Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cook, William
COOK, WILLIAM (d. 1824), dramatist and miscellaneous writer, was descended from an old family originally from Cheshire, but for some time settled in Cork. He was educated at Cork grammar school, and afterwards by a private tutor. At the age of nineteen he married a lady of considerable fortune, but squandered a large portion of it in pleasure, and lost nearly all the remainder in his business, that of a woollen manufacturer. In 1766 he left Cork for London with strong recommendations to the Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Edmund Burke, and Dr. Goldsmith, whose friendship he retained through life. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1777, and for one or two years went on the home circuit, but already occupied himself chiefly with literature. His earliest publication was a poem on ‘The Art of Living in London,’ which met with some success, and in 1807 he published another of greater pretension, entitled ‘Conversation,’ in the 4th edition of which, published in 1815, he introduced the characters of several of the members of the well-known literary club in Gerrard Street, Soho, such as Burke, Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Goldsmith. He was also the author of ‘Elements of Dramatic Criticism,’ 1775; ‘Memoirs of Hildebrand Freeman, Esquire,’ n. d.; ‘The Capricious Lady,’ a comedy, altered from Beaumont and Fletcher's ‘Scornful Lady,’ 1783; ‘Memoirs of C. Macklin,’ the actor, including a history of the stage during Macklin's lifetime; ‘Memoirs of Samuel Foote, with some of his Writings,’ 1805, in three volumes. He died at his house in Piccadilly 3 April 1824 at a very advanced age.
[Gent. Mag. xciv. pt. i. 374–5; Annual Register, lxvi. 218; Biographia Dramatica, i. 147–8; Dict. of Living Authors, 74.]