Whaling Ships out of Whitby - 18th Century

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I would very much appreciate it if someone could point me to a good source of background info on the whaling ships that sailed out of Whitby in the 18th C.
My gt-gt-gt-gt-grandfather John Kershaw was apparently a ship's surgeon (sometimes these men were no more than medical students, I've been told), and when a huge storm blew up off the coast of Greenland in 1788 he vowed if he came safely through it he'd follow the Methodist faith...
Well, he survived, and became an itinerant preacher for the next 50 years of his life before settling in Stoke Newington, London.  I'd love to find out more about this whaling thing, though...
Very best wishes,
Keith

[drakes]

Hi,
  BBC North-East did a film in 1979 about Whitby and its association with
the whaling industry titled "The Whale Hunter"- maybe at your local library for loan?

 drakes

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Drakes,
That was a lightning response! and thanks for that information.  I'll see if I can get hold of a copy of that programme.  The last time I was on the whaling theme was when I watched "Moby Dick", the film, YEARS ago.  Wasn't it Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab...?
Keith

[drakes]

Yes, I think Gregory Peck, but not sure - I also did check the London Times historical index for you, but nothing notable in shipping news or 'disasters' with Whitby and whaling  - unless you know more about the Greenland incident that impacted your relative's decision to leave the open seas for land- anyway, amazing lives they had -

   drakes

[Keith Sherwood]

I imagine that John Kershaw must have got down on his knees and prayed for the safe deliverance of his ship with all its crew, including, most importantly, himself.  Perhaps he made some kind of promise that if they were indeed saved, he would show his thanks by becoming a religious man thereafter.
So I suppose there was no disaster/wreck as a result - and therefore no dreadful tale to be put on record somewhere.
This story is told in rather flowery prose in his biography which is amongst those of other Methodist Ministers, and was sent to me by someone at the Ryland Library in Manchester, I believe...
Keith

[RuthieB]

It might also be an idea to post this on the North Riding page as it might be seen by more people who know about these things (I'm just snooping on the East Riding). There is a literary society in Whitby based in Pannet Park - don't know if they have a website - but they have a terrific archive on all things to do with Whitby and whaling.
Cheers, RuthieB

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, RuthieB,
Thanks so much for taking the time to make this suggestion, and I'll certainly see whether they know more about Whitby in the North Riding, instead...
Very best wishes,
Keith

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I posted a question about the whaling ships out of Whitby in April, and have just been advised - and I realise my mistake now - that I really ought to have done this here, rather than on the East Riding site.
I'd like to know where I could go to discover details about Whitby and its whaling ships - my gt-gt-gt-gt-grandfather was on a whaler that had set out from here and was in a violent storm off the coast of Greenland in 1788.  He was a young ship's surgeon, but as a result of this life-threatening experience, he became a Methodist Minister for the rest of his life.
Are there records of ships' names, or crew lists, for this era?
Very best wishes,
Keith

[Shipwright23]

http://www.explorenorth.com/whalers/ whalers hertiage site
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JACKIE_SANDERS/  Excellent site
http://www.whitbyarchives.org.uk/  Whitby Archives
http://www.durain.demon.co.uk/ whitby museum mark email Lit & Phil
 My site list whitby lists whalingships
http://www.whitby-yorkshire.co.uk/whaling/whaling.htm
if you know the name of the ship i can look in the weatherill book to see what it says about it.
geoff
ps if you dont want to listen to the music switch off your speakers