Description:
In St Margaret’s Church at The Broadway, North Street, Barking, Essex, on the top of a wooden screen are eight small painted wooden carvings of saints and famous Barking characters. One of the figures is of Captain James Cook, in naval uniform, holding a map and telescope. and with a coiled rope at his feet.
History:
This is the church where James Cook married Elizabeth Batts on 21st December 1762.
The figures were carved by George W H Jack (1855-1931), over two years during the late 1920s. The church architect Charles Canning Winmill enlisted Jack’s help in doing carvings in the church, when the church was undergoing restoration.
George W H Jack was an architect and wood-carver. Born in New York, he spent his early years in Scotland, before settling in London. He was a contemporary of William Morris.
Inscription:
On the base plinth:
CAPTAIN COOK
GPS Coordinates: 51.536563, 0.075766
References:
Cook’s Log, page 1112, vol. 18, no. 1 (1995)
Cook’s Log, page 21, vol. 29, no. 4 (2006)
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Jack
Image gallery (click on any one to enlarge it)