Richard Cockburn of Clerkington facts for kids

Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington, also known as Lord Clerkintoun (born around 1565 – died 1627), was an important government official in Scotland. He served as the Lord Privy Seal of Scotland during the time of King James VI.

Early Life and Career

Richard Cockburn was born around 1565 at Clerkington House, near Haddington in East Lothian. He was the oldest son of Sir John Cockburn of Clerkington and Helen Maitland.

In 1589, Richard traveled to London and met Queen Elizabeth I. He trained to be a lawyer and later became a judge. He even went with James VI of Scotland to Denmark. While there, he helped pay the Scottish ship captains when the king visited the dockyard in Copenhagen.

Later, he helped check the money spent by his uncle, John Maitland, during the king's trip. This money came from England and from the dowry of Anne of Denmark, the queen.

In April 1591, Richard Cockburn became the Secretary of State. This was a very important job! He held this position until 1596. In September 1591, he also became a Lord of Session, which meant he was a senior judge. In November 1591, he was chosen as a Senator of the College of Justice.

Ambassador to England (1594)

In July 1594, Sir Richard was sent as an ambassador to London. An ambassador is like a special messenger or representative from one country to another. His job was to tell Queen Elizabeth I about some dangers in Scotland and to ask for help, especially money. King James VI hoped for at least £3,000.

He also complained about some people who were causing trouble for King James, like the poet Henry Lok and Master John Colville. On September 15, 1594, he met Queen Elizabeth and gave her a respectful greeting.

On November 12, 1594, Richard Cockburn received a letter from Queen Elizabeth to take back to King James VI. He was also given £3,000 or £2,000 for the king. Queen Elizabeth made sure the money was taken to Scotland and not spent in London. Part of the money went to the goldsmith Thomas Foulis for the king's use. The rest was sent to the Duke of Lennox to pay his soldiers in northern Scotland.

In 1595, Richard Cockburn continued to communicate with important English officials like the Earl of Essex. His uncle, John Maitland, who was the Chancellor of Scotland, became very ill in September 1595. Maitland sent Richard to the king with a message. The king sent a kind letter back.

Later Career and Public Service

In May 1596, Sir Richard was replaced as Secretary of State by John Lindsay of Balcarres. Lindsay was part of a group called the "Octavians," who were appointed by King James to help manage Scotland's finances.

In 1598, Sir Richard got another important job back: Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland. This position involves keeping the king's special seal for important documents. In 1610, he was confirmed as a member of the new Privy Council of Scotland, which was a group of advisors to the king. At the same time, he was appointed to the Court of High Commission for church matters.

However, in February 1626, he was removed from his judge position. This happened because the new king, King Charles I, decided that noblemen and state officers should not also be judges.

Sir Richard Cockburn passed away in October 1627 in Haddington.

Family Life

Sir Richard's sister, Marion Cockburn, married Thomas Otterburn in 1595.

Around 1611, Sir Richard married his distant cousin, Margaret Cockburn. She was the daughter of Sir William Cockburn of Langton. The Cockburns were a very important family in the Scottish Lowlands and owned a lot of land. This marriage brought together two wealthy and influential parts of the family.

Sir Richard and Margaret had a daughter born in March 1612. They also had a son named Patrick in March 1613, but he sadly died when he was very young. Another son, also named Patrick, was born in November 1614. This second Patrick later became the Laird of Clerkington after his father.

Sir Richard also had several children born in Edinburgh with women whose names are not recorded. These children were Jeane (born 1599), Anna (born 1604), Johne (born 1605), Helene (born 1606), Richard (born 1608), William (born 1609), and Issobel (born 1610). In 1620, his daughter Jeane married James Pringle.