Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cook, John (1807-1874)

1351634Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 12 — Cook, John (1807-1874)1887Alexander Gordon

COOK, JOHN, D.D. (1807–1874), Scottish divine, born 12 Sept. 1807, was the eldest son of George Cook [q. v.], by Diana, eldest daughter of Rev. Alexander Shank. In 1823 he graduated A.M. at St. Andrews. He was licensed for the ministry of the Scottish church by the presbytery of Fordoun on 17 Sept. 1828, and ordained minister of Cults, Fifeshire, on 1 June 1832. He was translated to the second charge at Haddington on 26 Nov. 1833 (admitted 19 Dec.); and ten years later was translated to the first charge in the same place (admitted 20 June 1843). In common with other members of the ecclesiastical family of Cook, he was a strong supporter of the moderate party in the Scottish church. A sentence of deposition having been passed by the general assembly (May 1841) on seven ministers of Strathbogie, who in a case of patronage upheld a decree of the court of session in opposition to the authority of the assembly, Cook was, on 10 May 1842, suspended by the assembly from judicial functions for nine months, for taking part in sacramental communion with the deposed ministers. His promotion to the first charge at Haddington immediately followed the disruption of 1843. In the same year the degree of D.D. was conferred on him by his university. He was a strong and persuasive speaker, and was looked up to as a trusted leader in church courts. The assembly made him in 1854 convener of its committee for increasing the means of education and religious instruction in Scotland. He was elected sub-clerk of assembly on 25 May 1859, principal clerk on 22 May 1862, and was raised on 24 May 1866 to the moderator's chair. Cook was a man of much public force and great geniality of character. His position as a leader of the moderates in ecclesiastical politics was unattended by any latitudinarian tendencies in matter of doctrine. He died on 11 Sept. 1874. He married (14 July 1840) a daughter of Henry Davidson; his wife died 3 Jan. 1850, leaving three daughters. He published: 1. ‘Styles of Writs and Forms of Procedure in the Church Courts of Scotland,’ Edin. 1850, 8vo. 2. ‘Letter … on the Parochial Schools of Scotland,’ Edin. 1854, 8vo. 3. ‘Speech on … Scotch Education Bill,’ 1871, 8vo.

[Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scot.; information from Rev. R. N. Smith, Haddington.]

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