Daily AncestorWhaler
A whaler was a person who hunted whales at sea for their oil and bone, usually on long voyages from New England ports.
American whaling peaked in the 1840s and 1850s, centered on New Bedford and Nantucket. Voyages lasted years, and crews were paid a share of the catch instead of wages.
Many whalemen were young, and crews included Black and Native American sailors. Crew lists and shipping papers often record age, height, complexion and hometown.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Elisha Hatch, 22, Whaler, Mass.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Whaler." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/whaler. Last checked 2026-10-01.