What do you make of this?

[KiwiChris]

Captain James Cook, the explorer produced a number of children between his epic voyages. All of them died young and the conventional wisdom is that there were no Cook grandchildren.

However, an elderly relative of mine has been doing some reading of letters in the Cook collection in the NZ National Archives and has come across a letter from J Atkinson, which states how he is related to the Captain.

Son James, (1763-1794) was drowned, but according to this letter he married a 'domestic servant' whom Mrs Capt Cook would not acknowledge (being very class conscious). The grandfather of the writer visited Mrs Cook who was very cool towards him, he said.

Captain Cook
|
James Cook b 1763
|
Robert Cook (of Lilling, Yorks)
|
Jabez (sp?) Cook (uncle of J Atkinson)


Minnie Cook , in Canada, daughter of Robert Cook,(son of R. Cook of Lilling).
Sir Frank Wild, son of Annie Wild (Annie Cook), is a descendant of Capt Cook.

I can't believe that if there was any truth in this story,it has waited all this time for a woman in her mid 80's to find! However she is very excited about it and wants to know how she could prove the link!

Any suggestions?

[Guinevere]

First thing I'd do is look for the baptism of Robert Cook in Lilling.

[KiwiChris]

That was my thought, but there is nothing on the IGI! There are two Robert Cooks in Whitby in the right time frame, one has just a mother's name but she was a Cook, the other one had parents James and Elizabeth, who I assume was probably the Captain and his wife.

I suspect with such uncommon names as James and Cook, this not going to be easy. :D:D

Trouble is, I have solved a couple of her mysteries before and she now seems to think I am a wonderchild, but they were both post 1841 and I had a subscription to Ancestry! (And they were not really that difficult) ;)

[kylejustin]

coul always look up cook on wikipedia, might tell the relatives names.

[Harrys mum]

Chris......I read a book about Capt Cook's wife. I'm sure she outlived all her children (from memory) but also though there were some who made it to adulthood.

It was a beautiful book.

I'll have a quick look in the library catalogue.

Back soon.

[Harrys mum]

It's called "Mrs Cook" by Marele Day.

[kylejustin]

here's the info from wikipedia:

Family life
Cook married Elizabeth Batts (1742-1835), the daughter of Samuel Batts, keeper of the Bell Inn, Wapping[5] and one of his mentors, on December 21, 1762 at St. Margaret's Church, Barking, Essex. The couple had six children: James (1763-1794), Nathaniel (1764-1781), Elizabeth (1767-1771), Joseph (1768-1768), George (1772-1772) and Hugh (1776-1793). 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.

[Harrys mum]

Beat me to it...Kyle.

James died aged 21. No idea if he married or had children, but I think if his mother knew it would be in the book.

The other children were all too young.

[Harrys mum]

Could be another Capt Cook???

I remember reading the book and crying at the number of times Elizabeth had to bury children while James was at sea. He'd come home expecting to see the baby growing into a child.............

Could cry again now...

[kylejustin]

that is very sad, i cant imagine what it would be like to lose a child

[KiwiChris]

It is that Captain Cook, my relative is trying to establish a link to Cook's sister Margaret who married a Fleck.

So James is the only one who made it to adulthood, and then he was careless enough to drown!

The IGI has two marriages for a James Cook in Whitby between 1880 and 1895, so he could be one of those, but I am sure if he was then someone else would have noticed before I did?

Interestingly enough, one of them had a son called Robert! I suspect the story has been embellished by the time the letter I mentioned was written.

Thanks for the name of the book, I will see if I can find it, it sounds an interesting read.

[Harrys mum]

Someone in Utah has the tree on FamilySearch. I'd like to see the PRs first.

[Mary from Italy]

It looks as though it's theoretically possible.

In 1851 there's a Jabez Cook, born in Lilling c. 1844, living at Lillings Ambo with father Robert, born Dunnington, Yorks., c. 1791, mother Mary and siblings.

If James died in 1794, he could have fathered Robert. However, if he died in 1794, that makes him 31, whereas Libby says he died when he was 21.

[Mary from Italy]

Lillings Ambo is about 10 miles from Dunnington and nearly 30 miles from Whitby.

[Muggins in Sussex]

I have just seen these - not sure whether they are any help, and have to go out now!

Cook/Fleck Family

Intro to the Capt. Cook Link

[Mary from Italy]

Robert Cook's wife Mary was from Sheriff Hutton, and the oldest son was born c 1833, so this is probably their marriage (IGI, extracted):

ROBERT COOK
Male

Marriages:
Spouse: MARY HUTCHINSON
Marriage: 20 APR 1831 Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, England

[Kit]

If James did marry and his mother disapproved it would be possible to disown him and not have the marriage made public. However I'm surprised she wouldn't want the wife and child around once James died and she had no surviving children. Surely she could have fabricated a history about the wife.

It's possible but it just depends whether the PRs give enough info to prove it.

[Kit]

I was going to suggest looking at Capt Cooks will but he died too early. The will was proved in 1780.

Will of Captain James Cook 14 June 1776. Proved 24 January 1780 and 20 March 1780.

[Harrys mum]

Sorry Mary.....31 is right. Don't know how I pressed the wrong button.

I wonder if there is a will for James junior??

[Kit]

What did James Jr do for a living?

I found this will:
Will of James Cook, Mariner of Saint George , Middlesex 19 December 1799 PROB 11/1333