St Vincent Cotton

Who was St Vincent Cotton?

Sir St Vincent Cotton, 6th Baronet was a British cavalry officer, sportsman, stagecoach driver and gambler, and the last of the Cotton baronets of Landwade.

Educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, Cotton inherited his title from his father when he was ten years old. Although his father, grandfather, godfather, uncle and brother-in-law were admirals, and he was named after a naval battle, Cotton decided to join the army. After a brief career as a cavalry officer, he devoted the rest of his life to sport and gambling. He drove a London to Brighton stagecoach at one time, and was also a deputy lieutenant, militia captain, and magistrate for Cambridgeshire. Cotton married on his deathbed, and the baronetcy became extinct when he died.