The collection covers the Admiral the Honourable Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane’s service in the Egyptian expedition of 1801, in his command off Ferrol in 1804 and 1805, and as Commander-in-Chief of the Leeward Islands from 1805 to 1814 and of the North American Station in 1814 and 1815; and that of Admiral Sir Thomas John Cochrane chiefly as Governor of Newfoundland from 1825 to 1834, and as second-in-command and, later, Commander-in-Chief of the East India Station from 1842 to 1846. The papers contain much information about operations and conditions in those regions, and about the organization and daily work of the Royal Navy. The personal correspondence of the two admirals deals with a variety of subjects, including politics at home, West Indian affairs, and the canals of the Madras Presidency.