FREEMASONS AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY Alphabetical List of ...

Fellows of the Royal Society who are or were Freemasons, listed alphabetically
When a Lt, RA, 1845, he was sent, with Thomas Edward Laws Moore, FRS [1 Jun 1854] (c.1820–1872), a naval
officer and polar explorer, to the Cape of Good Hope to make a magnetic survey between the Greenwich meridian
and 140° E, towards the Antarctic continent, to fill a gap left by Ross in 1839–43. In the hired barque Pagoda they
sailed to within 100 miles of the continent, making detailed observations, despite the very poor conditions and the fact
that they were working without supporting vessels. 119 Promoted Capt, RA, later Lt-Col, then Maj-Gen, he was for 10
years one of the heads of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Served on Council, RS, 1878–80. Unmarried.
Initiated 11 Feb 1852, Union Waterloo L. No. 13, Woolwich, London, WM 1857. Founder of 2 London Ls.: 4
Aug 1857, Florence Nightingale L. No. 706, WM 1858; and 3 Jun 1872, Friends in Council L. No. 1383, WM 1875.
SGD, UGLE, 27 Apr 1881.
Exalted into RA Masonry, 29 Apr 1853, Union Waterloo Chapter No. 13, Woolwich, 1 st Prin, 1860. PGSoj,
SGCE, 4 May 1881. 120 V-Pres, all 3 Masonic Institutions.
Perfected in A & A R; elected, 15 Jan 1862, GSecGen, Mem, SC, 33º, being then a Col, GChan, 1865;
GTreasGen, 1873–90.
Cockburn, R-Adml Sir George, GCB, FRS [21 Dec 1820], later [1827] PC, then [26 Feb 1852] Adml Sir George
Cockburn, 10 th Bt, GCB (22 Apr 1772–19 Aug 1853), 2 nd son of Sir James Cockburn, 8 th Bt, MP (22 Apr 1729–19
Aug 1804), and his 2 nd wife, Augusta Anne Ayscough, whose father was The Very Revd Francis Ayscough, DD,
Dean of Bristol, and niece of George Fulke Lyttelton, 2 nd Baron Lyttelton (1763–1823).
Entered the Royal Navy at the age of 14 and rose rapidly, perhaps because his father was a Bt, but most certainly
because he was a brave and resourceful officer. By 1812, promoted R-Adml, in charge of the RN in Spanish Waters
but was then ordered to America. Played a large part in the War of 1812, as 2 nd in command to Adml Sir John Borlase
Warren, until the end of Mar 1814, and then to Warren’s successor, Adml Sir Alexander Cochrane for the remainder
of the war. The most important of his actions was the capture and burning of Washington, 24 Aug 1814, as advisor to
Maj-Gen Robert Ross.
After Waterloo, on his return to Europe, he commanded HMS Northumberland, conveying Napoleon to St
Helena, where he remained for some months as Govr of the island and the Emperor’s gaoler. In later life, he was Cin-C,
North American station, and Adml of the Fleet, held the hon title of R-Adml of the United Kingdom, and Maj-
Gen of Marines, 1847–53.
MP: Portsmouth, 1818–20; Weobley, 1820–28; Plymouth 1828–32, and Ripon 1841–47. Served several times as
1st Sea Ld: 1828–30; 1834–35; and 1841–46. 1st Pres, Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent
Socy, 1839. Married his cousin, Mary Cockburn (†1859), youngest dau of Thomas Cockburn, and they had a
surviving child, a daughter. When he died, the Btcy passed to the 3 rd brother, The Very Revd William Cockburn, DD
(†1858), Dean of York, as 11 th Bt.
Made a Freemason, aged 50, 25 Nov 1811, in Somerset House L. No. 2, now Royal Somerset House and
Inverness L. No. 4, London.
Cockle, James, FRS [1 Jun 1865], later [29 Jul 1869] Sir James Cockle (14 Jan 1819–27 Jan 1895), Lawyer,
Mathematician. 2 nd son of James Cockle (1782–1854), doctor and patent medicine manufacturer.
Educ at Stormond House, Kensington 1825–29, a day pupil at Charterhouse, 1829–31, then privately at Ramsgate
by Christian Lenny, a ‘10-year’ man of St John’s Coll, Cambridge, who discovered his mathematical talent. After a
year in the West Indies, Cuba and America, matric at Trinity Coll, Cambridge, 18 Oct 1837, as pensioner, with
Thomas Thorp as his tutor, BA, 1842, MA, 1845. Enrolled at Middle Temple, 12 Apr 1838, and when he came down,
began practice as special pleader, 1845, called to the Bar 6 Nov 1846; in 1848, joined Midland Circuit, maintaining
his keen interest in mathematics. Possessed wide intellectual interests and joined RAS, 1854, Cambridge Phil Socy,
1856 and London Mathematical Socy, 1870; Corresponding Member, Manchester Lit and Phil Socy. Instrumental in
drafting the Jurisdiction in Homicides Act, 1862 and his ability came to the attention of Sir William Erle, Ch Justice,
Ct of Common Pleas, who nomin ated him for an important colonial appointment.
Ch Justice, Supreme Ct, Queensland, 1863–79, when, as senior Commr, 1866–67, he consolidated some 130
colonial statutes. His admon of the law was scrupulous and only two of his judgments were reversed on appeal. His
impartiality and tolerance were influenced by his strong Christian principles. Chmn, Trustees of Brisbane Grammar
School, 1874–77, endowing a mathematics prize. Pres, Queensland Philosophical Socy, 1863–77. Left Brisbane 26
Jun 1878, initially for a year’s paid leave, but he never returned, resigning at the end of 12 months, and began an
active retirement. Pres, London Mathematical Socy, 1886–88, Member of Council, RAS, 1888–92. Contributed over
100 papers to English and Australian scientific journals, writing, inter alia, on the theory of equations.
Died 27 Jan 1895 at his home, 12 St Stephen’s Road, Bayswater, survived by his wife, Adelaide Catherine Wilkin
(†1916), whom he had married 22 Aug 1855, and 8 of his 9 children and was bur in Paddington Cemetery, 2 Feb
1895.
119 ODNB, on T. E. L. Moore, p. 1.
120 The Supreme Grand Chapter Investiture was then held in early May and had been since at least the early 1870s and not the day after that
for the Craft on the last Wednesday in Apr [The compiler is grateful to Mrs Diane Clements, Dir, The Library and Museum of Freemasonry, for
this information received on 9 Nov 2010].
24