James Cook in the Navy: 1755-1756

James Cook joined the Navy in June 1755 as an ordinary seaman and joined His Majesty's Ship Eagle.
Extracts from his log, between the end of June 1755 and December 1756, with commentary have been published in Cook's Log.
Some of these articles are available to be read here.

1755 June - December At Spithead, on patrol off Ireland and in the English Channel.
1756 January - April In port, on patrol, and his first command: the Cruizer.
1756 May - June The Capture of the Triton.
1756-7 July to June The Capture of the Duc D'Aquitaine.
1757 July to September Master of Solebay on patrol off Scotland.

Ships of the Royal Navy that Cook mentions in his log during his time on the Eagle and Triton in early 1756.
Name Rate Guns Burthen
(tons)		 Dimensions
(feet)		 Built Where Captain
Aldborough 6th 20 440 108 x 30.5 1756 Blackwall John Donkley
Arundel 6th 24 509 112 x 32.5 1746 Chichester Thomas Hankerson
Bedford 3rd 64 1,230 151 x 40 1741 R Portsmouth James Douglas
Colchester 4th 50 978 140.5 x 40 1746 Southampton Lucius O'Brien
Eagle 4th 58 1,130 147 x 42 1745 Harwich Hugh Palliser
Elizabeth 3rd 64 1,224 150.5 x 41 1737 R Chatham John Montagu
Romney 4th 44 756 130.5 x 35 1726 R Deptford Mark Milbanke
St. Albans 4th 60 1,207 150 x 43.5 1747 Deptford William Gordon
Swiftsure 3rd 64 1,258 149 x 38.5 1742 R Deptford Matthew Buckle
Triton         1756 C Bay of Biscay  
C denotes captured     R denotes rebuilt.

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 11, volume 29, number 3 (2006).

Updated: July 2007.

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