He was a son of William Cockburn of Skirling and Marion Somerville, perhaps a daughter of
Lord Somerville. William Cockburn was involved in
gold mining at Crawford Muir in the time of
Regent Albany. James Cockburn became laird of Skirling when his older brother William Cockburn died in 1551. The estate included lands at Letham and a
fulling mill near
Haddington. James Cockburn leased some lands from the nuns at Haddington. When Mary, Queen of Scots anticipated travelling to York to meet
Elizabeth I in July 1562, a number of lairds including James Cockburn of Skirling were invited to convene in Edinburgh to form her escort. After stayed at
Cowthally Castle, Mary visited Skirling while on
progress on 26 August 1563. James Cockburn and his brother-in-law
Lord Herries were cautioners for the
Earl of Huntly from 3 August 1565 to 17 April 1566. James Cockburn seems to have been an adherent of the
Earl of Bothwell,
Edinburgh Castle James Cockburn first appears in public affairs when he was appointed Captain of Edinburgh Castle in March and April 1567.
French Paris said that Queen Mary asked him to deliver a
coffer of her jewels to the laird of Skirling at Edinburgh Castle. Cockburn was a witness to some of the papers in the divorce of Bothwell and
Lady Jean Gordon and one of his associates Thomas Craigwalls gave evidence. The elder Craigwalls had served as Bothwell's porter and worked in Edinburgh Castle at the time of the divorce, anf the younger Thomas Craigwalls was also a servant of Bothwell. According to the
Diurnal of Occurrents, the cannon of Edinburgh Castle saluted Mary and Bothwell on their return from
Dunbar Castle on 6 May and Skirling gave the castle keys to his successor James Balfour on 8 May. On 12 May, when Bothwell was made Duke of Orkney and Shetland, Skirling's cousin James Cockburn of Langtoun was knighted. signs abdication papers at
Lochleven Castle Comptroller Cockburn signed his name as "Skirling, knight" or "Skirling,
comptroller" after a financial office briefly held for Queen Mary. According to the
Diurnal he was proclaimed comptroller at the
cross of Edinburgh on 9 June 1567, displacing
William Murray of
Tullibardine. He received £350
Scots as comptroller from the treasurer in June for the receipts from church feus. After the
battle of Carberry Hill, on 7 July 1567 the
Privy Council ordered that crown income including the
thirds of benefices used to fund the royal household should not be paid to Cockburn, as he was a suspect in the
murder of Lord Darnley and had been appointed only while Mary was in her "schameful thraldome in the Earl of Bothwell's company".
Trial James Cockburn, Patrick Hepburn of Riccarton, and William Edmeston (a son of the parson of
Fala) appeared in person in court at
Edinburgh's tolbooth on 22 August 1567 to be charged with "art and part" in the murder of Lord Darnley, but the case was dismissed or continued to a later date. The English diplomat
Nicholas Throckmorton wrote that Skirling and Riccarton came to the hearing "well attended" with followers. The records of Edinburgh burgh council mention that three drummers played on the High Street during the trial.
Mary in exile Cockburn was a signatory to a band in support of Queen Mary made on 29 June 1567 at
Dumbarton Castle, and another on 8 May 1568. According to
Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, he fought at the
battle of Langside. James Cockburn accompanied Queen Mary to England in May 1568 and was included in a list of her attendants at
Carlisle Castle. Skirling and
Lord Claude Hamilton and others were lodged outside the castle. They visited Mary in the castle outwith meal times. Regent Moray's diplomat
Nicolas Elphinstone, who had recently sold Mary's pearls to
Elizabeth I, came to Carlisle on 1 June. Skirling complained about his presence as a traitor to Mary and hinted at violence and possible clashes in the town. Mary sent Cockburn to Scotland on 13 July, and he returned to her at
Bolton on 6 August. Mary mentioned the return of "lerd Squerlin" in a letter to Elizabeth I.
Skirling castle demolished castle Regent Moray and
Lord Home demolished the Place of Skirling on 12 June 1568, who brought 2,000 men, with artillery and gunpowder from Edinburgh Castle. The laird of Skirling was "at the horn", effectively barred from credit and commerce. Moray confiscated wool belonging to Cockburn in July, selling it for £56
Scots, and the
Earl of Morton took Cockburn's cattle from his brother's house in August. A declaration composed in Mary's name in 1568 mentions that Skirling and
Kenmure had been "blawin up". The destruction of the castle is mentioned in a contemporary political poem, ''Tom Truth's Rhime in Defence of the Queen of Scots''. The site at Skirling includes a low mound with a former moat and has been excavated by archaeologists, finds including a woman's leather shoe with
pinking and slashing suggest occupation in the 15th- and 16th-centuries. A stone carving of a piper set on a nearby house is said to have come from the castle.
Conference at York In September 1568, James Cockburn attended the conference at York as one of Mary's commissioners, where Regent Moray produced the
Casket letters. He signed a statement made by his brother-in-law
Lord Herries, a narrative of recent events, known as the "Book of Complaints". On 16 October he signed as "Scarling, knycht" a reply made by Mary's commissioners which stated that she had
resigned the crown of Scotland after taking the advice of the
Earl of Atholl,
William Murray of
Tullibardine, and
William Maitland of
Lethington, who had sent
Robert Melville to her at
Lochleven with a ring and tokens to persuade her to sign to avoid her "present death" and without prejudice "in na sort" to her future rights.
Lord Lindsay, according to the commissioners, brought the papers to Mary which she signed "with many tears, never looking what was in the writings". Skirling returned to Bolton from York. In November he may have attended meetings at Westminster. Mary sent him from Bolton to Scotland in December 1568 with "three of her tallest servants", according to
Francis Knollys he was sent to stir up trouble against Moray and strengthen
Dumbarton Castle while Moray was in England. After Moray's assassination, Skirling attended a meeting of Mary's supporters in Glasgow. == Marriage and family ==