Ancestry of
Herman Melville
Author of Moby Dick
Who was Herman Melville?
Herman Melville was an American author and poet. Today he is probably best known for his novel Moby Dick, however, during his lifetime he was better known for his novel Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life. Typee was based on his actual experiences as a prisoner on Nuku Hiva island in the South Pacific. His contemporaries referred to him as the “man who lived among the cannibals.”
Famous Kin
Herman Melville has a number of royal connections including being a direct descendant of King Edward I. He also has connections to King Henry VIII and a number of his wives including Ann Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and a couple of others. He also has a connection to the current royal family through Princess Diana. Herman Melville also has a number of U.S. Presidential kin including, but not limited to, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Gerald Ford, Calvin Coolidge, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, both Presidents Bush.
Herman Melville has a number of celebrity kin including Ken Burns, Linda Hamilton, Elisabeth Shue, Amy Poehler, Kyra Sedwick, Olivia De Havilland, and Gloria Vanderbilt. Ironically, his family tree also includes author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick who wrote the book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. This is reportedly the true story that inspired Melville's Moby Dick.
Some of the most recently added connections of famous kin for Herman Melville
Alfred Ely Beach
Co-founder & Editor, Scientific American
21st cousin
via John FitzGilbert (the Marshal)
Alfred Ely Beach
Co-founder & Editor, Scientific American
20th cousin 1 time removed
via Sir Geoffrey FitzPiers
Alfred Ely Beach
Co-founder & Editor, Scientific American
6th cousin 1 time removed
via Tristam Coffin
Rear Admiral Philip H. Cooper
United States Navy
17th cousin 4 times removed
via Edward I, King of England
Rear Admiral Philip H. Cooper
United States Navy
19th cousin 2 times removed
via Sir Humphrey de Bohun
Rear Admiral Philip H. Cooper
United States Navy
18th cousin 3 times removed
via Sir Hugh le Despencer
William Henry Burleigh
Poet and Journalist
17th cousin 2 times removed
via Edward I, King of England
Henry B. Quinby
52nd Governor of New Hampshire
17th cousin 2 times removed
via Edward I, King of England
Henry B. Quinby
52nd Governor of New Hampshire
19th cousin 2 times removed
via Sir Humphrey de Bohun
Meldrim Thomson Jr.
73rd Governor of New Hampshire
13th cousin 4 times removed
via Sir Walter Hungerford
View entire list of famous kin for Herman Melville
Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. These sources are attached to each ancestor so that you can personally judge their reliability. As with any good genealogical research, if you discover a link to your own family tree, consider it a starting point for further research. It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. FamousKin.com cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of these sources.