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Biography of Thomas CochraneName: Thomas CochraneBirth Date: December 14, 1775 Death Date: October 30, 1860 Place of Birth: Annsfield, Lanarkshire, England Nationality: English Gender: Male Occupations: naval officer Thomas Cochrane Thomas Cochrane (1775-1860), the 10th Earl of Dundonald, rose through the ranks of the British navy to become an admiral. His career was marked by innovative sea victories, political scandal, and bold strategies that were considered radical by some of his peers.Thomas Cochrane, born on December 14, 1775 in Annsfield, England, was the elder son of Archibald Cochrane, the 9th Earl of Dundonald, and Anne Gilchrist Cochrane. Young Thomas shared his father's intellectual curiosity and eccentricity; although he was destined to follow a different path than his scientist/inventor father. While his father had led the family into financial ruin with unsuccessful scientific experiments, young Thomas was headed for a military career. His father secured a military commission for Cochrane when he was still a child. By the time Cochrane was in his late teens, he had secured commissions in the army as well as the navy. In 1793, he served on a …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…steam propulsion systems, and boilers. He also introduced the concept of using steamships for attack. Cochrane's tactics relied on surprise and the use of new methods to carry out naval initiatives. His secret war plan--which involved the use of sulfur fumes to overwhelm enemy ships and forts--was considered too inhumane for use. The plan was not revealed publicly until 1908. Cochrane died in London on October 30, 1860. He was survived by his wife of 48 years, Katherine Corbett Barnes. Further Reading Chambers Biographical Dictionary, edited by J.O. Thorne and T.C. Collocott, Cambridge University Press, 1986.Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, Columbia University Press, 1993.Dictionary of National Biography, edited by Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, Oxford University Press, 1964.Mageli, Paul D, and David L. Bongard, Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography, HarperCollins, 1992.Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1995.Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea, edited by Peter Kemp, Oxford University Press, 1976. |