John Douglas Cook (1808?–1868) was a Scottish journalist, known as the founding editor of the '' Saturday Review''.

Life

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

, probably in 1808. At an early age he obtained an appointment in India, quarrelled with his employers there, and found himself destitute in London. He came to know John Walter, the proprietor of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' and John Murray of the ''

Quarterly Review The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London publishing house John Murray. It ceased publication in 1967. It was referred to as ''The London Quarterly Review'', as reprinted by Leonard Scott, f ...

''; and through Murray Philip Stanhope. When John Walter was elected for

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

as a Tory in 1841, Cook accompanied him to help in the election. There he met Lord Lincoln, who became part of

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...

's administration. Lincoln found Cook a post on a commission into the

Duchy of Cornwall A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between "sovereign ...

; it came to an end about 1848. Some of the Peelite faction, to which Lincoln belonged, had bought the '' Morning Chronicle'' to be their organ, and Cook was appointed to the editorship. In 1854 Cook ceased to be editor of the ''Morning Chronicle'' on its sale to other proprietors. Contributors to the ''Chronicle'' then supported him in the ''Saturday Review'', started in November 1855 on a new plan; and it was soon successful. Cook recognised talent and handled it well. In his later years Cook had a house at

Tintagel Tintagel () or Trevena (, meaning ''Village on a Mountain'') is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village and nearby Tintagel Castle ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, but was seldom absent from London. He continued to edit the ''Saturday Review'' till his death, 10 August 1868. He was buried in Tintagel churchyard and a stained glass window in the parish church was added to commemorate him.Dyer, Peter (2005) ''Tintagel: a portrait of a parish''. Cambridge: Cambridge Books. ; p. 423

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, John Douglas 1800s births 1868 deaths Scottish journalists 19th-century Scottish journalists Scottish male journalists 19th-century Scottish male writers 19th-century Scottish writers