch...
, 15th century Scottish bishop - Henry Thomas CockburnHenry Thomas CockburnHenry Thomas Cockburn, Lord Cockburn was a Scottish lawyer, judge and literary figure. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1830 and 1834.-Background and education:...
, a Scottish judge - Henry CockburnHenry Cockburn (footballer)Henry Cockburn was an English professional footballer, who played league football for Manchester United, Bury and Peterborough United. He represented England at international level, playing 13 times for his country...
, an English footballer - Hermione CockburnHermione CockburnHermione Cockburn is a British television and radio presenter specialising in scientific and educational programmes.-Biography:...
, a British presenter - Jack CockburnJack CockburnJack Cockburn was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian Football League and for South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League ....
, Australian Rules footballer - James Cockburn, a Canadian politician and a Father of the Canadian Confederation of 1867
- John CockburnJohn Cockburn (Scottish politician)John Cockburn of Ormiston, East Lothian, was a Scottish politician, the son of Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Justice Clerk. He is also known as the father of Scottish husbandry....
(died 1758), Scottish politician - John CockburnJohn Cockburn (Australian politician)Sir John Alexander Cockburn, KCMG was Premier of South Australia from 27 June 1889 until 18 August 1890.Cockburn was born in Corsbie, Berwickshire, Scotland in 1850. His father was Thomas Cockburn. He was educated at Highgate School, and King's College London, he obtained the degree of M.D....
(1850–1929), Australian politician - Karen CockburnKaren CockburnKaren Cockburn is a Canadian trampoline gymnast.Cockburn was born in Toronto and grew up in North York, Ontario. She began trampolining at age 11, and is a student at York University. She won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the individual event...
, a Canadian gymnast - Mike Cockburn, a Canadian photographer who works under the name Coby Photography
- Milton Cockburn, an Australian journalist
- Olivia Cockburn, birth name of the American actress Olivia Wilde
- Patrick CockburnPatrick CockburnPatrick Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the Financial Times and, presently, The Independent....
, an Irish journalist - Richard Cockburn MaclaurinRichard Cockburn MaclaurinRichard Cockburn Maclaurin was a Scottish-born U.S. educator and mathematical physicist. He was made president of MIT in 1909, and held the position until his death in 1920....
, an American educator and physicist - Robert CockburnRobert CockburnRobert Cockburn was a 16th century Scottish diplomat and cleric. Cockburn was a university graduate, and appears for the first time in 1501 when he was presented to James IV of Scotland for the position of parson of Dunbar, being styled "Master Robert Cockburn, dean of Rouen"...
, Scottish bishop and diplomat during the Renaissance - Sally Cockburn, an Australian physician and health communicator
- Sarah CockburnSarah CaudwellSarah Caudwell was the pseudonym of Sarah Cockburn , a British barrister and writer of detective stories.She is best known for a series of four murder stories written between 1980 and 1999, centred around the lives of a group of young barristers practicing in Lincoln’s Inn and narrated by a Hilary...
(1939–2000), barrister and writer who used the pseudonym Sarah Caudwell - Samuel CockburnSamuel Cockburn (mercenary leader)Major general Samuel Cockburn was a Scottish mercenary leader in the service of Sweden. He was born around 1574 in Scotland and died in December 1621 during a military campaign in Latvia...
(1574–1621), Scottish soldier who served in the Swedish army - Samuel CockburnSamuel Cockburn (physician and homeopath)Dr. Samuel Cockburn was a conventionally trained, for the time, Scottish physician who, early in his medical career, was won over by the principles of homeopathy...
(1823–1915), outspoken Scottish advocate for homeopathy - William Cockburn of Henderland (c1493–c1530), border reiver who was convicted and executed for treason
Cockburn baronetcies
There have been two Cockburn baronetciesCockburn Baronets
-Baronets Cockburn of Langton, Berwick:*Sir William Cockburn, 1st Baronet *Sir William Cockburn, 2nd Baronet *Sir William Cockburn, 3rd Baronet *Sir Archibald Cockburn, 4th Baronet...
in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia.