1823 Manuscript Letter of Well-Known Royal Navy Officer and British Politician Who Served as Governor of Newfoundland and a Conservative MP in England
1421On offer is a super, original 1823 manuscript letter handwritten by a staff member of Sir Thomas John Cochrane (1789-1872), Royal British Navy officer and Governor of Newfoundland from 1825-1834.
He would have had this letter written for him while in command of the Leeward Island Station, which had been handed over to him by Sir Edward Owen in late 1822. He would remain in command of this station until he returned to England in late 1824.
The letter was written to one Captain Porter and is transcribed below:
"Sir Thomas Cochrane presents his compliments to Captain Porter. He thinks he heard Captain Porter mention that he had [ ] information about Pirates in the neighbourhood the particulars of which Sir Thomas forgot to ask Captain Peters who might oblige Sir Thomas by favouring him with any information he may be at liberty to disclose Sir Thomas not having the means of [posessing??] such Intelligence there being neither English Coastal or Merchants at this port." [dated March 7, 1823].
It is signed by an unknown secretary of Sir Cochrane's.
This letter is an important piece of both British naval and political history as well as Canadian history, as Cochrane was a key figure in Newfoundland’s early days.
BIO NOTES: Sir Thomas John Cochrane (1789-1872), son of Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane (1758-1832), was a British Royal Navy officer and politician. He became Governor of Newfoundland from 1825-1834. During that time he was a controversial figure and helped establish representative government. He was elected as a Conservative MP for Ipswich Suffolk in England and was in office from 1839-1841. Other highlights of his career include his time as second in command and then commander-in-chief of the China Station (1842-47) and commander-in-chief for Portsmouth (1852-55). Cochrane became Admiral of the Fleet in 1865. In his personal life, Cochrane married Matilda Ross (later Wishart) and they had two sons, including the well-known Alexander Cochrane-Wishart-Baillie (1816-1890) and two daughters. Sir Thomas John Cochrane is often confused for his cousin, cousin of Lord Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald (1775-1860).
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