Captain James Cook - freemason? By Roy H. Clemens. Published by Masonic Public Library, Honolulu: 1980. This is an interesting little work prompted by the author reading in two Freemasonry journals articles that stated that Cook was a Freemason. In ten pages he sets out the evidence for and against and comes out firmly against Cook having been a member. Reviewer: John Robson Originally published in Cook's Log, page 1525, volume 21, number 3 (1998).
Want to read for research purposes
Danny, Cook's visit to Australia was one of the spin-offs from the voyage to Tahiti to observe the Transit of Venus. Cook's visit was in 1770, but there were no plans to use it for a pemal colony until the American War of Independence prevented the transportation of felons. The chief proponent of the use of Ausatralia was a chap called James M Matra. He had been on Cook's Endeavour voyage (1768-1771) and thereafter carved out a career as a minor diplomat serving in Constantinople and later in Tangier. From 1783 he was a strident advocate for the use of Australia, and his efforts may have contributed to the First Fleet taking the first prisoners to Australia in 1788.
GreetingsI am writing from New York, and I know the connection between Australia and our Revolution, but i am trying to find out whether Cap’n Cook’s discovery of Australia is somehow directly linked to the British victory of the Seven Years War (1756-1763) in that Britain wanted to expand further or it was because of the increase Massachusetts rebellion that made it difficult to transport convicts to the 13 colonies... and that Britain desperately needed to find new land? Thanks
Dan, the Captain Cook Society does not hold a copy of Roy H Clemens book, so I am unable to provide you with details of the contents. The review of his book, which was published in "Cook's Log" in 1998, is repeated in full, at the top of this page. If you would like to obtain a copy of the book, I suggest that you contact the Library inb question. I have been unable to find a website for this library, but its postal address is 1611 Kewalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, HI 96822Whilst some freemasons sailed on Cook's ships, and are alleged to have held meetings on board, I suspect that they were all from different lodges. I have never heard any details given as to Cook's membership of a lodge, and believe that this claim is still to be proved. Circumstantial evidence relating to Cook's association with freemasonry can be found at the following websitehttp://georgemarkhamtweddell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/captain-cooks-monument-easby-moor.html
To whom it may concern,I respectfully ask for a copy of this article and any other information pertaining to the possibility that Captain Cook was Freemason. Do you have any information as to his rank, initiation dates, the lodge or order(s) to which he was assigned etc?Your response is most appreciated.Dan Hadley0476931295FOFM /G\
It has come to our attention that spam mailers (senders of bulk unsolicited e-mail) have been forging their mail with this domain as the point of origin. As a matter of policy, we do not send out e-mail from our domain name. If you have received an email that appears to be from "@CaptainCookSociety.com" it was forged and sent without our consent, knowledge, or the use of our servers.