The autobiography of a seaman (volume 1 of 2) by Earl of Thomas Cochrane Dundonald
"The autobiography of a seaman (volume 1 of 2)" by Earl of Thomas Cochrane Dundonald is a naval autobiography written in the mid-19th century. It charts the celebrated but contentious career of a British admiral known for daring operations, outspoken reformism, and political battles, set chiefly against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This first volume focuses on his early life, family background, formative service, and the lead-up to the celebrated but
disputed action at Aix Roads, alongside his criticisms of naval administration. The opening of the work presents a dedication to the Westminster electors and a forthright preface outlining its scope: service up to the Basque Roads attack, the ensuing court-martial of Lord Gambier, years of exclusion from command, and eventual restorations of rank and honours. Cochrane thanks prominent supporters (notably the Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Brougham) and credits his wife’s direct appeal to the sovereign for a key turn in his fate, then states a “moral” about the personal costs of truth-telling and reform. An introductory chapter traces the Dundonald lineage—from medieval Cochranes and the rise and fall of Robert Cochran under James III, through staunch Stuart loyalties, civil-war entanglements, and the family’s elevation—before turning to the author’s own beginnings. Chapter I sketches his 1775 birth, the loss of ancestral estates, and his father’s scientific ventures (soda, alumina, British gum, sal ammoniac, white lead, and coal-tar/coke), including an early, accidental demonstration of coal-gas illumination later developed by others; these pursuits, though inventive, ruined the family finances and delayed his entry into the navy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860 |
|---|---|
| Compiler | Earp, George Butler |
| Contributor | Jackson, William, active 1784?-1862 |
| Title | The autobiography of a seaman (volume 1 of 2) |
| Original Publication | London: Richard Bentley, 1859, copyright 1861. |
| Note | Compiled by G. B. Earp from oral or written material furnished by Lord Dundonald and his secretary, William Jackson. |
| Credits | MWS, KD Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) // first edit: 9/5/2025 |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe |
| Subject | Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography |
| Subject | Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860 |
| Subject | Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77060 |
| Release Date | Oct 15, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 510 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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