Major John Cockrill (December 19, 1757 - April 11, 1837) was an American settler. A veteran of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, he was one of 13 explorers to modern-day

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in 1779, and he received a land grant in modern-day Centennial Park in 1784 Cockrill Springs named for him.

Early life

Cockrill was born on December 19, 1757, in

Wythe County, Virginia Wythe County () is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 28,290. Its county seat is Wytheville. History Wythe County was formed from Montgomery Cou ...

. His father, John Cockrill, was a Welsh-born immigrant of Scottish descent who served in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

of 1754-1763 and became a large planter in

Richmond County, Virginia Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 8,923. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state ca ...

Career

Cockrill served in the

of 1775–1783, first under Colonel William Russell and later under Brigadier

Lachlan McIntosh Lachlan McIntosh (March 17, 1725 – February 20, 1806) was a Scottish American military and political leader during the American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in whic ...

. In 1779, he was one of 13 explorers who went down the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

to modern-day Nashville alongside James Robertson. Cockrill was granted land in modern-day Nashville in 1784.

Personal life and death

Cockrill married Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill, the sister of James Robertson. They had eight children, including Mark R. Cockrill. Cockrill built the first brick house in Nashville, on Cedar Street (now Charlotte Avenue). Half Brother was Edward Collinsworth whose son was James Collinsworth a Veteran of San Jacinto Cockrill died on April 11, 1837, in Nashville.

References

External links

1757 births 1837 deaths American people of Scottish descent People from Wythe County, Virginia People from Nashville, Tennessee Continental Army soldiers {{US-army-bio-stub