As yet we have not traced any information concerning the life and death of the Admiral on the Island, the only known fact is that he died on the Island. However we have unearthed information concerning the earlier part of this career.
Eldest son of Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane. Born in England 5 February 1789, and married Mathilda Ross on 6 January 1812 by whom he had two sons and two daughters. During their careers both men created a great deal of envy and provoked a considerable amount of acid comment. Earl St. Vincent [John Jervis] stated that the "Cochrane are not to be trusted, they are all mad, romantic, money getting and not truth-telling".
Reputedly Sir Alexander practiced nepotism unduly, as when he entered his 7 year old son on the books of his ship 'Thetis' as a volunteer in 1796 and them kept him under his pennant [flag] until 1805, when Thomas was promoted lieutenant on 'Jason'. In 1806 Thomas was appointed captain and saw service in the West Indies until 1809. By 1825 Thomas Cochrane had put in 26 years of service in the Royal Navy, including 8 years on the North American Station. On the 16 April of that year he was appointed the first resident Governor of Newfoundland and held the post until 1834.
During his stay, a new government house was built, agriculture was encouraged and the first roads were built. After the establishment of representative government, Sir Thomas was accused of favouritism and he upset various factions, To resolve the problem the British Government recalled him and it is said that the crowd threw mud at his carriage on his last drive through St. John's to the ship taking home.
Served as the Conservative MP for Ipswich between 1839 and 1841 and latter year was promoted to Rear Admiral. During 1842 to 1847 he was successively second in command and commander-in-chief of the China Station, and from 1852 to 1855, commander-in-chief for Portsmouth. From the 20 March 1854 to 19 March 1856 his flag flew over Victory in Portsmouth as Vice Admiral and was appointed Admiral of the Fleet in 1865. He died on the island in 1872 aged 83, and from information gained from his wife's burial was buried in the family mausoleum in Kensal-Green, London.
Source:
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/govhouse/governorship/civil.html
http://www.biographi.ca/En/ShowBio.asp?Biold=39025
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_John_Cochrane
PRO. CO194/80-194/88. DNB John Marshall, Royal Navel biography. London 1823-30