This article is about the travel entrepreneur. For the current travel company, see Thomas Cook Holidays. For the defunct airline, see Thomas Cook Airlines. He was also one of the initial developers of the “mason cook tour” including travel, accommodations, and the like.
Thomas Cook was born on 22 November 1808, to John and Elizabeth Cook, who lived at 9 Quick Close in the village of Melbourne, Derbyshire. A son, John Mason Cook, was born on 13 January 1834. On 4 August 1845 he arranged for a party to travel from Leicester to Liverpool. In 1846, he took 350 people from Leicester on a tour of Scotland. In 1851 he arranged for 150,000 people to travel to the Great Exhibition in London. The Thomas Cook statue outside Leicester Railway Station, London Road, Leicester was unveiled on 14 January 1994 by his great-great-grandson Thomas Cook. It was sculpted by James Butler RA.
He was awarded the Serbian Order of Saint Sava. Thomas Cook acquired business premises on Fleet Street, London in 1865. The office also contained a shop which sold essential travel accessories, including guide books, luggage, telescopes and footwear. In accordance with his beliefs, he and his wife also ran a small temperance hotel above the office.