Thomas Cook

He was born into a poor family in Derbyshire and left school at the age of ten to start work as a gardener's boy.Following the success of this excursion, Cook, by now settled with his family in Leicester, began to organise tours further afield in the British Isles and, eventually, to the United States, Egypt and the Holy Land.In 1828, he left an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker to become an itinerant Baptist preacher, distributing tracts and setting up Sunday Schools in villages in the South Midlands for an annual salary of £36.The couple married on 3 March 1833 at St Peter's Church, Barrowden and set up home in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, with Cook working as a wood-tujarner.[5]: 25 Having organised tours in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man over the previous decade, Cook planned his first excursion abroad in 1855, a trip to Calais for tourists who went on to visit the Pris Exhibition.The office also contained a shop which sold essential travel accessories, including guide books, luggage, and footwear."Circular notes", a form of traveller's cheque, were introduced in 1874 and enabled tourists to obtain local currency.[6] While Cook travelled the world, his son stayed at home to run the company, moving to a new London headquarters at Ludgate Circus.
Panels from the Thomas Cook Building, Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, displaying excursions offered by Thomas Cook
Statue near Leicester railway station
Cook's grave in Welford Road Cemetery , Leicester
Thomas Cook HolidaysThomas Cook AirlinesThomas Cook (disambiguation)MelbourneDerbyshireLeicesterThomas Cook & Sontravel agencyBaptisttemperance movementLoughboroughHoly LandMelbourne, DerbyshireNew Connexion BaptistLord MelbourneSouth Midlands forBarrowdenRutlandSt Peter's Church, BarrowdenMarket HarboroughLeicester Campbell Street Railway StationshillingMidland Counties RailwayJames ButlerLiverpoolCaernarfonMount SnowdonGreat ExhibitionCalaisPris ExhibitionFleet Streetguide bookstraveller's chequeguineasLudgate CircusWelford Road CemeteryalmshousesThomas Cook European TimetableCook's Travellers Handbooks