The grave of this famous admiral is in the central part of the
nave. The inscription, written by Sir Lyon Playfair, reads:
"HERE RESTS IN HIS 85th YEAR THOMAS COCHRANE TENTH EARL OF
DUNDONALD BARON COCHRANE OF DUNDONALD OF PAISLEY AND OF OCHILTREE
IN THE PEERAGE OF SCOTLAND MARQUESS OF MARANHAM IN THE EMPIRE OF
BRAZIL G.C.B. AND ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET WHO BY THE CONFIDENCE
WHICH HIS GENIUS HIS SCIENCE AND EXTRAORDINARY DARING INSPIRED,
BY HIS HEROIC EXERTIONS IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND HIS SPLENDID
SERVICES ALIKE TO HIS OWN COUNTRY GREECE BRAZIL CHILI AND PERU
ACHIEVED A NAME ILLUSTRIOUS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR COURAGE
PATRIOTISM AND CHIVALRY. BORN DEC 14th 1775. DIED OCT. 31st
1860"
At the top of the stone is his coat of arms, crest and motto
"Virtute et Labore" and at each corner are the shields of Chile,
Brazil, Peru and Greece.
Thomas was born at Annesfield in Lanarkshire, Scotland, son of
Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald, and Anna, daughter of
Capt.Gilchrist of the Royal Navy. The greatest feat in his
brilliant naval career was the destruction of vast numbers of
French ships in 1809 which shattered Napoleon's sea power. For
this he was created a Knight of the Order of the Bath. He was
also Member of Parliament for Westminster 1807-18. His career in
the Royal Navy came to an end in 1814 when he was convicted of
fraud on the Stock Exchange and imprisoned for a year. After his
disgrace his Bath banner, in the chapel of Henry VII in the
Abbey, was removed and kicked down the steps and his name on the
stall there obliterated. Afterwards Cochrane accepted an offer
from Chile to command its navy and played an important role in
the independence of both Chile and Peru. He next went to Brazil,
where he was appointed "Admiral of the National and Imperial
Navy", and finally aided the Greek navy during their war of
independence. On his return to England he received a pardon and
was created a Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom and Knight Grand
Cross of the Bath.
He married Katharine Barnes in a secret ceremony in 1812 and
married her again in 1818 and 1825 according to the rites of the
Church of England and the Church of Scotland. They had a daughter
and four sons and Thomas Barnes Cochrane succeeded to the
title.
Each year in May representatives of the Chilean Navy hold a
wreath laying ceremony at his grave.
A photograph of the gravestone can be purchased from
Westminster Abbey Library.
Further reading:
"The Autobiography of a Seaman" 1861 "Cochrane. Britannia's
Last Sea King" by Donald Thomas, 1978.