CAPTAIN COOK'S DESCENDANTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16874, 11 February 1929, Page 10

CAPTAIN COOK'S DESCENDANTS

(To the Editor of the Herald.) £u’, —Having noticed that a Christchurch lady Mrs. E-. E-. Beniams claims to be a great gland-daughter of tho great navigator, on looking into tho matter 1 think it is impossible to be correct. # According to the best authorities Captain Cook left no descendants. There were six children in alt. Three died in infancy or in tender years, and three grew up to manhood. Of these the eldest, James, was in the Navy./ He was promoted to the rank of commander in the year 1793 and appointed to tho slodp ol war Spitfire, on January 24, 1794. He received orders from Captaip Yeo to take command without delay, and started at once m an open boat which was rather crowded. There was a strong ebl> tideand a fresh wind; if was growing dark, and .the boat never reached the ship. What happened will never be known. There were no survivors. His body was found on the beach with a Wound on ihe head, stripped of all Ins money and valuables; no trace of aiiv of 1 lie crew. The boat was found broken up at the back of the Isle of Wight. In the year 1780 Iter second son Nathaniel, went down on board the Thunderer in a hurricane off Jamaica. Her third son Hugh, died of scarlet fever on December 21 in his eighteenth year. All the. family, as lias been seen, were cut off • in youth or infancy, and no descendants now survive, of England's greatest navi gator. Captain looks widow died in 18.55. aged 93. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Halls, so that 1 fail to sen Imw Mrs. Heniums can claim to be a great grand-daughter. Yours etc., G. .). Ilk A OK.