Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cook, John (1808-1869)
COOK, JOHN, D.D. (1808–1869), professor of ecclesiastical history, was the eldest son of John Cook (1771–1824) [q. v.] He graduated A.M. at St. Andrews in 1823. In 1824 he was factor to St. Mary's College. He was licensed for the ministry of the church of Scotland on 13 Aug. 1828, and ordained minister of Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, on 3 Sept. 1829. From this charge he was translated to St. Leonard's at St. Andrews, on 11 Sept. 1845 (admitted 2 Oct.). On 9 Dec. 1848 he was made D.D. at St. Andrews; and on 19 June 1860 he was appointed to the chair of divinity and ecclesiastical history in that university, which he held until 30 July 1868, having resigned his pastoral charge on 30 Sept. 1863, on becoming one of the deans of the chapel royal. Cook was an excellent man of business, and an able pamphleteer on church affairs. The general assembly (of which he was elected moderator 19 May 1859) made him convener of many of its important committees, e.g. on education (1849), improving the condition of parish schoolmasters (1850), aids to devotion (1857), army and navy chaplains (1859). In 1859 he was chosen an assessor to the university court of St. Andrews, under the new constitution of the Scottish universities. He died on 17 April 1869 in his sixty-second year. On 9 May 1837 he married Rachel Susan, daughter of William Farquar, by whom he had five daughters. A painted window to his memory is placed in the college church at St. Andrews. Hew Scott enumerates thirteen publications by Cook, the earliest being 1. ‘Evidence on Church Patronage,’ Edin. 1838, 8vo; and the most important, 2. ‘Six Lectures on the Christian Evidences,’ Edin. 1852, 8vo. The others are speeches, statistical pamphlets, a catechism (1845), a farewell sermon (1845), &c.
[Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scot.]