He was the master of the ship Mangles, which transported convicts to New South Wales from 1820 to 1826. After settling in New South Wales in 1826 he became a magistrate, and was based in Braidwood, where he built the Bedervale homestead. From 1843 to 1845 he was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.[1] During 1841, he was in command of the convict road gang that built The Wool Road.[2]
In Braidwood, there is a wall plaque to his memory, in Anglican Church of St Andrew.[3] Coghill Street is named after him.