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.