Starbuck (whaling family) facts for kids

The Starbuck family was a very important family in the history of whaling in the United States. They lived in Nantucket, Massachusetts, from the 1600s to the 1800s. Some family members became famous because they discovered many islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Valentine Starbuck: A Whaling Captain

Valentine Starbuck was born on May 22, 1791, in Nantucket. He was a descendant of some of the first European settlers on Nantucket. Valentine became a captain of several whaling ships (ships that hunted whales) in the Pacific Ocean.

A Royal Voyage and an Island Name

In 1823, Valentine was the captain of a British whaling ship called L'Aigle. The King of Hawaii, Kamehameha II, and his wife, Queen Kamāmalu, hired Valentine's ship for a trip to Britain. They wanted to visit England as special guests. Sadly, both the Hawaiian king and queen became sick with measles and died while in London.

Before this trip to London, Valentine had seen an island in the Pacific. It was later named Starbuck Island or Volunteer Island. When another captain, George Anson Byron, found this island later, he named it "Starbuck" to honor Valentine. However, Valentine's cousin, Obed Starbuck, had actually seen the island before Valentine did!

Obed Starbuck: The Explorer

Obed Starbuck was born on May 11, 1797, also in Nantucket. He passed away on June 27, 1882. Obed spent many years whaling in the Pacific and made some very important journeys.

Discovering Islands in the Pacific

From 1822 to 1824, Obed sailed on a ship called the Hero. This ship returned to Nantucket with a lot of sperm oil, which came from whales. During this trip, on September 5, 1823, Obed discovered an island. It is now known as Starbuck Island (sometimes called "Hero Island").

From 1824 to 1826, Obed was the captain of the ship Loper. On this voyage, he was the first European to visit an island in the Phoenix Islands group. He named this island "New Nantucket." Later, when it was found again in 1835, it was renamed Baker Island. Obed also named "Loper Island" (Niutao) and "Tracy Island" (Vaitupu). He also helped finish mapping the islands of Tuvalu. Another captain had started this mapping work earlier.

Obed continued his whaling trips on the Loper again from 1829 to 1830. He also sailed on the Rose in 1831 and the Zone from 1843 to 1846.

Alexander Starbuck: The Historian

Alexander Starbuck (1841–1925) was a member of the Starbuck family who wrote an important book. His book, called History of the American Whale Fishery, was published in 1878. It tells the story of whaling in America.