Thomas Cook & Son
Thomas Cook & Son, originally simply Thomas Cook, was a company founded by Thomas Cook, a cabinet-maker, in 1841 to carry temperance supporters by railway between the cities of Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham. In 1851, Cook arranged transport to the Great Exhibition of 1851. He organised his first tours to Europe in 1855 and to the United States in 1866.
| Company type | Private company: 1841–1948, 1972–2001 Government-owned (British Transport Commission): 1948–72 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality, tourism |
| Founded | 5 July 1841 in Leicester, England |
| Founder | Thomas Cook |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Fate | Acquired by C&N Touristic AG |
| Successor | Thomas Cook AG |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | HM Government (1948-1972) |
| Parent | British Transport Commission (1948–1972) |
| Website | Thomas Cook Group site at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 January 1998) |
In 1865, the founder's son John Mason Cook began working for the company full-time. In 1871, he became a partner, and the name of the company was changed to Thomas Cook & Son. The company was nationalised in 1948, along with the railways, becoming part of the British Transport Commission. After de-nationalisation in 1972, it was acquired by a consortium of Trust House Forte, Midland Bank and the Automobile Association, then subsequently bought by Westdeutsche Landesbank in 1992.
In 2001, it was acquired by the German company C&N Touristic AG, which changed its name to Thomas Cook AG.