Sir Anthony Cooke [1] (1504 – 11 June 1576) was an eminent English humanist, scholar and tutor to Edward VI, England's first ruler to be raised as a Protestant.

Background

Cooke was the son of John Cooke of Gidea Hall, Essex and Alice Saunders; and was a great-grandson of Sir Thomas Cook, draper, lord mayor of London 1462-3. Sometime before 1524 Anthony Cooke married Anne (d. 1553), daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliam (d. 1534) and Anne Hawes, and aunt of William Fitzwilliam (1526–1599). He served as High Sheriff of Essex for 1545.

Royal teacher and Marian exile

Cooke was never officially described as tutor to Edward VI. It is now thought he may have been more a companion and guide than a formal teacher.
At his pupil's coronation Cooke was made Knight of the Bath. On 8 November 1547 he was returned to parliament for Lewes, and in the same year was one of the visitors commissioned by the crown to inspect the dioceses of London, Westminster, Norwich, and Ely; the injunctions drawn up by him and his companions are printed in John Foxe's Acts and Monuments. Two years later he served on two ecclesiastical commissions, of Protestant tendencies. In November and December 1551 he attended the discussion held between Roman Catholics and Protestants at the houses of Sir William Cecil and Sir Richard Moryson, and his public services were rewarded (27 October 1552) with a grant of land. On 27 July 1553 he was committed to the Tower of London on suspicion of complicity in Lady Jane Grey's movement.

After his release he went into self-imposed exile to avoid Mary's attempt to reintroduce Catholicism. He travelled widely, spending most time in Strasbourg where he was in contact with leaders of the Reformed faith, and returned following the death of Mary and the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558.

Later life

Cooke then served on several religious commissions, and sat as a knight of the shire for Essex in parliament in 1559 and again in 1563; but he took little or no further part in national affairs. He was appointed Custos Rotulorum for Essex in 1572, but the work resulting from this post was performed by his steward, Francis Ram.[2] He died on 11 June 1576, aged seventy, and was buried in St Andrew's, Romford. There is an elaborate memorial to him in Romford parish church. This notes his "exceptional learning, prudence and piety”.[3] However, a recent biographer (Marjorie McIntosh), describes him as “a strong protestant of a dark and unforgiving colour”.[4]

The image on this page is of an Anthony Cooke of Yoxford, died 1613.

He was one of the co-owners of Burton Dassett in Warwickshire and conducted a lengthy, but ultimately unsuccessful legal campaign to block the sale of part of the estate to Peter Temple.

Family

Cooke and Anne Fitzwilliam had five daughters:
Mildred (1524–1589), married William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
Elizabeth (1527–1609), married Sir Thomas Hoby of Bisham Abbey and then John, Lord Russell
Anne (1528–1610), married Sir Nicholas Bacon and became the mother of Francis Bacon and Anthony Bacon
Catherine (1530?-1583), married Sir Henry Killigrew[6]
Margaret, (d.1558), a maid-in-waiting to Queen Mary married Sir Ralph Rowlett in 1558

and four sons:
Richard (abt 1531-1579), of Gidea Hall, married Anne Caunton. MP three times.
William (abt 1533-1589), of Westminster, married Frances Grey from next-door at Pirgo. Their son acquired Highnam Court, Gloucestershire by marriage to Joyce Lucy of Charlecote.
Sir Anthony (abt 1535-1604)
Edward.
Cooke is particularly remembered because he educated his daughters, who were taught both Latin and Greek. Anne published translations from Italian and Latin and Elizabeth a translation of a Latin treatise on the sacrament.