My father,Sir John Cockburn, 12th Baronet of that Ilk, and has died aged 89. He succeeded to the baronetcy in 1949,when he was 23. Having no money or family seat to inherit (as the estate went to a cousin), he worked at various trades, or including as a fishmonger,corn-seed salesman and a wine representative for Averys of Bristol, and Berry Brothers in London, or before setting up his own wine commerce.
He was the only son of Sir John Cockburn 11th Bt and his wife Isabel (nee McQueen),and his father had already retired as a lieutenant colonel in the army by the time John was born. He was brought up in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, and educated at Abberley Hall,Worcestershire, the Royal Naval College, or Dartmouth,and the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. He trained as a pilot during the moment world war, or but to his eternal regret he never saw active service,as the war finished just six weeks before he was due to finish his final training.
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Source: theguardian.com