Person    | Male  Born 7/11/1728  Died 14/2/1779

Captain James Cook

Maritime explorer and cartographer. Born near Middlesbrough. The first to map Newfoundland, explored around Australia and the Hawaiian Islands and made the first circumnavigation of New Zealand.

Killed in Kealakekua Bay by Hawaiian villagers during a fracas concerning the theft of one of Cook's small boats. Cook was held in high esteem by the chiefs so his body was given the same funeral rites that one of their elders would have received. It was disembowelled, baked and the bones cleaned. Following appeals from his comrades the remains were eventually returned for burial at sea.

2024: Cook has become a controversial figure, representing all the worst of imperialism. The Daily Mail reported "Captain Cook statue is sawn down in Melbourne with the words 'the colony will fall' sprayed in red on the plinth just hours before Australia Day".

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Captain James Cook

Commemorated ati

Barking Abbey

Barking Abbey Was founded by St Erkenwald in the year 666. Destroyed by the D...

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Captain Cook - E1

{Left-most panel:} He surveyed the St Lawrence River in 1759. In three voyag...

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Captain Cook - E1 plaque - gone

This terracotta-coloured plaque is now in Australia (see eHive) with one of t...

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Captain Cook - The Highway

The plaque gives Cook's address as 126 Upper Shadwell. Horward's 1799 map gi...

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Captain James Cook statue

The original inscription stopped after "New Zealand." In 1928 the British Em...

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John Kenley

John Kenley

Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
John McDouall Stuart

John McDouall Stuart

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Person, Exploring, Australia, Scotland

1 memorial
John Wilson

John Wilson

Role on the lost expedition: Petty officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Drake Navigators Guild

Drake Navigators Guild

The Drake Navigators Guild is the historical research group which has used multi-disciplinary methods to research Francis Drake’s visit to the west coast of North America in 1579 and related mariti...

Group, Exploring, USA

1 memorial
David Livingstone

David Livingstone

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Person, Exploring, Religion, Seriously Famous, Africa, Scotland

2 memorials

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All Saints Church tower

All Saints Church tower

SW18, Wandsworth High Street, All Saints Church

The Church of England has this to say about this church:  Built: 17th - 19th centuries, Architect: William Jupp, Listing: grade 2*. All ...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Shaheed Minar martyrs

Shaheed Minar martyrs

E1, Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel High Street

This monument is a replica of the original monument constructed in Dhaka, Bangladesh to commemorate those killed during the Bengali Langu...

1 subject commemorated
E. G. Heffer

E. G. Heffer

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Graham Gore

Graham Gore

Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial