The Reverend Joseph Cooke,

Rev. Joseph Cooke (1775-1811), a Free Christian, was expelled by the Wesleyan Methodists on doctrinal grounds and became the inspiration behind the Methodist Unitarian movement formed under the leadership of another former Wesleyan Joseph Ashworth.

External Links

• The Unitarian Historical Society
• The Unitarian Christian Association
• Rochdale Unitarian Church

The Rev. Joseph Cooke

Born 1775
Dudley, England Died 1811
Rochdale, England Nationality British Occupation Minister Religious beliefs Christian (‘Unitarian Christian’)

In 1795, Cooke entered the Methodist itinerancy. In 1803 he was appointed to the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Union Street, Rochdale, east Lancashire. During his ministry in the mill town he was rebuked by the Conference and transferred to Sunderland.

Whilst in the north-east, his supporters in Rochdale published two of his sermons on justification by faith. Later, during the 1806 Conference, he was expelled from the Wesleyan Methodists for preaching doctrines incompatible with Methodist beliefs. A significant proportion of the Union Street congregation supported their former minister and helped him to establish a brand-new chapel (The Providence Chapel, High Street) in Rochdale. Cooke ministered in the chapel and the surrounding districts until his death in 1811^[1]. At the time of Cooke's premature demise there were more than 1,000 'Cookites', organised around 16 'preaching-stations' and served by 18 preachers^[2].