Whitby is situated in North Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk. The first recorded settlement here was named Streonshal in 656. The Christian king of Northumbria ( Oswy) founded Whitby Abbey at that time under the name Hilda. The monastery was destroyed by Viking raiders in 867, rebuilding began in 1078. The town gained its current name at that time (Whitby) meaning white settlement in Old Norse.

Whitby had between 20 and 30 houses in 1540 with a population of about 200. By the early 1600s, Whitby had grown significantly as a result of the alum trade, a chemical compound with a number of uses in industry, medicine and cosmetics. Whitby became a centre for shipbuilding and whaling in the 18th century, as well as trade in jet, a black rock found in the areas cliffs that is crafted into fine jewelry and artifacts.

HMS Endeavour, was built in Whitby in 1764 by Tomas Fishburn as a coal carrier named Earl of Pembroke. She was bought by the Royal Navy in 1768 to be refitted and renamed. This was the ship commanded by James Cook on his voyages to Australia and New Zealand. Cook had moved to Whitby in 1747 to work on ships transporting coal along the English coast. He joined the Royal Navy in 1755 and made three round the world voyages, the first in 1766. Cook was killed on his third voyage on the Island of Hawaii after a skirmish with the islanders.

Today, Whitby is a major tourist attraction with the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, many boat trips including a scaled down version of the Endeavour, Whitby Jet jewelry, sea fishing, amusements, many kids play areas, restaurants, bar/diners and a good selection of fish and chip shops.

More in-depth history can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby