Thomas Cook - the man who launched a million trips

Thomas Cook (1808 – 1892) was born in the village of Melbourne, Derbyshire, and started work at the age of 10. During his life he worked as a Baptist preacher, carpenter, furniture maker, printer, publisher, political advocate, and travel organiser.

Cook was a passionate follower of the temperance (abstinence from alcohol) movement and, on 5th July 1841, he arranged to take a group of temperance campaigners from Leicester Campbell Street railway station to a teetotal rally in Loughborough, eleven miles away. Thomas Cook escorted around 500 people, who paid one shilling each for the return train journey, on his first excursion.

A tour to Liverpool, just four years on, was booked by 1,200 people. It was so popular that Cook had to repeat it, for 800 further customers, a fortnight later.

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.

Four years later, Cook planned his first excursion abroad, when he took two groups on a 'grand circular tour' of Belgium, Germany and France, ending in Paris for the Exhibition. Cook also pioneered the use of travel coupons, operating rather like traveller's cheques (which were not at that time widely available). These allowed travellers to easily pay for meals and accommodation in foreign countries.

Thomas Cook acquired business premises on Fleet Street, London in 1865, and the Thomas Cook travel agency was born.

On 14th January 1994, the Thomas Cook statue outside Leicester Railway Station, London Road, Leicester was unveiled his great-great-grandson Thomas Cook. It was sculpted by James Butler.

Further reading

• Thomas Cook and the first rail excursion - Time Travel Britain
• The history of Thomas Cook - Tourism Teacher
• Victorian Tourism: Thomas Cook - Pam Lecky Blog