Thomas Cochrane - Master & Commander

Bill McNaught


Region:
South East
Notice Period:
Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
Type:
Retirement hobby
Fee:
Paid: £45 plus modest travel expenses
Category:
History
Updated:
9th August 2018

The story of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, one the Royal Navy’s most daring and successful captains during the Napoleonic Wars, and known as the ‘Sea Wolf’ by the French.

The novelist Patrick O’Brian used many of his exploits as the basis for his stories. ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey, captain of HMS Surprise in the film Master and Commander, is based on Thomas Cochrane.

Cochrane had a colourful life becoming an MP, involved in a Stock Exchange fraud, dismissed from the Royal Navy, commanding three foreign navies, before being reinstated in the Royal Navy and becoming and Admiral.

Views: 1181 | Enquiries: 6

About Bill McNaught

I started work in 1961 as a Westland Helicopters engineering apprentice spending 25 years with the company before moving on to manage a number of other aviation and defence companies. Following retirement in 2008 we moved back to the West Country but in 2014 moved again to Saltdean, just outside Brighton. I have worked for the Prince’s Trust, been Chair of Governors at a local Academy, and sat on numerous committees. Currently I am Vice President of the Probus Club of Seaford, Chair of the 5 Deans U3A. My other interests include genealogy and presenting talks on ‘fascinating historical characters’ which over the years I have given to a variety of organisations including Probus, the WI and U3A. All my talks are fully illustrated using powerpoint slides.


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