William Cockburn.

About William Cockburn

Major William Cockburn (c.1605–1683) was the son of William Cockburn and Joneta Hamilton, the daughter of Sir James Hamilton of Libberton. Major Cockburn is best known for his role as a Scottish Royalist cavalry leader during the Restoration, when the government of King Charles II sought to forcibly re-impose episcopacy on the Church of Scotland, in violation of the Treaty of Breda that was signed by Charles with the Covenanters in 1650. In the 1670s Major Cockburn was placed in charge of pursuing and capturing Covenanter leaders. Most notably, in June 1673 he captured Alexander Peden at Knockdow near Ballantrae, Ayrshire.