Category Archives: Captain Cook

Captain Cook

First Fleet Plaque, Whitby

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Two boats from Whitby the Fishburn and the Golden Grove were part of the First Fleet that set out for Botany Bay in Australia on 13th May 1787, both arriving on 20th January 1788 (less that 8 years after the discovery by Captain Cook)

First Fleet, Whitby

The fleet consisted of six convict transports carrying over 700 prisoners to the penal colony, three food and supply transports which included the Fishburn and Golden Grove, two Naval escorts the HMS Sirius and HMS Supply.

The plaque was unveiled by Sir Donald Barron on 25th June 1988 as part of the bicentenary.

Time Team Dig – Captain Cook’s Birthplace Cottage

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Tees Archaeology’s Excavations in Stewart Park

The pictures on this page show the Time Team Big Dig which took place over the weekend of 28th – 29th June 2003 at Captain Cook’s birthplace cottage in Stewart Park

All pictures on this page:
© Captain Cook Birthplace Museum.

The Stewart Park and Marton History Group was a small local history group that now, no longer meets . It had a website that was in the process of being updated with local history when the group disbanded and these are the pages that survived.
The lasting legacy of the group is the graves of Bolckow and Vaughan in Marton Churchyard, a project the group started and fund raised for and it eventually came to be, through the work of Middlesbrough Environment City.

Captain Cooks Family Grave

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All Saints Church in Great Ayton contains the graves of James Cook’s mother and five of his brothers and sisters.
Captain Cooks family grave
My interpretation of the inscription :-

“To the Memory of Mary & Mary, Jane & William.
Daughters and Son of James and Grace Cook.
Mary died June the 30th 1737 in the 5th year of her age.
Mary died June the 17th 1741 aged 10 Months & 6 days.
Jane died May the 12th 1742 in the 5th year of her age.
William died July(?) the 29th 1747/8 aged 2 yrs 12 months 16 days 7 hours.
and also John their son died Sept the 20th 1750 aged 23 years”
Captain Cooks family grave, Grace Cook
“In memory of Grace Cook who died Feb 18th 1765 aged 63 Years and of James Cook who was buried at Marske April 1st 1779. The above James and Grace Cook were the parents of the celebrated circumnavigator Captain James Cook who was born at Marton Oct 27th 1728 educated in this village and killed at Owhyhee Dec. 14th 1779”

This inscription is actually incorrect as Cook was killed on Feb 14th 1779

Captain Cooks family grave

Cooks father is buried at St Germains in Marske

Obelisk at location of Captain Cooks family cottage – Great Ayton

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This obelisk marks the location Captain Cooks family cottage.
Captain Cooks Cottage Obelisk - Great Ayton
The cottage itself was shipped to Australia for the Centenary of Melbourne in 1934 where is still stands in Fitzroy Park. The cottage was built by Cooks parents in 1755 so its unlikely Cook himself actually lived there as he moved away to Staithes in 1745.
Captain Cooks Cottage Obelisk - Great Ayton
Captain Cooks Cottage Obelisk - Great Ayton
The obelisk is constructed with stone from near Point Hicks which was the first part of Australia spotted by Lieutenant Hicks from the Endeavour. It is a replica of an obelisk that stands there.

The unveiling of the obelisk was actually captured and is available on the Pathe Website.

UPDATE : A friend of mine has recently visited the cottage in Australia, so many thanks to Eric for the photo.