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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cockburn, William (1768-1835)

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1319865Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 11 — Cockburn, William (1768-1835)1887Henry Morse Stephens

COCKBURN, Sir WILLIAM (1768–1835), lieutenant-general, only son of Colonel James Cockburn (fl. 1783) [q. v.], who was wounded by the side of Wolfe at the battle of Quebec, and afterwards became quartermaster-general of the forces, was, to quote the obituary notice in the 'Gentleman's Magazine,' born 'in a camp' in 1768. About his family and the baronetcy which he afterwards assumed as fifth baronet of Ryslaw and Cockburn, there is much doubt (see Foster's Baronetage, 'Chaos'), but he certainly entered the army as an ensign in the 37th regiment in 1778, when a mere boy. He was promoted lieutenant in 1779, and after serving through the latter part of the American war became captain in the 92nd on 27 April 1783. His regiment was disbanded at the end of the war, and he went on half-pay until 1790, when he received a company in the 73rd regiment, which was then in India. He served through the last campaigns of the first Mysore war in the western army, under Sir Robert Abercromby [q. v.], and when the two armies met before Seringapatam he was appointed acting engineer, and made a valuable survey of the ground, which was afterwards published. He was promoted major in 1794 and lieutenant-colonel on 1 Jan. 1798, and in 1802 he returned to England, and exchanged to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 4th regiment. In 1804 he was appointed inspecting field officer of volunteers in Ireland, and was promoted colonel on 25 April 1808, and major-general on 4 June 1811. In 1813 he was appointed inspecting general officer for the Severn district, and on 19 July 1821 he was promoted lieutenant-general. On 19 March 1835 he died at his house in Lansdowne Crescent, Bath, aged 67. In the latter years of his life he was a prominent supporter of all the local charities of Bath, and was particularly active in founding the Society for the Relief of Occasional Distress, which had been projected by Lady Elizabeth King.

[Gent. Mag. June 1835; notice by the Rev. Richard Warner in the Bath Chronicle, March 1835; and for his baronetcy, Foster's Baronetage, 'Chaos.']