George Pollard Jr.

George Pollard Jr. (c. 1791–1870) was the captain of the whalers Essex and Two Brothers, both of which sank. Following both events, he became a night watchman in his town of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Pollard's life, including his encounter with the sperm whale that sank Essex, likely served as inspiration for Captain Ahab, the whale-obsessed character in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. Pollard also appears as a character in Melville's Clarel. Various books and films have been created that explain the experiences of Pollard and his crews.