COOKE, John P. b. Chester 31 Oct. 1820; leader of the orchestras at Adelphi, Strand and Astley’s, London successively; leader at Burton’s theatre, New York 1850; musical director at several New York theatres; composed and arranged music for the Winter’s Tale, Midsummer Night’s Dream and other Shakespearean plays; wrote melodies for the Sea of Ice. d. New York 4 Nov. 1865.
COOKE, Richard Harvey. Ensign 1 Foot Guards 20 Feb. 1798, captain 7 Nov. 1811 to 26 March 1818; C.B. 22 June 1815. d. 45 Upper Brook st. London 8 Oct. 1856.
COOKE, Rev. Robert. b. Waterford about 1820; joined the Congregation of Oblates of Mary Immaculate in France, ordained priest; stationed at Grace Dieu, Leics., at Everingham park, Yorkshire 1847–51; founded mission at Howden; restored mission at Pocklington; stationed at Leeds 1851; introduced the Oblates into Ireland, result being establishment of a mission at Inchicore; established a house of his order at Kilburn, London where a new church was erected 1879; founded church of the English Martyrs, Tower Hill, London; author of Pictures of youthful holiness 1872; Catholic memories of the Tower of London 1875, translated into French 1875; Sketches of the life of Mgr. de Mazenod, bishop of Marseilles and founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate 2 vols. 1879–82. d. London 18 June 1882. Gillow’s English Catholics i, 557–8 (1885).
COOKE, Thomas (son of Mr. Cooke of Allerthorpe in the East Riding of Yorkshire, shoemaker). b. Allerthorpe 8 March 1807; kept a school at Allerthorpe 1823–9; optician at York about 1836 to death; made a telescope of 25 inches aperture 1863–8 which was mounted at Gateshead 1869, it is still the largest and best in the United Kingdom; invented an automatic engine for the graduation of circles, perfected the astronomical clock, and built nearly 100 turret clocks for public institutions and churches; F.R.A.S. 1859. d. 19 Oct. 1868.
COOKE, Thomas Potter (son of Mr. Cooke of London, surgeon, who d. 1793). b. Titchfield st. Marylebone 23 April 1786; served in navy 1796–1802, present in battle off Cape St. Vincent 1797; made his début at Royalty theatre, Wellclose sq. Jany. 1804; stage manager of Surrey theatre 1809–16; acted at Lyceum 1820–2, at Covent Garden 1822–5; played Le Monstre (Frankenstein) 80 nights, at Porte Saint Martin theatre, Paris 1825–6; played at Adelphi 1828–9; his best known part was William in Douglas Jerrold’s drama Black-eyed Susan, which he acted over 100 nights from 6 June 1829 at Surrey theatre; acted at Covent Garden 1829–34 and 1836, at Drury Lane 1834–6; made his last appearance on the stage 2 May 1861 at Princess’s theatre; he is described by Christopher North in Noctes Ambrosianæ as ‘the best sailor out of all sight and hearing that ever trod the stage.’ d. 37 Thurloe sq. London 4 April 1864. Oxberry’s Dramatic Biography iii, 109 (1825), portrait; Stirling’s Old Drury Lane ii, 105–11 (1881); Tallis’s Illustrated life in London (1864) 33, 36, 40, 41, 3 portraits; Actors by daylight 11 Aug. 1838 pp. 185–87, portrait.
Note.—He left by his will £2000 to the Dramatic College, the interest of which was to be paid for a prize nautical drama, in compliance with the terms of the grant ‘True to the core, a story of the Armada,’ a drama by Angiolo Robson Slous was produced at Surrey theatre, London 8 Sep. 1866, the prize having been awarded to him at Maybury college, Surrey 23 April 1866.
COOKE, Thomas Taplin. Proprietor of a circus, his company consisted of his 19 sons and daughters; built the first circus in Edinburgh 1835; chartered a vessel and shipped all his circus to the United States 1837, where he performed to 1839 when his circus and all his horses were burnt at Baltimore. d. 2 Barossa place, Brompton, London 19 March 1866 aged 84.
COOKE, Rev. William. b. 1806; minister in the Methodist New Connexion body 1827 to death; filled in succession all the important offices of his denomination; author of Christian theology explained and defended 1846, new ed. 1879; Discourses illustrative of sacred truth 1871; Explanations of difficult portions of holy scripture; A survey of the unity, harmony and growing evidence of sacred truth; The Shekinah, or the presence and manifestation of Jehovah under the several dispensations, and other works including a number of polemical treatises in connexion with Roman Catholicism. d. Burslem house, Forest Hill 25 Dec. 1884.
COOKE, William. Lessee and manager of Astley’s Amphitheatre, Westminster bridge road, London 1855–60; took his farewell benefit 30 Jany. 1860. d. 149 Acre lane, Brixton 6 May 1886.
COOKE, William Bernard (brother of George Cooke, engraver 1781–1834). b. London 1778; pupil of Wm. Angus the engraver; published The Thames 1811 for which he engraved nearly all the plates; published with his brother George Cooke Picturesque views on the Southern coast of England 1814–26, chiefly from drawings by Turner; illustrated 10 other works 1812–40. d. Camberwell, London 2 Aug. 1855.