Resting place Mount Olivet Cemetery | ||
Born December 2, 1788 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Occupation Cattleman, horse breeder, planter Relatives James Robertson (maternal uncle) Died 27 June 1872, Nashville, Tennessee, United States Parents Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill, John Cockrill | ||
Mark R. Cockrill (1788-1872) was an American cattleman, horse breeder and planter. He was the owner of a large farm in Davidson County, Tennessee and a cotton plantation with 135 slaves in Mississippi. He won many prizes for his sheep-rearing both nationally and internationally, and he became known as the "Wool King of the World". He was a multi-millionaire prior to the American Civil War, and he loaned gold to the Confederate States of America during the war.
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Early life
Mark R. Cockrill was born on December 2, 1788 in Nashville, Tennessee. His father was John Cockrill. His mother was Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill. His parents owned a farm in modern-day Centennial Park. His maternal uncle, James Robertson, was an explorer and the co-founder of Nashville.
Career
Cockrill raised cattle and bred horses on his 5,600-acre farm on Charlotte Pike in Nashville called Stock Place. He also raised swine and sheep. As early as 1815, he purchased merino sheep from William Jarvis for his farm. Additionally, Cockrill purchased the 1,000-acre Tulip Grove from Andrew Jackson Donelson for US$53,000 in 1854. He was also the owner of a cotton plantation in Mississippi, with 135 African slaves.
Cockrill won many prizes at the Middle Tennessee Fair and the Tennessee State Fair, two agricultural fairs. Additionally, he won a prize for the finest wool on exhibition at the 1851 World's fair in London, England. He was also the recipient of a gold medal from the Tennessee legislature "as a testimonial of distinguished merit and unrivaled success in wool-culture, and other agricultural pursuits" in 1854. He was featured in De Bow's Review for the superior wool of the sheep he raised. Additionally, he considered building cotton mills with four other planters in his county. He became known as the "Wool King of the World". Prior to the American Civil War, he was worth an estimated US$2 million, and he was the richest Tennessean.
Cockrill was a proponent of the Confederate States of America. He loaned US$25,000 in gold to the CSA. When the Union Army invaded, they took his land and stole his cattle.
Personal life
Cockrill married Susan Collinsworth. They had three children.
Death and legacy
Cockrill died on June 27, 1872 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was buried at the Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Cockrill was inducted into the Tennessee Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1944. The same year, a bronze plaque in his honor was installed at the Tennessee State Capitol.