(1) Name: James W. COCHRAN
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Birth: 1812 Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Father: John COCHRAN (1784-)
Misc. Notes
JAMES W. COCHRAN, [1] insurance, Lexington, was born in 1812, in Fleming County, Ky., and raised in Flemingsburg, until sixteen years of age, receiving his education in the schools of that place. He came to Lexington in March. 1833, just before tile cholera epidemic, and at once engaged as clerk in the dry goods store of Maj. Tilford, with whom he remained five years. In 1838, he became a partner in the firm of Higgins, Cochran & Co. who bought out Collins, Timberlake & Co., dry goods merchants, and followed the wholesale and retail dry goods business for about twenty-five years. The firm was afterward known as Cochran, Christy & Co., and later, J. W. & J. C. Cochran. In 1858, he changed to the carpet trade, with the firm name of Campbell & Cochran, continuing until the close of the war. In 1835, he became agent of the Franklin Fire Insurance Company, of Philadelphia, and has kept an uninterrupted connection with that company up to the present time, the longest service of any one in their employ. Since 1869, he has been general agent of the company, and had, to 1875, supervision of its agencies in eleven Southern States. J. W. Cochran & Son now have two general agencies for Kentucky and other States, and six local agencies. When Mr. Cochran began, not half of the property in the State was insured, but now fully three-quarters of the insurable property of the country is insured. He married Theodosia S. Payne, daughter of Nathan Payne, a farmer of this county, in 1838, and has by her four children-John, Nathan P., Kate and Mary. Mary married J. L. Stevens, of Covington, Ky., President of the American Wire Nail Company. Our subject was Treasurer of the city of Lexington for four years, a Councilman for the same length of time and a Director of the Northern Bank of Kentucky for a number of years. John Cochran, the father of our subject, was born in Ireland, June 17, 1784. He came to the United States when quite young, and settled in Bourbon County, Ky. He learned cabinet-making with a man named Green, who kept the half-way house between Lexington and Paris. In April, 1808, he was married to Miss Mary Wasson, and removed to Fleming County the same year. He contributed largely to the building up of Flemingsburg, and was wholly a self-made man. He had few advantages of education, but was energetic, sober, honest and economical, and his word was as good as his bond. He never sought nor held office; was a Whig, but afterward acted with the Democrats, and when the war broke out was a Union man, taking a decided stand for the Government; lost a number of slaves. He died in April, 1863, respected by all. During the cholera epidemics of 1833, 1849 and 1855, he remained at his post of duty, while others sought more safe resorts, and performed valuable service in burying the dead. being the only undertaker left in the place.
Spouses
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1: Theodosia S. PAYNE
Marriage: 1838
Children: Nathan P. (1842-)
Sources
1. History of Fayette County, Kentucky, edited by William Henry Perrin, Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., 1882; New Material Copyright 1979 by the Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr., Southern Historical Press, p. 585.
(2) Name: Nathan P. COCHRAN
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Birth: 1842 Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Father: James W. COCHRAN (1812-)
Mother: Theodosia S. PAYNE
Misc. Notes
NATHAN P. COCHRAN, [1] insurance, Lexington, was born in Lexington, Ky, in 1842; son of J. W. and Theodosia S. (Payne) Cochran. He received his preparatory education at Transylvania and Michigan Universities, and graduated from Harvard University, in 1865, and from that university received the degree of LL. B. He was a classmate of Secretary Lincoln. He was admitted to the bar here, in 1866, and practiced in Lexington some three years. when he associated himself with his father in the insurance business, as junior member of the firm of J. W. Cochran & Son, it being through his labors that the organization of their General Agency business of the Southern States has been so eminently successful. He was married, in 1869, to Miss Kate Wallingford, of Maysville, Ky. The Cochran family are descendants of John Cochran , grandfather of N. P., who was born in Ireland, June 17, 1784, and who emigrated to the United States, settling in Bourbon County, Ky.
Spouses
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1: Kate WALLINGFORD
Marriage: 1869
Sources
1. History of Fayette County, Kentucky, edited by William Henry Perrin, Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., 1882; New Material Copyright 1979 by the Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr., Southern Historical Press, p. 585.