William Cockburn (cavalry officer) facts for kids

Major William Cockburn (born around 1605, died 1683) was a Scottish soldier. He was a brave cavalry leader who served King Charles II. He lived during a time when there were big disagreements about how the church in Scotland should be run. King Charles II wanted to bring back a certain church style called episcopacy. This meant the church would be led by bishops. This was different from what many Scots, known as Covenanters, wanted. Covenanters believed the church should be run by elders, not bishops. Major Cockburn's main job was to find and capture Covenanter leaders. One famous capture was Alexander Peden in 1673.

Early Life and Family History

William Cockburn's father was a landowner in a place called Skirling. His family had a long history of serving in the military for hundreds of years. However, his father likely had money problems. Because of this, he had to sell their family land in 1621.

Military Career and Service

Major Cockburn had a lot of military experience. He fought in wars in both Germany and France. His career happened during big conflicts like the Thirty Years' War in Europe. It also happened during the English Civil Wars in Britain. We do not know if he fought in Scotland during those wars.

He was probably part of the Scottish Royalist army. This army defeated the Covenanters at the Battle of Rullion Green in November 1666. In the late 1660s, Major Cockburn led groups of soldiers called dragoons. These soldiers rode horses and carried guns. He led them in southwestern Scotland.

In 1667, he was a lieutenant in a troop of soldiers based in Hawick. Later, he joined the Troop of Life Guards. This was a special group of soldiers who protected important people. He was based in Dumfries with this group. In 1668, he was given orders to find Covenanters in Galloway and nearby areas. He was very good at this job and had much success. He stopped working for the Life Guards in 1681. When he left, he was given the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.

Family Life

William Cockburn married a woman named Marie Melrose. They had one son, also named William. They also had five daughters: Elizabeth, Jane, Francisina, Marie, and Sarah. It seems his son followed the family's military tradition. He was called a lieutenant in 1692. This was when he officially became the heir to his father's property. Lieutenant Cockburn did not have any sons. Because of this, he was likely the last male in the Cockburns of Skirling family line.

Death

Lieutenant-Colonel Cockburn died on June 6, 1683. He passed away at a place called Stonie-fle, which is now known as Standenflat in Aberdeenshire. A special poem was written about him after he died. This poem was even put into a book of Scottish poems written for people who had passed away.