Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cooke, Thomas Potter
COOKE, THOMAS POTTER (1786–1864), actor, was born on 23 April 1786, in Titchfield Street, Marylebone, where his father, whom he lost in his seventh year, practised as a surgeon. The sight of a nautical melodrama inspired Cooke with a passion, not for the stage, but for the sea. In 1796, accordingly, he sailed on board H.M.S. Raven to Toulon, in the siege of which port he took part. He was present (1797) at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, and was engaged in other actions. After narrowly escaping drowning off Cuxhaven, where the vessel on which he sailed was lost, and the crew had to take refuge in the rigging, he reached England, only to sail again on board the Prince of Wales, carrying Rear-admiral Sir Robert Calder, to the blockade of Brest. The peace of Amiens, 1802, deprived him of occupation. In January 1804 he made his début in an insignificant character at the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square. He was then engaged by Astley for the Amphitheatre, where he appeared as Nelson. He subsequently played at the Lyceum, and then joined the company of H. Johnston, who opened a theatre in Peter Street, Dublin. In 1809 he was engaged by Elliston as stage manager of the Surrey Theatre, at which house he remained a favourite. On 19 Oct. 1816 he appeared at Drury Lane as Diego Monez, an officer, in a melodrama attributed to Bell, and called ‘Watchword, or the Quito Gate.’ His name appears during the one or two following seasons to new characters, chiefly foreigners, such as Monsieur Pas in ‘Each for Himself,’ Almorad, a Moor, in ‘Manuel’ by Maturin, Hans Ketzler in Soane's ‘Castle Spectre,’ &c. On 9 Aug. 1820 Cooke made a great success at the Lyceum as Ruthven, the hero of the ‘ Vampire,’ and in the following year strengthened his reputation as Dirk Hatteraick in the ‘Witch of Derncleugh,’ a version of ‘Guy Mannering,’ George in the ‘Miller's Maid,’ and Frankenstein (1823) in ‘Presumption, or the Fate of Frankenstein.’ Cooke then joined the Covent Garden company, and played Zenocles in ‘Ali Pasha,’ by Howard Payne, on 19 Oct. 1822, Richard I in ‘Maid Marian’ on 3 Dec. 1822, and other parts. When, in 1825, Yates and Terry took the Adelphi, Cooke was engaged and played Long Tom Coffin in Fitzball's drama ‘The Pilot.’ At the close of the season he visited Paris, and presented ‘Le Monstre’ (Frankenstein) eighty successive nights at the Porte-Saint-Martin. In 1827 he was at Edinburgh, where he was frequently seen by Christopher North, who more than once alludes to him in the ‘Noctes Ambrosianæ,’ speaking of him as ‘the best sailor out of all sight and hearing that ever trod the stage,’ praise in which all authorities have concurred. In 1828–9 he was again at the Adelphi. His most conspicuous success was obtained at the Surrey, on 6 June 1829, as William in Douglas Jerrold's ‘Black-eyed Susan.’ After playing it over a hundred nights he was engaged to appear in it at Covent Garden, where he remained until 1834, when Bunn, who managed both theatres, transferred him to Drury Lane. Two years later he returned to Covent Garden, to act under Osbaldistone. In October 1857 he played as a star at the Standard. For the Jerrold Remembrance Night (29 July 1857) he appeared at the Adelphi as William. His last appearance was at Covent Garden, for the benefit of the Dramatic College, on 29 Oct. 1860, when he once more played William in a selection from ‘Black-eyed Susan.’ He died on 10 April 1864, at 37 Thurloe Square, the house of his son-in-law. After the death of his wife, a few months before his own, he had given up his own houses in Woburn Square and at Ryde. He was buried in Brompton cemetery. By his will he left 2,000l. to the master, deputy master, and wardens of the Dramatic College, the interest of which, scarcely adequate to the occasion, was to be paid for a prize nautical drama. In compliance with the terms of the grant, ‘True to the Core,’ a drama by Mr. Slous, was played on 8 Jan. 1866. Since that time no more has been heard of the bequest. In addition to the characters mentioned, Cooke was seen to advantage as Aubrey in the ‘Dog of Montargis,’ as Roderick Dhu, as Philip in ‘Luke the Labourer,’ as Poor Jack, and the Red Rover.
[Genest's Account of the English Stage; Era, 10 April 1864; Cole's Life of Charles Kean, 1859, New Monthly Magazine; Theatrical Times; Sunday Times; Biography of the British Stage, 1824, &c.]