John Cochrane

?, Edinburgh ─ 02 March 1878, London

John Cochrane
Westminster Papers, April 1878

Brief biography

Source: The following information is abridged from entries in The Oxford Companion to Chess, by David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, 1984.

Scottish player, barrister, called to the bar in 1822. He had an aggressive playing style, with a willingness to sacrifice pieces. However, when he went to Paris in 1821, he lost matches against Deschapelles and La Bourdonnais.

He later led the London team in the correspondence match against Edinburgh, played between 1824 and 1828. It was during this match that Cochrane persuaded his team to play the Scotch Gambit, but when London had reached a good position Cochrane departed for India for professional reasons. The Scotch Gambit was taken up by the Edinburgh team, with success.

Cochrane stayed in India until his retirement in 1869, except for one visit to England, 1841-43, when he played hundreds of friendly games against Staunton.

Cochrane Gambit:
Originated by Cochrane in the 1840s. White sacrifices a knight for two pawns and a strong centre: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7. Staunton, who played the gambit successfully, pointed out that White should not seek attack: instead he should play a positional game, advancing his phalanx of pawns in the maner advocated by Philidor. Should White establish two pawns on the fifth rank he would probably have sufficient compensation for his pieces. David Bronstein believed that this gambit was worthy of further investigation. (See Bronstein-Rojahn, Moscow Olympiad 1956, for an example of this type of positional sacrifice, albeit from a different opening.)

Cochrane Variation:
In the King's Gambit Accepted. 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 Qh4+ 6. Kf1 f3. Black's sixth move, a refutation of the Salvio Gambit, is rightly named after John Cochrane who published his analysis in 1822. The variation had occurred in a friendly game Sarratt-Lewis, London, 1816; subsequently Lewis disapproved of this variation, not comprehending its real strength.

The Search for John Cochrane

John Cochrane, who never married, died on 2 March 1878 at 12 Bryanston Street, London. He was buried in Brompton Cemetery.

His official death record says he was 78, his burial record said 77, but later reports suggested he was between 78 and 86, perhaps even older. Some examples of these reports:-

• His age at his death has been variously described at from seventy-eight to eighty-one, but he was singularly reticent on this point, and we have reason to believe that his exact age was unknown even to his near relations… he was commonly supposed to be a still older man, and we have heard his age confidently declared to be “nearer ninety than eighty.” (Chess Player’s Chronicle, 1 April 1878, p73)

• on the 2nd inst., at 12, Brayanston-street, John Cochrane, Esq., in his seventy-eighth year. (Morning Post, Wednesday, 6 March 1878, p8).

• March 2, at No. 12, Bryanston–street, John Cochrane, Esq., late of Calcutta, aged 78. (London Evening Standard, Wednesday, 6 March 1878, p1)

•  …who was about four-score years old… (The Field, 9 March 1878, p31)

• Mr Cochrane died on the 4^th inst., [sic-the 2^nd] in the eighty-first year of his age. (Illustrated London News, 16 March 1878)

• He died on the 2^nd ultimo, in the 87^th year of his age. (Westminster Papers, April 1878, p217)

• …and was over eighty years of age at the time of his decease. (Steinitz, in his London Figaro column, 13 March 1878.) Steinitz was inconsistent, judging by the following comments.

• I remember well receiving a note from John Cochrane, a famous player, in London just before the tournament in Paris in 1878. He was then 90 years of age… (Steinitz interview in The Chess Monthly, September 1894, p5, which was quoting the Pittsburgh Dispatch.) 

Some sources tried to be more specific about Cochrane’s date of birth;

• 1792? A History of Chess, by HJR Murray (suggesting uncertainty)

• 1797 Modern English Biography (Frederic Boase)

Jeremy Gaige, in Chess Personalia (1987) had the following entry:

In the 1994 privately printed 1994 edition (thanks to Edward Winter) Gaige gave:

Not much difference, except for an additional reference. We have not seen Land & Water or SES, and it is not known from where Gaige obtained the date of birth.

Adding to the contradictions surrounding Cochrane's age and year of birth are two particular references that point to a birth circa 1798:-

1. Two mentions of him in the muster book for the Antelope (August 1817 and February 1818) that state he was "born Edinburgh, aged 19." Source: Tony Gillam.

2. An email to Geoff Chandler in connection with Cochrane's admission to the Inner Temple in 1819 says that our subject was 21, though his age does not appear in the online record.

It is known that John Cochrane served as a midshipman on the Antelope, thanks to the memoirs of Capt. John Harvey Boteler, who mentioned him by name, and his prowess as a chessplayer, including his playing of two games simultaneously without sight of the board. The Antelope arrived back in England in March 1819 and Cochrane was admitted to the Inner Temple a few months later, in May. Their records indicate that he was the 3rd son of the Hon John Cochrane.

So, where should the search begin? First, we decided to narrow things somewhat by looking at the whereabouts of the chessplayer's father, so here are some relevant dates for the Hon John Cochrane (1750─1801), who was a sone of the 8th Earl of Dundonald:-

• 1779–84 Deputy Commissioner for procurement to the army of North America in Québec City.

• 1780 birth of 1st son Nathaniel Day Cochrane, Québec.

• 1781 birth of Angelica Day [Cochrane] at Québec, the child of Commissary-General Nathaniel Day. It appears she was adopted by the Hon John Cochrane to preserve his senior officer from scandal.

• 1782 birth of 2nd son James Johnstone Cochrane, Québec.

• 1784 sail to Britain on the Betsey from Québec City on 2nd July for Bristol. It is thought that his two sons, and Angelica accompanied him, but it is not known if his mistress (Genevieve Dulon or du Loup) travelled to Britain with him.

• 1790–92 in India: official victualler to HM’s Naval Squadron to the East Indies, based in Madras.

• 1792 October 27: departs India on ship Ganges for England.

• 1793 March: Ganges arrives Falmouth (Hampshire Chronicle, 4 March 1793).

So, the chessplayer's birth would have been between 1784 and 1890, when his father went to India, or after his father's return from India in 1793.

The Hon John Cochrane's Will

His will, written when he lived at Harley Street, London and dated 27 September 1801, a month before he died, shows bequests to his first two sons, after which it says:-

I give and bequeath unto John Cochrane the son of Margaret McDougal now living at Newhaven near Leith the like sum of one thousand pounds.

Scotland's National Records

Before 1855, births and baptisms were recorded in church registers. Some points to note:-

John Cochrane, chessplayer, was born in Edinburgh (1871 census).

Father: Hon John Cochrane; Mother: Margaret McDougal (1801 will).

It is not known if McDougal was a birth name or a married name.

It is not certain that the chessplayer was baptised "John", but if Margaret McDougal acknowledged the father there is a strong  possibility that the child was given his name.

Birth Records

Numerous searches were undertaken and, because of disagreement about the chess player’s age at time of death, these cover a wide spread of years. The searches began with births of John Cochrane, and name variants.

• John Cochren ─ seven hits, none after 1758

• John Cocheren ─ one hit, 1711

• John Cocheran 1775─1800: one hit, 1792, wrong parents

• John Cocherane ─ two hits, both in the 1600s

• John Cockeran ─ no results

• John Cockerane ─ no results

• John Cockran ─ six hits, but none between 1777─1839

• John Cockrane ─ four hits, first 1787, next 1823, wrong parents

• John Cochrane/Cochran 1775─1801, father John: 37 hits, but none with mother Margaret McDougal

So, with no birth/baptism record with the relevant parents, a search was then made for “John”, born to a “Margaret” [McDougal], 1780─1802, all Scotland.  There was only one relevant record:-

The above shows a baptismal date; the birth record shows that John McDougal was born 1st December 1794. Duddingston is on the east side of Edinburgh.

Birth of John McDougal, 1st December 1794, Duddingston

The record says:-

Moses McDougal & Margaret Porteous his Wife had a Son born the 1^st of         December & Baptised the 12^th named John – Witnesses George Moodie & James Brown.

A search of the marriage records found:-

The marriage was on 2 November 1794, one month before the birth. The full record:-

Marriage of Moses McDougal and Margaret Porteous, 2 November 1794

The document says:-

Nov 2
Which day Moses McDougal and Margaret Porteous (being irregularly married) appeared before the session were rebuked & declared married persons, they gave the poor.

So:
November 2 1794: marriage of Moses McDougal and Margaret Porteous
December 1 1794: birth of John McDougal to Moses and Margaret McDougal

There are several factors that make this John McDougal a candidate for being John Cochrane the chessplayer:

• the birth was in Edinburgh (1871 census)
• the mother was Margaret McDougal (1801 will of the Hon John Cochrane)
• it fits with suggestions that Cochrane was older than 80 at the time of his death in 1878.

Further searches in Scotland's records suggest that it might have been a marriage of convenience, because:-

• no other children are recorded born to Moses/Margaret─unusual for the time.
• Moses McDougal (including surname variations) appears only twice in the records of the relevant period; the 1794 marriage to Margaret and the birth of John McDougal (no death record).

The 1794 birth also fits in regards to the movements of the Hon John Cochrane, who arrived back in Britain in March 1793. In June of that year he was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Stores to forces serving in North Britain (Scotland).

(In September 1793 he was named in bankruptcy proceedings in London along with his brother Alexander Forester Cochrane; his address at the time was Hatton Street, St Andrew, Holborn.)

His duties would have required him to be in Scotland at some time, though where he lived cannot be confirmed. The extended Cochrane family had owned several properties in the Edinburgh ─ including the lands at Belleville/Clockmill, near Duddingston ─ and had close connections to Culross in Fife, across the Firth of Forth.

In view of the fact that the chessplayer's year of birth is still uncertain, it is worth noting later appointments of the Hon John Cochrane in Scotland:-

• 1795 Dean of Guild for Culross, Fife
• 1796 June 6: honorary burgess of Dunfermline, Fife; June 20 returned as M.P. for the district of Burghs
• 1797 Inverkeithing District, Fife: chosen as delegate for Culross 

Margaret Porteous [McDougal]

A search of birth records found the following...

which is particularly interesting, because of the Duddingston connection. The date shown was Margaret's baptism; her birth date was 21 May, as shown in the original record:-

1771: Robert Porteous & Margaret Hepburn his wife had a Daughter born 21 May and baptised 23 Inst. named Margaret. Witnesses John Black and John Ross.

Summary
Based on the information available, the 1794 Edinburgh birth of "John" to Moses McDougal and Margaret (Porteous) McDougal is a strong candidate for the chess player, though nothing more definitive can be offered.

Although the search could have ended there, it was decided to continue looking for information that might be deemed relevant. This was because of the feeling that Margaret's 1794 marriage to Moses McDougal was one of convenience─no other children are recorded against the couple─as well as the statement in The Hon. John Cochrane's September 1801 will, which said that Margaret McDougal, the chessplayer's mother, was 'living at Newhaven near Leith...'.

Newhaven (Midlothian)
Is it possible that Margaret McDougal remarried without disclosing her earlier connection to Moses McDougal? Two marriages are recorded in Newhaven that might be relevant:-

1801 May 1: Margaret McDougal married John Lindsay, Labourer ("both of this Parish"). This marriage produced two children, Elisabeth (1802) and Margaret (1803). A John Lindsay (26), Grocer, died in Newhaven on 16 April 1803, though it cannot be confirmed if the Labourer and the Grocer are one and the same.

1807 February 20: Margaret McDougal married John Liston, Fisherman ("both in this Parish"). This marriage also produced two children, William (1808) and Margaret (1809). Margaret died February 1810.

Aside from all the information shown above, Geoff Chandler in Edinburgh has persistently and consistently followed many leads. He has communicated with the Inner Temple in London, confirming details of John Cochrane's admission and family, and investigated burial records and graveyards in Lothian and Fife. He has also examined papers of the Hon John Cochrane in the National Library of Scotland and documents related to the Earls of Dundonald, none of which shed further light on the chessplayer's personal details.

Little is known of the chessplayer's early years. Was he cared for by his mother for a period, or was he taken into care by the Cochrane family soon after birth? No school or university records for John Cochrane have been found, suggesting he was privately tutored.

It can only be hoped that additional information might come from family records.

Alan McGowan
Historian/Archivist, Chess Scotland

updated 06/07/2023