Edward Rider Cook (4 June 1836 – 21 August 1898) was an English soap manufacturer and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

from 1885 to 1886. Cook was born at

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

, the son of Edward Cook of Crix,

Hatfield Peverel Hatfield Peverel is a village and civil parish at the centre of Essex, England. It is located 6 miles (10 km) north-east from Chelmsford, the nearest large city, which it is connected by road and rail. The parish includes the hamlets of ...

, Essex and his wife Anne Rider. He was educated at

City of London School , established = , closed = , type = Public school Boys' independent day school , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Alan Bird , chair_label = Chair of Governors , chair = Ian Seaton , founder = John Carpenter , special ...

, and at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, where he studied theoretical and analytical chemistry. He was senior partner in the firm of Edward Cook & Co., soap makers and chemical manufacturers of Bow. In 1865, he became a member for Poplar at the

Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of local government in a wide area of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, defined by the Metropolis Management Act 1855, from December 1855 until the establishment of the London Cou ...

. He was chairman of the unsuccessful London Riverside Fish Market Co. of Shadwell, Honorary Treasurer of

Society of Chemical Industry The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Offices The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...

, and a Conservator of River Lea. He was also F.C.S., a J.P. for Middlesex and was described as an advanced Liberal. He was elected at the 1885 general election as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(MP) for West Ham North, but lost the seat in the 1886 general election. Cook married firstly Edith Piper in 1860, and secondly Ellen Leonard of

Clifton, Bristol Clifton is both a suburb of Bristol, England, and the name of one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. The eastern part of the suburb lies within the ward of Clifton D ...

in 1873. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his residence, Woodford House,

Woodford Green Woodford Green is an area of Woodford in north-east London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It adjoins Buckhurst Hill to the north, Woodford Bridge to the east, South Woodford to the south, and Chingford to the west. Epping F ...

, Essex, in August 1898 aged 62.

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* 1836 births 1898 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1885–1886 People from Woodford, London People educated at the City of London School Alumni of University College London Members of the Metropolitan Board of Works {{England-Liberal-UK-MP-stub