Earls of Dundonald (1669)

1^st Earl of Dundonald, William Cochrane, b.?, a.1669, d.1685

The title of Earl of Dundonald was created in the Peerage of Scotland for the famous soldier and politician Sir William Cochrane. The name Cochrane comes from an area of land near Paisley in Renfrewshire, and this estate was held by several generations of the same family. William Cochrane’s father Alexander Blair (b.?, d.c.1641) married the Elizabeth Cochrane, only surviving child of the previous holder, acquiring the lands, and changed his name. Cochrane, who was MP for Ayrshire in 1644, had obtained the lands of Dundonald, also in Ayrshire, and in 1647 he was raised to the peerage as 1^st Lord Cochrane of Dundonald. He was later made 1^st Earl of Dundonald, and at the same time 1^st Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltree.

2^nd Earl of Dundonald, John Cochrane, b.c.1660, a.1685, d.1690

Grandson of the 1^st Earl and Eupheme Scott, and son of William Cochrane (b.?, d.1679) and Lady Catherine Kennedy (b.?, d.c.1700), daughter of John Kennedy, 6^th Earl of Cassillis.

3^rd Earl of Dundonald, William Cochrane, b.c.1686, a.1690, d.1705

Son of the 2^nd Earl and Lady Susan Hamilton (b.1659-1669, d.1736-1737), daughter of Sir William Douglas-Hamilton, 1^st Earl of Selkirk.

4^th Earl of Dundonald, John Campbell Cochrane, b.1687, a.1705, d.1720

Younger brother of the 3^rd Earl.

5^th Earl of Dundonald, William Cochrane, b.c.1708, a.1720, d.1724-1725

Son of the 4^th Earl and Lady Anne Murray (b.?, d.1710), daughter of Charles Murray, 1^st Earl of Dunmore. He had no children.

6^th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, b.1702, a.1724-1725, d.1737

Son of William Cochrane (b.?, d.1717), a brother of the 2^nd Earl, and Lady Grizel Graham, a daughter of James Graham, 2^nd Marquess of Montrose.

7^th Earl of Dundonald, William Cochrane, b.?, a.1737, d.1758

Son of the 6^th Earl and Catherine Hamilton, a grand-daughter of the 1^st Earl of Selkirk. He fought in the Seven Years War and died at the Battle of Louisburg without an heir.

8^th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, b.?, a.1758, d.1778

Grandson of Sir John Cochrane (b.?, d.1707), the 1^st Earl’s second son, and son of William Cochrane (b.?, d.a.1739) and Lady Mary Bruce, daughter of Alexander Bruce, 2^nd Earl of Kincardine. He was a Whig MP for Renfrewshire and reached the rank of Captain in the Army. He also held the office of Commissioner for Excise (Scotland) in 1730.

9^th Earl of Dundonald, Archibald Cochrane, b.1748, a.1778, d.1831

Son of the 8^th Earl and Jane Stuart (b.b.1729, d.1808). He served in both the Army and the Royal Navy, and was something of an inventor.

10^th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, b.1775, a.1831, d.1860

Son of the 9^th Earl and Anne Gilchrist (b.b.1759, d.1784). He reached the rank of Captain in the Army and then in the Royal Navy and was highly active in the naval engagements of the time, including the defence of Rosas in the Caribbean, and against the French navy in 1809, for which he received the Order of the Bath (KB). However, in 1814, he was found guilty of fraud within the Stock Exchange, stripped of his rank, fined and imprisoned. After he was set free, he headed for South America, where he fought for the Chilean and Peruvian navies during their Wars of Independence from Spain, being made Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of both navies. He then joined the Brazilian Navy as First Admiral, being created 1^st Marquez de Maranhao. In 1827, he returned to Europe and served in the Greek Navy during their War of Independence. He received various chivalric awards from all these countries. After inheriting the earldom, he returned to Britain and was pardoned, re-entering the Royal Navy as Rear-Admiral, then Vice-Admiral. In 1847, his knighthood of the Bath was restored and he was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of that Order. From 1854 until his death, he was Rear-Admiral of Great Britain. He inherited a love of inventing from his father, and patented many ideas that improved naval architecture.

11^th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Barnes Cochrane, b.1814, a.1860, d.1885

Son of the 10^th Earl and Katherine Frances Corbet Barnes (b.c.1796, d.1865). He reached the rank of Captain in the British Army, and served as a Representative Peer.

12^th Earl of Dundonald, Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, b.1852, a.1860, d.1935

Son of the 11^th Earl and Louisa Harriet Mackinnon (b.?, d.1902), daughter of the then Chief of Clan Mackinnon. He was a noted soldier, who fought at the relief of Khartoum, and reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel prior to succeeding to his father’s titles. He fought in the Boer War and was mentioned in dispatches several times and reached the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was a Representative Peer from 1886 to 1922. He was created a Knight Commander, Royal Victorian Order in 1907 and Knight Commander, Order of the Bath in 1913. He later fought in the First World War and was afterwards Colonel of the 2^nd Life Guards and Honorary Colonel of 91^st Canadian Highlanders and later also the Camel Corps.

13^th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Hesketh Douglas Blair Cochrane, b.1886, a.1935, d.1958

Son of the 12^th Earl and Winifred Bamford-Hesketh (b.?, d.1924). He reached the rank of Captain in the Scots Guards and fought in the First World War. He obtained awards from both Chile and Peru. He died unmarried.

14^th Earl of Dundonald, Ian Douglas Leonard Cochrane, b.1918, a.1958, d.1986

Grandson of the 12^th Earl and son of Douglas Robert Hesketh Roger Cochrane (b.1893, d.1942) and Enid Marion Davis (b.?, d.1960). He fought in the Second World War and reached the rank of Major in the Black Watch. He later went into business and was chairman of several companies, and was a Representative Peer from 1960 to 1986.

15^th Earl of Dundonald, Iain Alexander Douglas Blair Cochrane, b.1961, a.1986

Son of the 14^th Earl and Aphra Farquhar Fetherstonhaugh (b.?, d.1972). As well as 15^th Earl, he is also 15^th Lord Cochrane of Dundonald and 15^th Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltree.

The courtesy title for the heir is Lord Cochrane.