About Cotton Oswell
Lived 1818 – 1893 (aged 75). Cotton Oswell was a British explorer and hunter.
William Cotton Oswell (27 April 1818 – 1 May 1893) was an English explorer in Africa and other areas.
He was born in Leytonstone, Essex and attended Rugby School. In 1837 he secured a position with the East India Company in Madras through his uncle John Cotton, who was a director of the company. He spent ten years there, learning Tamil and other languages and studying surgery and medicine.
William Cotton Oswell's wife's father's mother Willielmina Cornthwaite was the sister of Ann Cornthwaite, the mother of the mother of Rev. Prof. Baden Powell, the father of the first Lord Baden-Powell, who wrote about "my cousin William Cotton Oswell", who was actually the husband of his father's second cousin.
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Important facts
People in Cotton Oswell's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Cotton Oswell's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Cotton Oswell?
British explorer (1818–1893)
When was Cotton Oswell born?
Cotton Oswell was born on 27 April 1818 in Leytonstone.
When did Cotton Oswell die?
Cotton Oswell died on 1 May 1893.
What was Cotton Oswell's occupation?
Cotton Oswell was an explorer and hunter.
What nationality was Cotton Oswell?
Cotton Oswell was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: William Cotton Oswell
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cotton Oswell. https://biography.guide/cotton-oswell/
MLA: "Cotton Oswell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cotton-oswell/.
Chicago: "Cotton Oswell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cotton-oswell/.
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