A Short History of The Cockburn Association
The Cockburn Association was founded in 1875. It is named after the late Lord Henry Cockburn (1779-1854) who campaigned to protect and enhance the beauty of Edinburgh.
Henry Cockburn was born on 26 October 1779, the son of the Sheriff of the County of Midlothian and later Judge Admiral and finally Baron of the Exchequer. Henry Cockburn was educated in Edinburgh and entered the Faculty of Advocates in 1800. He became Lord Advocate Depute in 1806 and took his seat on the Scottish Bench as Lord Cockburn in 1834. Cockburn was a member of the Speculative Society to which Sir Walter Scott, Francis Jeffrey and Henry Brougham belonged.
As might be expected from a product of Edinburgh's Age of Enlightenment, he had a strong sense of what was right and good for the city: to keep distinctive features and traditions and to ensure that continuing development is consistent with these.
Lord Cockburn was a founder of guidelines for conservation and he recognised that much of the antiquated property in the city needed to be cared for. Lord Cockburn died in 1854, leaving a legacy of writing including Memorials of his Time and Circuit Journeys.
In 1849 Lord Cockburn wrote the passionate Letter to the Lord Provost on the Best Ways of Spoiling the Beauty of Edinburgh in which he wrote;
Between Lord Cockburn's death in 1854 and 1875 there was unorganised opinion in the Cockburn tradition and gradual moves towards formalisation.
The Cockburn Association was officially formed on 15 June 1875 at a public meeting addressed by Lord Moncrief of Tullibole. Lord Moncrief stressed that the new association;
would be a means of rapid and effective communication of public opinion on the work of the Town Council
and dedicated it to;
The first major campaign by the Association was to resist the removal of trees at Bruntsfield Links and the Cockburn has campaigned for the retention and improvement of Edinburgh's open and green spaces ever since.
Many of the Association's campaigns have required considerable patience and determination. In 1877 the Association campaigned to bring land along the Water of Leith into public use and some 98 years later we saw success with the opening of the Water of Leith Walkway. The Association was also instrumental in opposing some of the damaging plans for inner city highways and Edinburgh, as a result, has been left unsullied by inner city motorways. The Association has long been a pioneering supporter of sustainable modes of transport including public transport systems.
In 1964, with the introduction of the Civic Amenities (Scotland) Act, the Cockburn Association adopted the sub title of The Edinburgh Civic Trust as recognition of the growing support for good planning and conservation across all of Scotland.
More information about the history of the Cockburn Association and some of its campaigns can be found in the Historic Campaigns section of this website.
Publications of Interest
Some Practical Good: The Cockburn Association 100 years' participation in planning
The Cockburn Association, Trunk's Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR, T:0131 557 8686 F:0131 557 9387.