James Cook (1728-1779)

Cook was an 18th century explorer and navigator whose

achievements in mapping the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia
radically changed western perceptions of world geography. He
is known as one of the greatest explorers.
James Cook was born on 27 October 1728 in a small village near
Middlesbrough in Yorkshire and baptised on 14 November in
the parish church of St Cuthbert where his name can be seen in
the church register. He was the second of eight children of
James Cook (1693-1779) a Scottish farm labourer from Ednam in
Roxburghshire, and his locally born wife, Grace Pace (1702-1765), from Thornaby-on-Tees. In
1736, his family moved to Airey Holme farm at Great Ayton, where his father’s employer,
Thomas Skottowe, paid for him to attend the local school. In 1741, after five years’ schooling,
he began to work for his father, who had been promoted to farm manager. In 1745, when
he was 16, Cook moved 20 miles (32 km) to the fishing village of Staithes, to be apprenticed
as a shop boy to grocer and haberdasher William Sanderson. Historians have speculated that
this is where Cook first felt the lure of the sea while gazing out of the shop window.
In 1769, the planet Venus was due to pass in front of the Sun, a rare event visible only in the
southern hemisphere. The British government decided to send an expedition to observe the
phenomenon. A more secret motive was to search for the fabled southern continent. Cook
was chosen as commander of the Whitby-built HMS Endeavour. Those on board included
astronomer Charles Green and botanist Joseph Banks.

Endeavour arrived in Tahiti in April 1769 where Green was able to observe the transit of
Venus. Endeavour continued to New Zealand, and then sailed along the length of Australia's
eastern coast, which had never before been seen by Europeans. Cook claimed it for Britain
and named it New South Wales. Cook and his crew then returned home, arriving in July
1771.

In 1772, not satisfied by his previous exploits, Cook set out on a second voyage to look for
the southern continent. His two ships sailed close to the Antarctic coast but were forced to
turn back by the cold. Then, they visited New Zealand and Tahiti, returning to England in
1775.

On his final voyage in 1776, Cook was trying to find a route from the Pacific to the Atlantic
round the top of North America. He was again on board the Resolution while the
accompanying ship this time was the Discovery.

The Hawaiians greeted Cook and his men by hurling rocks. Then, they stole a small
cutter vessel from the Discovery. Negotiations with King Kalaniopuu for the return of
the cutter collapsed after a lesser Hawaiian chief was shot to death and a mob of
Hawaiians descended on Cook’s party. The captain and his men fired on the angry
Hawaiians, but they were soon overwhelmed, and only a few managed to escape to
the safety of the Resolution. Captain Cook himself was killed by the mob. A few days
later, the Englishmen retaliated by firing their cannons and muskets at the shore,
killing some 30 Hawaiians. The Resolution and Discovery eventually returned to
England.

Cooks’ three voyages

First Second Third

Cooks’ statue in Hawaii

Cooks’ signature