Maria Cook

Maria Cook (1779 – December 21, 1835) was the first woman to be recognized as a Universalist preacher.

Biography Maria Cook likely grew up around the Geneva, New York area, although details of her early life are hard to come by. She was born during the American Revolution, and was attracted to Christian universalism because of the belief that everyone would go to heaven eventually, rather than some people being sent eternally to hell. Cook's father died before she was thirty, and she inherited some of his wealth. She felt called to be a preacher, and although her family disapproved they did not try to stop her. Afterwards she was sent a letter of fellowship by the Association, but her experience with some of its members led her to believe the letter was not unanimous or sincere, and she destroyed it. She began spending more and more of her time preaching on defending her right as a woman to be a preacher, and as a result many felt her preaching became less interesting and her popularity declined. She went on another tour of preaching in New York in 1813, but was less successful than the first time, and moved in with friends in Otsego, New York. She considered starting a socialist utopian community inspired by the Shakers, making a number of attempts, but was ultimately unsuccessful. In the 1830s she again tried preaching, but illness forced her to retire again. Cook died in Geneva on December 21, 1835.