James Cochrane

Sir James Cochrane (1798 – 24 June 1883), was Chief Justice of Gibraltar. One of the most notable cases he handled was the enquiry into the Mary Celeste. Judge's Cave in Gibraltar is named for him. Early life Cochrane was the son of Thomas Cochrane, speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia, and was born there in 1798. Among his large family was his elder half-sister, Margaret Cochran, the wife of Sir Rupert George, the Commodore for the Royal Navy's North America Station. Two other sisters were Elizabeth Cochran (wife of Rt. Rev. John Inglis, Bishop of Nova Scotia) and Isabella Cochran (wife of Dean Edward Bannerman Ramsay). His brother was Thomas Cochran, who served as the third Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island and later in Upper Canada where he perished in Lake Ontario in 1804. Career He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1829 and he became the Attorney General of Gibraltar in 1837. He was replaced in that position by the Irish attorney Marcus Costello when he was made chief justice there on the 3 July 1841. He was knighted in 1845. During his time in Gibraltar he presided over the Vice Admiralty Court in December 1872 which enquired into the fate of the Mary Celeste, a ship that was found abandoned at sea without any rational explanation.