Cook was then summoned to the Town Hall on accused of publishing a seditious libel, resulting in him being tried at the Worcester Assizes on 1 August 1827 before Mr. Justice Littledale.
[3][7] He was defended by John Campbell (later the MP for Dudley and holder of several government posts including Attorney General) and was found guilty.
[9] In the early 1830s, campaigning organisations known as Political Unions began to form in a number of Black Country towns.
Vincent gave an address followed by Cook and it was decided to re-organise the Dudley Political Union along Chartist lines.
[10] During 1839, Chartists were active both nationally and in the Midlands area, particularly at Birmingham where a riot took place on 15 July as police were brought in from London to stop meetings at the Bull Ring.
[13] On the 16 July, a meeting took place outside the Founders' Arms tavern in Dudley where Cook was present and Smith Lyndon, the main speaker, was alleged to have referred to the police as "blue devils" and "blood-thirsty villains".
A large procession formed with the Dudley contingent marching 10 abreast holding a banner stating "Behold the Conquering Hero Comes" and a flag bearing the motto "More Pigs and Less Parsons".
In Cook's case, a poster displayed in his shop in August 1842, advertising a demonstration to be held in Birmingham, led to his arrest and imprisonment pending the Worcester Assizes.
[19] During the hearing, a solicitor, Mr. Wainwright, listed some of Cook's arrests and court appearances, leading to the following exchange: Mr Motteram — The bankrupt has been a "martyr."
According to a local chronicler: "Mr. Joseph Linney was elected by the show of hands, by a large majority; the usual poll was demanded, and the day and time fixed upon, but, alas!
"[12] The following day, a similar attempt was made at the election in Wolverhampton but this time Linney was proposer and Cook the candidate.
As at Dudley, the attempt failed as the Chartists did not put up the election expenses, but Linney succeeded in making a speech before the crowd.
[1] His drapers' business was passed on to his son Samuel Quartus Cook and stayed in the family in expanded premises on Dudley Upper High Street until 1983.