Biography
Son of William Cochrane of Ochiltree, and Mary Bruce. Brother of James Boswell's maternal grandmother, Euphemia (d. 1721). Longtime army officer. Governor of the Isle of Man (1751-1761). Commissioner of Excise in Scotland (1761), Commissioner of Customs in Scotland (1764).
Life with Boswell
Boswell breakfasted with Cochrane, "a man of great common sense and prudence"1, on October 30, 1762. Cochrane was Boswell's grand-uncle, and the two had a fairly close relationship.