Thomas Nickerson

Thomas Gibson Nickerson ( born March 20, 1805 Nantucket, USA, † November 30, 1883 ) was an American sailor and later a hotelier. Nickerson's parents Thomas Nickerson sen. and Rebecca, nee Gibson, died already almost two years after his birth. Nickerson then hired as a 14- year-old cabin boy on the New England whaler Essex. This was 3100 km west of the Galapagos Islands attacked on November 20, 1820 in the Pacific by a sperm whale and to sink. Of the 21 crew members were able to drive after three months in the small whaling boats across the Pacific eight men who've been close to death, saved, among whom was Nickerson.

On November 26, 1821 Nickerson hired again on a whaler, the Two Brothers, captained by George Pollard has led the Essex and was also saved. The Two Brothers drove in Hawaii after a storm on a reef and was also lost. Again, Nickerson was with the team, but this time after a shorter time saved.

Then Nickerson ran a small hotel on Nantucket. In 1876, he brought at the instigation of journalist Leon Lewis his memories of the sinking of the Essex and the subsequent journey across the Pacific to their rescue to paper. This remained until 1960 but then ignored, and was only published in 1984, entitled The Loss of the Ship " Essex " Sunk by a Whale and the Ordeal of the Crew in Open Boats.