Herman Melville Biography
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was born August 1, 1819 and was the third child of eight. His parents were Allan and Maria Gansevoort Melville’s. The Gansevoort family was socially connected. As a young boy, Herman did not fit the bold of a good, God-fearing, nobl,e and refined child. In 1826 Melville contracted scarlet fever, permanently weakening his eyesight. In 1826 Allan Melville wrote of his son as being “backward in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension…. Of a docile and amiable disposition”. (Melville Biography p.1 ) After the collapse of the family business, the oldest brother took over his fathers business.
In 1839 after his brother declared the family business to be bankrupt, he arranged for Herman to ship out as a cabin boy on the St. Lawrence, a merchant ship sailing in June 1839 from New York City for Liverpool. Melville’s heritage and youthful experiences were a big part in forming Melville’s artistic views and vision (Britannica p. 1). Melville tried to assist the family financially but finding good steady work was difficult. In January 1841 he returned to the sea and sailed on the whaler Acushnet on a voyage to the South Seas. In June the following year, the ship anchored in the Marquesas Islands. This is where Melville wrote his first novel, Typee (1846). In July, he and a companion jumped ship and spent approximately four months as captives of the cannibalistic Typee people. No one really knew if it was true or not as he was registered on the crew of the Australian whaler Lucy Ann. Controversy and trouble seemed to follow Melville. When the crew of Lucy Ann reached Tahiti, the crew which included Melville joined a mutiny. The were dissatisfied as they had not been paid for their services. The mutiny ended him in jail which he later escaped. During this time, Melville’s second book was written, Omoo (1847).
August 4, 1847 Melville married Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Lemuel Shaw Chief Justice of the Massachusetts
Herman Melville was born August 1, 1819 and was the third child of eight. His parents were Allan and Maria Gansevoort Melville’s. The Gansevoort family was socially connected. As a young boy, Herman did not fit the bold of a good, God-fearing, nobl,e and refined child. In 1826 Melville contracted scarlet fever, permanently weakening his eyesight. In 1826 Allan Melville wrote of his son as being “backward in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension…. Of a docile and amiable disposition”. (Melville Biography p.1 ) After the collapse of the family business, the oldest brother took over his fathers business.
In 1839 after his brother declared the family business to be bankrupt, he arranged for Herman to ship out as a cabin boy on the St. Lawrence, a merchant ship sailing in June 1839 from New York City for Liverpool. Melville’s heritage and youthful experiences were a big part in forming Melville’s artistic views and vision (Britannica p. 1). Melville tried to assist the family financially but finding good steady work was difficult. In January 1841 he returned to the sea and sailed on the whaler Acushnet on a voyage to the South Seas. In June the following year, the ship anchored in the Marquesas Islands. This is where Melville wrote his first novel, Typee (1846). In July, he and a companion jumped ship and spent approximately four months as captives of the cannibalistic Typee people. No one really knew if it was true or not as he was registered on the crew of the Australian whaler Lucy Ann. Controversy and trouble seemed to follow Melville. When the crew of Lucy Ann reached Tahiti, the crew which included Melville joined a mutiny. The were dissatisfied as they had not been paid for their services. The mutiny ended him in jail which he later escaped. During this time, Melville’s second book was written, Omoo (1847).
August 4, 1847 Melville married Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Lemuel Shaw Chief Justice of the Massachusetts
Bibliography: Macmillan, Collier American writers. New York: Macmillian, 1974. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Melvill, Herman The life and works of Herman Melville Padilla, David The Biography Channel Website. Internet: Padilla, 2001.