The Lincoln Diocesan Guild
of
Church Bell Ringers

The Revd Canon Edward Rouse Cook (1928 - 2007)

Canon Cook, former vicar of Saxilby, bellringer and one time President of the West Lindsey branch of the Lincoln Guild, died on Sunday 4 November 2007. Following a close family only service at the Crematorium, a Memorial Service took place on Wednesday 14 November at 1330 in Lincoln Cathedral.



Born in July 1928, Edward grew up in Stapleford, a village just outside Cambridge, and he came to be a familiar figure at St Andrew’s church, where he was baptised and confirmed, pumped the organ and learnt to ring as a boy, becoming a regular member of the local band.  After leaving for University, where he read Modern History at Lincoln College, Oxford, and then to Lincoln Theological College in 1951, he was made Deacon in 1953 to serve at St James’s Louth in 1953, where he married Christine on 7 July 1956.  After a period at St George’s, Crosby, Scunthorpe, he moved to St Botolph’s, Boston in January 1958, as Lecturer (senior curate) then to St Michael’s, Little Coates, Grimsby in 1960. Wherever he went, his talents as an organist and singer continued to flourish.  In 1967, he became the vicar of St Botolph’s, Saxilby, where he rekindled his interest in ringing, starting again on 12 January 1978, becoming a regular member of the band - until he retired on 30 June 1994, after 27 years service to the parish.   During that time he rang in 19 Quarter Peals.  His first was on Trinity Sunday in June 1979, when he rang the treble to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of his Ordination.  His first inside was to Bob Minor in July 1981, to celebrate his silver wedding anniversary.  Numerous others included a Quarter Peal of Oxford Treble Bob and St Clements Bob Minor in November 1992, to celebrate his 25 years at Saxilby. During this ministry he had been made a Canon of Lincoln Cathedral in 1982, and became the Rural Dean for the Corringham Deanery in November 1987.  He also served as President of the West Lindsey Branch of the Lincoln Guild for a number of years during this time. 

Only after his retirement in 1994, when he started joining regularly with the “geriatric” afternoon group, did he extend his repertoire to Surprise ringing.  He faced the challenge earnestly, developing his own unique ways of memorising the details of such methods as Cambridge, Norwich and Beverley.  He was a faithful member of the Dunholme/Scothern/Welton band, and among his quarter peals he was particularly pleased to ring in the first quarter peal of his grandson.  He also maintained his links with his ringing friends at Saxilby, by returning regularly to their practice nights throughout his retirement.

He faced his final illness stoically and remained optimistic that he would return to his ringing and to his beloved singing. Fittingly the Orpheus Male Voice Choir sang at his memorial service in the Cathedral, and his friends went to Dunholme and Saxilby immediately afterwards to ring Quarters Peals in his memory.  RIP

Margaret Parker  and David J Turner

Ted Cook in 2004