George Cook (moderator 1825)
Church of Scotland minister and ecclesiastical historian
George Cook (1772–1845) was a Scottish minister, author of religious tracts and professor of Moral Philosophy at St Andrews University. He served as Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1825. He was the leader of the "moderate" party in the church of Scotland on the question of the Church Patronage (Scotland) Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict. c. 82), which led to Disruption of 1843 and the formation of the Free Church by the "evangelical party.
Professional life
He was born on 22 March 1772 in Newburn, Fife the son of John Cook (1739–1815) and Janet Hill. His mother was the sister of George Hill and daughter of John Hill, minister of St Andrews. George Cook studied at St Andrews University graduating from MA in 1790. He received a licence to minister on 30 April 1795 and the following year took over in the parish of Laurencekirk where he was ordained on 3 September 1795. In 1829 he was offered the Chair of Moral Philosophy at St Andrews University (a post held by his father from 1773 until 1802) where he continued until death in 1845.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “George Cook (moderator 1825)” is church of Scotland minister and ecclesiastical historian. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through George, Cook and moderator, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “church of Scotland minister and ecclesiastical historian” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18527348. VIAF identifies the subject as 25516332. The Library of Congress control number is n86842211. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1772, 1845, 1825 and 1874.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “George Cook (moderator 1825)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow George Cook (moderator 1825) primary sources, George Cook (moderator 1825) archive and George research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “George Cook (moderator 1825)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “George Cook (moderator 1825)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.