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Captain James Cook
COOK: James Cook born at Marston on 27th October 1728. One of Britain's most illustrious and noteworthy sea captains, began his sea-going career in Whitby. He was apprenticed at the age of 18 to the Whitby ship owner Mr. John Walker, a Quaker who lived in Grape Lane. John Walker's house, where James Cook lived during his employment with the ship owner, still stands and is now a museum. |
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The first ship on which the young James Cook sailed was a collier of some 450 tons named `Freelove`. This was followed by service on the colliers `Three Brothers`, `Mary`, and `Friendship`, meanwhile working his way up to position of Mate. In 1755 he joined the Royal Navy where his earlier training and experience stood him in good stead. Working as he had, on Whitby built colliers, he knew their reliability and strength, leading him to choose Whitby built ships for his historic voyages of exploration and discovery. The ships he chose were colliers which when converted were renamed `Endeavour`, `Resolution`, `Adventure` and `Discovery`. So much has been written about Captain Cook and his epic voyages that it needs no repetition in these pages. He died in Hawaii where the natives killed him and there is a statue, which was erected to his memory in People's Park on the West Cliff, which was unveiled by Admiral Lord Charles Beresford on October 12th. 1912. |
