Misfortune

This week's prompt of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, "Misfortune",  offered up many options.  But one stood out more than any other, I think you'll understand why.

Owen Coffin was born August 1802 on Nantucket Island, to Hezekiah and Nancy Coffin.  He was born into a family of "whalers", men who hunted sperm whale for the oil, and at the age of 17, he set off on his first whaling voyage on the whaleship Essex.  His cousin, George Pollard, was the captain of the ship.

On November 20, 1819, a pod of whales was spotted. Two of the whaleboats had each harpooned whales, the first mate had remained on the Essex repairing a damaged whaleboat.  He noticed a whale acting strangely.  It suddenly started heading straight for the Essex at a very fast speed and smashed into the ship head-on.  It disappeared under water only to reemerge minutes later heading towards the ship again.  There was nothing they could do but try to save as much as they could - navigational instruments, bread, water and supplies - before the ship sunk.  By the time the whaleboats had returned, the Essex was almost completely gone.  The men and the supplies were divided up between the three whaleboats.  Owen remained with George.

They were challenged from the start.  Saltwater had saturated much of the bread and the men began to dehydrate as they ate their daily rations.  The boats were not made for long voyages and leaks became a serious concern.  In mid-December they landed on an island.  They found a small fresh water stream and many different things to eat but within a week they had eaten most of the island's food resources.  They decided to set out again, three men choosing to stay back. By January, the meager rations began to take a toll on the small whaleboats.  One man went mad and died.  The crew separated the limbs from the body and stripped the flesh from the bones.  They roasted the man's organs and ate them.  The body was committed to the sea.  Over the next few weeks, more men died and their bodies were also eaten.  The boats eventually lost sight of each other and were separated.

On Pollard's boat, the four men became weaker and weaker.  It had been nine weeks since they lost the Essex when they reasoned that without food they would all die.  On February 6, 1891, it was decided the men would draw lots to determine who would be eaten next.  Owen Coffin drew the black spot.  His cousin is said to have offered himself in place of Owen, but Owen wouldn't have it, saying the lots were chosen fair and square.  His friend drew the lot that required him to shoot Owen, and after a long pause, Owen rested his head on the boat's side and the trigger was pulled.  Owen's body was consumed by the remaining three men.  A week later, another died and was consumed.  The boat was rescued February 23, after 95 days at sea.  Only two men on Captain Pollard's boat were found.  Three men were found alive a week earlier on the first mate's boat.  Years later, the third boat was discovered, three skeletons aboard.  The three men who chose to stay on the island survived for nearly four months before being rescued.  First mate, Chase Owen, wrote a book.  It is said that his story inspired the book Moby Dick.

When I started researching my family history, I met with a woman who shared this story with me.  She is also a descendent of the Coffin family (from a different branch).  She shared with me the book "In The Heart of The Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick, the story of our ancestor, Owen Coffin, who sacrificed his life at sea to save others.  Books and songs have been written. In 2015, the movie "In The Heart of The Sea" was released, starring Chris Hemsworth as Captain George Pollard.

What an unfortunate life for young Owen to have lived.  Shipwrecked.  Lost at sea for two and a half months.  Choosing the losing lot and sacrificing his life.  Their boat being found less than three weeks later.