Captain Cook Memorial Museum facts for kids
Captain Walker's House
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | Whitby, North Yorkshire |
| Type | Maritime Museum |
| Public transit access | Bus/Railway Stations  0.3 miles (0.48 km) |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 23 February 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1148246 |
The Captain Cook Memorial Museum is a cool history museum in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It's located in an old house called Walker's House. This house belonged to Captain John Walker, who taught James Cook how to be a sailor back in 1746. James Cook even lived here as an apprentice! He also came back to visit in 1771–72 after his very first big sea journey.
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The Historic House
This special house is on Grape Lane, right by the harbour. A plaque on its wall tells us it was built in 1688. Moses and Susannah Dring were the original builders. It's a pretty big building with three main floors and an attic. It shows what a wealthy ship-owner's house looked like back then. We know a lot about how the house was furnished from a list made in 1754. The two rooms on the ground floor are decorated and furnished just like they were in the past.
Captain Cook's Story
Early Life and Apprenticeship
The house was bought in 1729 by Captain John Walker's father. It became his family home and business place. He was also a captain and grew the family's shipping business. After he passed away, his sons John and Henry shared the house. Their mother continued to live there.
In 1746, James Cook met Captain John Walker. Cook had been working for a grocer in Staithes, a nearby fishing village. Captain Walker took Cook on as a sailor-in-training for three years. Cook worked for Walker first as an apprentice, then as a regular sailor, and finally as a master's mate. He stayed with Walker until he joined the Royal Navy in 1755.
Cook spent most of his time at sea on Walker's ships, which carried coal. They mainly sailed between the Tyne River and London. But they also made trips to the Baltic Sea and Dublin.
Cook's Time in Whitby
A historian named George Young wrote about Cook in 1836. He said that Captain Walker sometimes kept Cook in Whitby during his apprenticeship. Cook would stay in the attic of the house on Grape Lane. This makes sense because ship owners often let apprentices go home in winter. But if an apprentice stayed ashore, they would find a place for them, like the Grape Lane house.
Young also mentioned that Cook studied in the attic by candlelight. A family servant, Mary Prowd, helped him with candles. Like any ambitious young sailor, Cook would have studied important subjects. These included algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and navigation. Ship owners likely paid for teachers to help their apprentices learn these skills.
A Special Visit
The house was also where Cook made his only known visit to Whitby after 1755. This happened in the winter of 1771–72. Cook was staying in Great Ayton and rode his horse to visit his old master in Whitby. When Cook arrived, the whole household lined up to greet him. They were told to be on their best behavior.
But the elderly housekeeper, Mary Prowd, couldn't hold back. She had been kind to Cook a quarter-century before. She threw her arms around the famous man and cried, "Oh honey James! How glad I is to see thee!"
The Museum Today
The Cook Museum Trust bought Walker's House to create a museum in Whitby. This museum celebrates the life of Captain Cook. It also honors the scientists, artists, and crews who sailed with him.
The museum's collection includes many amazing things. You can see original letters about Cook's voyages. There are letters from Cook himself, Lord Sandwich, Sir Joseph Banks, and the Forsters. The museum also has paintings and drawings by artists who sailed with Cook. These include Sydney Parkinson, William Hodges, and John Webber. You can also find artifacts from the Pacific islands and New Zealand. There are original maps, charts, and ship models too.
In 2009, the museum bought a painting called Matavai Bay Otaheite. It was painted by William Hodges in the 1770s. Many charities and trusts, including The Art Fund, helped the museum buy it. The painting shows Matavai Bay in Tahiti. Cook visited this bay on his second voyage.
The museum has won several awards. Welcome to Yorkshire gave it a White Rose Award in 2005 and 2012. It also won a VisitEngland Gold Award for Excellence in 2013.
