Robert Cooke (organist)

Cooke was born in Westminster, London, son of the organist and composer Benjamin Cooke; he succeeded his father as organist of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1793. He was appointed organist at Westminster Abbey on the death of Samuel Arnold in 1802, and was master of the choristers of the Abbey by 1805.^[1]

On 22 or 23 August 1814 he drowned in the River Thames near Millbank; it was assumed to be suicide. He was buried in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey.^[1][2]

Cooke wrote an Evening Service in C (1806), and a collection of chants for the choir of the Abbey. He also wrote an "Ode to Friendship", and several songs and glees, of which a collection of eight was published in 1805.^[1][3]