Annual Report of the Council. 223 



John's College, Cambridge, who was the first to discover his 

 mathematical talent. When he had nearly completed his 

 seventeenth year he went abroad (Nov. 1835), and was absent 

 from England about twelve months, visiting the West Indies 

 and the United States of America ; at Cuba he learned the 

 Spanish language. On his return home he entered Trinity 

 College, Cambridge, October 1837, and graduated as 33rd 

 Wrangler in 1841. His position in the Tripos gave no 

 indication of his future eminence as a mathematician, nor 

 do we wonder at this when we consider the character of 

 his preparatory training and the long break in his studies 

 before he went up to the University. He proceeded to the 

 degree of B.A. in 1842, and of M.A. in 1845. 



Mr. Cockle was entered as a student at the Middle 

 Temple in 1838. He practised as a special pleader from 

 1845 to 1849, was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple 

 in 1846, and joined the Midland Circuit at the Nottingham 

 Spring Assizes in 1848. On the 22nd August, 1855, he 

 married Adelaide Catherine, eldest surviving daughter of 

 the late Henry Wilkin, formerly of Walton, Suffolk. In 

 1862 he drafted the "Jurisdiction in Homicides Act" 

 (Imperial) ; and in 1863 he was appointed by the English 

 Government first Chief Justice of Queensland. The position 

 at the outset was very trying. Mr. Justice Lutwyche, who 

 during the previous year or two had come into collision on 

 several occasions with the Governor, and also with the 

 Government of the Colony, and whose claims to the 

 supreme place on the bench were in consequence passed 

 over by the Home authorities in favour of the English 

 barrister, naturally felt himself aggrieved at the appoint- 

 ment of a younger man who had had no judicial experience. 

 The story as told in the Brisbane papers when the old 

 Judge died in 1880 reflects equal credit on both men; 

 we cite a passage : — 



" The late Judge made no secret of his mortification at 

 p 



