Editing James Cook (section)

==Early life and family==
James Cook was born on 7 November 1728{{efn|name=ns|Born on 7 November ([[Old Style and New Style dates|New Style]]), 27 October ([[Old Style and New Style dates|Old style]]). Dates in this article are in the New Style.}} in the village of [[Marton, Middlesbrough|Marton]] in the [[North Riding of Yorkshire]] and baptised on 14 November in the [[parish church]] of [[Marton, Middlesbrough#St Cuthbert's Church|St Cuthbert]] where his name can be seen in the church register.<ref name="Rigby25" /><ref>{{harvnb|Robson|2009|p=2.}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Rigby25">{{harvnb|Rigby|van der Merwe|2002|p=25.}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Stamp|1978|p=1.}}</ref>{{sfn|Collingridge|2003|pp=13–15}} 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.{{sfn|Hough|1994|pp=2-5}} In 1741, after five years of schooling, he began work for his father who had been promoted to farm manager. For leisure, he would climb a nearby hill, [[Roseberry Topping]], enjoying the opportunity for solitude.{{sfn|Collingridge|2003|p=15}}

In 1745, when he was 16, Cook moved {{convert|20|mi|km}} to the fishing village of [[Staithes]] to be apprenticed as a shop boy to grocer and [[haberdasher]] William Sanderson.<ref name="Rigby25" /> Historian [[Vanessa Collingridge]] speculated that this is where Cook first felt the lure of the sea while gazing out of the shop window.{{sfn|Collingridge|2003|pp=31–33}}

After 18 months, not proving suited for shop work, Cook travelled to the nearby port town of [[Whitby]] and was introduced to Sanderson's friends John and Henry Walker. The Walkers, who were [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]], were prominent local ship-owners in the coal trade.{{sfn|Horwitz|2003|pp=305-309}}{{sfn|Collingridge|2003|pp=33–35}} Their house is now the [[Captain Cook Memorial Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Captain Cook Memorial Museum |url=https://artuk.org/visit/venues/captain-cook-memorial-museum-3247 |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104215753/https://artuk.org/visit/venues/captain-cook-memorial-museum-3247 |archive-date=4 January 2024 |access-date=28 December 2024 |website=Art UK}}</ref> Cook was taken on as a merchant navy apprentice in their small fleet of vessels, plying coal along the English coast. His first assignment was aboard the [[Collier (ship type)|collier]] ''Freelove'', and he spent several years on this and various other [[coastal trading vessel|coasters]], sailing between the [[River Tyne|Tyne]] and London. As part of his apprenticeship, Cook applied himself to the study of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, navigation and astronomy – all skills he would need one day to command his own ship.{{Sfn|Collingridge|2003|pp=34–36}}

[[File:Elizabeth Batts Cook.jpg|thumb|[[Elizabeth Batts Cook|Elizabeth Cook]], wife (16 years) and widow (56 years) of James Cook, by William Henderson, 1830.]]
His three-year apprenticeship completed, Cook began working on [[merchant ship]]s in the [[Baltic Sea]]. After passing his [[Licensed mariner|examinations]] in 1752, he soon progressed through the merchant navy ranks, starting with his promotion in that year to [[Master's mate|mate]] aboard the collier [[brig]] ''Friendship''.<ref>{{harvnb|Hough|1994|p=11.}}</ref> 

In 1755, Britain was re-arming for what was to become the [[Seven Years' War]]. Cook realised his career would advance more quickly in military service, so{{snd}}despite the need to start at the bottom of the naval hierarchy{{snd}}he volunteered for service in the Royal Navy. He entered the Navy at [[Wapping]] on 17 June 1755.<ref name="Rigby27">{{harvnb|Rigby|van der Merwe|2002|p=27.}}</ref>

On 21 December 1762, Cook married [[Elizabeth Batts Cook|Elizabeth Batts]], the daughter of Samuel Batts{{snd}}[[Public house#Inns|keeper]] of the Bell Inn in Wapping and one of Cook's mentors{{snd}}at [[St Margaret's Church, Barking]], Essex.<ref>{{harvnb|Robson|2009|pp=120–121.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/MuseumsAndHeritage/LocalHistoryResources/Documents/Infosheet22JamesCookDickTurpin.pdf |title=Famous 18th&nbsp;century people in Barking and Dagenham: James Cook and Dick Turpin |publisher=London Borough of Barking and Dagenham |access-date=5 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605124552/http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/MuseumsAndHeritage/LocalHistoryResources/Documents/Infosheet22JamesCookDickTurpin.pdf |archive-date=5 June 2012}}</ref>{{efn|At time of the marriage, Cook was 34 and Elizabeth was 20.}} The couple had six children: James (1763–1794), Nathaniel (1764–1780, lost aboard {{HMS|Thunderer|1760|6}} which foundered with all hands in a hurricane in the [[West Indies]]), Elizabeth (1767–1771), Joseph (1768–1768), George (1772–1772) and Hugh (1776–1793, who died of scarlet fever while a student at [[Christ's College, Cambridge]]).{{cn|date=May 2025}} When not at sea, Cook lived in the [[East End of London]]. He attended [[St Paul's Church, Shadwell]], where his son James was baptised.{{cn|date=May 2025}} Cook has no direct descendants – all of his children died before having children of their own.<ref>{{harvnb|Stamp|1978|p=138.}}</ref>

[[David Samwell]], a Welsh [[Naval surgeon|surgeon]] who accompanied Cook on the third voyage, described him as: "... above six feet high, and though a good looking man, he was plain both in address and appearance. His head was small, his hair, which was dark brown, he wore tied behind. His face was full of expression, his nose exceedingly well shaped, his eyes which were of a brown cast, were quick and piercing: his eyebrows prominent, which gave his countenance altogether an air of austerity."{{sfn|Samwell|1786|pp=20-21}}