Patrick O'Brian Discussion Forum

Cochrane, Thomas, tenth earl of Dundonald, naval officer, . .

‘ . . lived to be 85:

. . by the early 1850s he had become a national treasure, a reminder of past greatness to replace the recently deceased duke of Wellington . . He had no further sea service, though during the Crimean War of 1854–6 he offered to deploy a version of his poison gas plan of 1812 . . This was initially rejected . . [but] taken up again in 1855, by a despairing Lord Palmerston, on the grounds that any failure would be attributed to Cochrane's age and eccentricity rather than to the government. However, Sevastopol fell before it could be put into effect.

During his last years Cochrane wrote several volumes of memoirs. These colourful, if imperfect, accounts helped to cement his place in the national pantheon. They were intended to support his financial claims against various governments . . The series was brought to an abrupt end by his sudden death . . on 31 October 1860.'

Sat Nov 7

This message read 89 times