Memorials of the Sea: My Father Being Records of the Adventurous Life of the Late William Scoresby, Esq. of Whitby

A devoted son has gathered the scattered recollections, letters and testimonies of his father’s early life into a single, intimate volume. Born in 1760 on a modest farm near Whitby, the future seaman grew up among yeomen, attended a tiny village school only when the weather permitted, and spent his childhood shoulder‑deep in cattle work. These humble beginnings are presented with a clear respect for the perseverance and quiet dignity that marked his family’s long, if fading, lineage.

The narrative pivots on a single, unsettling episode that drove him from the farmyard to the harbor. Disgusted by the indignities of his household, the young man resolved to seek a different destiny among the ships of Whitby. What follows is a collection of the adventurous incidents that defined his early nautical career, offering listeners a vivid portrait of a boy who chose the open sea over a predictable life on land.