He was one of nine children, all of whom are now dead, excepting a daughter, who married a fisherman at Redcar.

The first rudiments of young Cook's education were received by him at Marton, where he was taught to read by dame Walker, the schoolmistress of the village.

When he was eight years of age, his father, in consequence of the character he had obtained for industry, frugality, and skill in husbandry, had a little promotion bestowed upon him, which was that of being appointed head-servant, or hind,[2] to a farm belonging to the late Thomas Skottow, Esq.

called Airy Holme, near Great Ayton.

To this place, therefore, he removed with his family;[3] and his son James, at Mr.Skottow's expense, was put to a day-school in Ayton, where he was instructed in writing, and in a few of the first rules of arithmetic.
[Footnote 1: The mud house in which Captain Cook drew his first breath is pulled down, and no vestiges of it are now remaining.] [Footnote 2: This is the name which, in that part of the country, is given to the head-servant, or bailiff, of a farm.] [Footnote 3: Mr.Cook, senior, spent the close of his life with his daughter, at Redcar, and is supposed to have been about eighty-five years of age when he died.] Before he was thirteen years of age, he was bound an apprentice to Mr.
William Sanderson, a haberdasher, or shopkeeper, at Straiths, a considerable fishing town, about ten miles north of Whitby.