John Cook

Who was John Cook?

John Cook was a Presbyterian Church in Canada minister and educator from Quebec.

He was born in Sanquhar, Scotland, and educated at University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh. He served as a minister in the Church of Scotland, and was ordained in December 1835 in Cardross, and designated minister of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Quebec City and arrived in Canada East in April 1836.

He was Minister of St Andrew's Church from 1836–1883, and was the founding Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in June 1875. He had also served as Moderator of the Church of Scotland's Canada Synod in 1838, not long after his arrival. Despite being under the tutelage of Free Church leader Professor Thomas Chalmers at Edinburgh, Cook remained with the Established Church in June 1844. He was asked to moderate the remainder of that Synod meeting in Kingston, following the defection of Moderator Mark Young Stark.

Cook also promoted education, started schools, and was associated with the early days of both Queen's College at Kingston, Canada West and McGill University. He was principal of Morrin College in Quebec City for 31 of its 40 years.