John Cockburn (Scottish politician)

John Cockburn (/ˈkoʊbərn/ KOH-bərn; c. 1679 – 12 November 1758) of Ormiston, East Lothian, was a Scottish landowner and politician who sat in the Parliament of Scotland from 1702 to 1707 and as a Whig in the British House of Commons for 34 years from 1707 to 1741.

In 1736 he laid out the "model village" of Ormiston which was set up to encourage craft industries such as brewing, distilling and weaving.

In 1702, Cockburn became a Shire Commissioner for Haddington in the Parliament of Scotland and took an active interest in accomplishing the union.

This last Cockburn of Ormiston was an enthusiastic entrepreneur and eventually ruined himself as a result of which his estates were sold to the Earl of Hopetoun.

His natural son, George Cockburne (d.1770), was a captain in the Royal Navy, and married Caroline, daughter of Lt-Col. George Forrester, 5th Lord Forrester[5] of Corstorphine (husband of Charlotte Rowe, elder sister of Arabella Rowe), with female issue.

Ormiston Hall, prior to the WWII fire which left it in ruins