Swains Lost at Sea

I'm somewhat shocked at this list. The number of Swains from Nantucket who -- just in this record -- died at sea is lengthy and their journeys took them far from home. This is a list from Nantucket spanning a time period between 1744-1850. We know that even more Swains died at sea prior to this list, and if you look at the list as a whole, in-laws, cousins, friends, parents, siblings are listed with a variety of last names. Death was part of life on the island.

Taking risks, finding adventure, battling the biggest creatures, being thrilled by the hunt, on the lookout for Pirates . . . these were Swain traits through generations. The stories they must have told of near misses and the stories they shared of tragedy I'm sure would fill volumes. 

From Nantucket they traveled to the West Indies, Savannah, Virginia, the Pacific Ocean, Guinea, Brazil, New Orleans, Halifax, England, and Jamaica. For that time period, they were true explorers. 

https://nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topic/the-essex-and-its-legacy/lost-at-sea/