View source for John Cockburn (died 1623)

{{Short description|Scottish landowner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''John Cockburn of Ormiston''' (died 1623) was a Scottish lawyer and landowner.
==Career==
He was the son of [[John Cockburn of Ormiston]] and Alison Sandilands (died 1584), a daughter of Sir John Sandilands of Calder.<ref>Thomas Cockburn-Hood, ''House of Cockburn of that Ilk'' (Edinburgh, 1888), pp. 135-141.</ref> His older brother Alexander Cockburn died in 1563, his epitaph by [[George Buchanan]] recording his travels and achievements engraved on a brass plate is at the [[National Museum of Scotland]].<ref>NMS acc. no. Q.L.1950.11.</ref>
John Cockburn succeeded his father as laird of [[Ormiston]] in [[East Lothian]] in 1583.<ref>[[Gordon Donaldson]], ''Register of the Privy Seal: 1581-1584'', vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1982), p. 440 no. 2513.</ref>
[[James VI and I|James VI]] came to Ormiston to hunt deer on 22 November 1588.<ref>''HMC Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 3 (London, 1889), p. 373 no. 762.</ref> Cockburn was a member of the [[Privy Council of Scotland|Privy Council]] and the council ruling Scotland when James VI was in Norway and Denmark.<ref>''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1589-1593'', vol. 10 (Edinburgh, 1936), pp. 179, 376, 300, 683.</ref>
[[File:Adrian Vanson (d. before 1610) (attributed to) - Anne of Denmark (1574–1619), Queen of James VI and I - PG 1110 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg|thumb|right|John Cockburn delivered the oath of the people of Scotland at the coronation of [[Anne of Denmark]]]]
He was knighted at the [[Entry and Coronation of Anne of Denmark|coronation]] of [[Anne of Denmark]] on 17 May 1590, where he gave an oath of loyal service on behalf of the people of Scotland.<ref>David Stevenson, ''Scotland's Last Royal Wedding'' (Edinburgh, 1997), p. 106.</ref> He was again honored with knighthood at Parliament in 1592.
Cockburn was [[Lord Justice Clerk]] after [[Lewis Bellenden]]. On 26 October 1591, during the [[North Berwick witch trials]] James VI gave him a commission to torture and punish those accused of witchcraft who refused to confess.<ref>Thomas Cockburn-Hood, ''House of Cockburn of that Ilk'' (Edinburgh, 1888), p. 147.</ref> Cockburn questioned David Graham of Fintry about the [[Spanish Blanks]] affair in February 1593.<ref>[[Annie Cameron]], ''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 58 no. 30.</ref>
An English diplomat [[Robert Bowes (diplomat)|Robert Bowes]] noted that Cockburn had hosted the Earls of Angus, Huntly, Errol, and Sir James Chisholme at Ormiston on 11 October 1593. The Earls met the King on the road at [[Fala, Midlothian|Fala]] the next day.<ref>[[Annie Cameron]], ''Calendar State Papers Scotland, 1593-1595'', vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), pp. 201-2 nos. 155-6.</ref>
In December 1593, Cockburn was appointed to a committee to audit the account of money spent by the [[Chancellor of Scotland|Chancellor]], [[John Maitland of Thirlestane|John Maitland]] of [[Thirlestane Castle|Thirlestane]], on the [[Anne of Denmark and contrary winds|royal voyages]]. The funds in question came from the [[English subsidy of James VI|English subsidy]] and the dowry of Anne of Denmark.<ref>Miles Kerr-Peterson & Michael Pearce, 'James VI's English Subsidy and Danish Dowry Accounts, 1588-1596', ''Scottish History Society Miscellany XVI'' (Woodbridge, 2020), p. 6.</ref>
As a member of the Privy Council, Cockburn went with others to [[Stirling Castle]] in May 1603 to discuss and investigate a controversy involving [[Anne of Denmark]] who wished to take custody of her son, [[Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales|Prince Henry]].<ref>''Melros Papers'' (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 3-4.</ref>
==Later years==
In old age Cockburn lost his eyesight and mobility, and in December 1622 there were discussions about a replacement in the role of Lord Justice Clerk.<ref>''Melros Papers'', vol. 2 (London, 1837), pp. 484-5.</ref>
He died in June 1623 according to Balfour, but his will gives his date of death as October 1626.<ref>[[Sir James Balfour, 1st Baronet, of Denmilne and Kinnaird|James Balfour]], ''Annales of Scotland'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1824), p. 97.</ref>
==Marriage and family==
He married Janet Home, a daughter of Alexander Home of [[Manderston]], and sister of the royal favourite [[George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar|Sir George Home]].<ref>[[Annie Cameron|Annie I. Cameron]], ''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1593-1595'', vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 202.</ref> Janet Home was one of the women invited to attend [[Anne of Denmark]] at her [[entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark|coronation in May 1590]].<ref>[[Maureen Meikle]], 'Anna of Denmark's Coronation and Entry', [[Julian Goodare]] & Alasdair A. MacDonald, ''Sixteenth-Century Scotland'' (Brill, 2008), p. 284.</ref>
Their children included:<ref>Thomas Cockburn-Hood, ''House of Cockburn of that Ilk'' (Edinburgh, 1888), p. 147.</ref>
* Patrick Cockburn, whose son George Cockburn became laird of Ormiston
* Margaret Cockburn, who married [[Patrick Sinclair, 9th Lord Sinclair]]
* Catherine Cockburn, who married James MacGill of Cranstoun-Riddill, later made Viscount Oxenfurd
* Helen Cockburn, who married William Hay of Linplum
* Jean Cockburn, married (1) John Murray of Touchadam, (2) William Lauder of [[Haltoun House|Haltoun]]
He married, secondly, Elizabeth Bellenden, a daughter of [[John Bellenden (Lord Justice Clerk)|John Bellenden of Auchnoule]] and Janet Seton, and widow of James Lawson of Humbie.<ref>Thomas Cockburn-Hood, ''House of Cockburn of that Ilk'' (Edinburgh, 1888), p. 142.</ref>
==References==
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[[Category:People from East Lothian]]
[[Category:Cockburn family|John]]
[[Category:1623 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish people]]
[[Category:16th-century Scottish people]]
[[Category:Lords Justice Clerk]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish landowners]]