James Cochrane (judge)

Sir James Cochrane (1798-1883), was chief justice of Gibraltar.

Cochrane was the son of Thomas Cochrane, speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia, was born in that colony in 1798. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1829, was appointed attorney-general at Gibraltar in 1837, and in that place he spent the rest of his life. He was made chief justice there in 1841, was knighted in 1845, and he retained his high office for thirty-six years, resigning in 1877. Upon that occasion General Lord Napier of Magdala, governor of the fortress, said of him : 'During the long time that Sir James Cochrane has presided over the supreme court at Gibraltar he has eminently maintained the high character of the bench. The clearness of his judgment, the wisdom of his decisions, and his personal character have commanded the respect of all classes of the community. He has done much for the lower classes, and his firmness and perfect fairness have helped greatly to dispel from the city of Gibraltar the crime of using the knife, which was unfortunately once so prevalent.' Cochrane married in 1829 Theresa, daughter of Colonel William Haly, who died in 1873. He died at Glenrocky, his house in Gibraltar, on 24 June 1883, leaving one son, the Rev. Thomas Cochrane, rector of Stapleford Abbotts in Essex.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Cochrane, James". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.