Richard Cockburn of Clerkington

Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington, Lord Clerkintoun (1565–1627) was a senior government official in Scotland serving as Lord Privy Seal of Scotland during the reign of James VI. Life He was the eldest son and heir of Sir John Cockburn of Clerkington, and Helen Maitland, a daughter of Richard Maitland of Lethington. He was born around 1565 at Clerkington House near Haddington, East Lothian. In March 1589 he went to London with John Colville, Laird of Easter Wemyss and kissed the hand of Queen Elizabeth. He stayed in the house of Archibald Douglas in London, but wrote to his uncle the Chancellor, John Maitland, that he was not minded to have any dealing with Douglas. Thomas Fowler heard that Francis Walsingham had arranged for him to have a present of a gold chain, but the gift fell through. Cockburn trained as a lawyer and became a judge. He accompanied James VI of Scotland to Denmark, and gave money to the skipper of the Scottish ships when the king visited the dockyard at Copenhagen on 3 March 1590. Subsequently, he was appointed to a committee to audit the account of money spent by his uncle, John Maitland, on the royal voyage. The funds came from the English subsidy and the dowry of Anne of Denmark.