James Kanehoa
Encyclopedia
James Young Kānehoa was a member of the court of King Kamehameha II
and Kamehameha III
during the Kingdom of Hawaii
. Sometimes he is confused with his half-brother John Kaleipaihala Young II
known as Keoni Ana.
who was the British advisor of Kamehameha I
.
Kānehoa was Young's second son by his first wife, the chiefess Namokuelua of Oahu aristocracy. His mother was of chiefly rank, though not high. Kānehoa had an elder brother named Robert Young
, born in 1796. His father had four children from another wife named Kaōanaeha
who was the niece of Kamehameha I. His half-siblings were Fanny Kekela, Grace Kamaikui
, Jane Lahilahi
, and John Kaleipaihala.
He left Hawaii at a young age, perhaps at the age of nine. He was sent to the United States to be educated along with his brother Robert. Robert would join the US Army and die in the War of 1812
. He became a merchant mariner like his father; for many years he sailed between Philadelphia, his home port, and England
. Eventually, his experience abroad and his fluency in English led to recognization by Kamehameha II
when Kānehoa returned to Hawaii. Kānehoa was entrusted with the official letters of introduction and served as translator. Kamehameha II, his queen and three other chiefs contracted the measles and died abroad. He survived and interpreted for High Chief Boki, the new leader of the royal party, when he met King George IV
. Kānehoa accompanied the bodies of his king and queen back to Honolulu on the in 1825.
He served as a member of the House of Nobles
during Kamehameha III's reign from 1845 to 1851. From 1846 he was a member of the first Board of Land Commissioners under Kamehameha III
. Other members were William Richards
, John Ricord, John Papa Ii, and Zorobabel Kaauwai. Their duties were to settle or quiet land claims during the great Mahele
. He also was the governor of Maui 1842–1851 when he had to deal with a smallpox
epidemic. He died October 1, 1851, not long after his stepmother Kaōanaeha and was buried in the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
later in the Wylie Tomb or the John Young's Tomb. He was a patient at Rooke House
, the place so connected with the Young family.
, his father's comrade in arms. The wedding ceremony was performed by and English chaplain, and Mrs. Laura Judd states that it may have been the first Christian marriage in the Hawaiian Islands.
He and Sarah had no children of their own but they hānai (adopted) one from Kānehoa's sister Jane Lahilahi and her husband Joshua Kaeo. This boy was named Keliimaikai Kaeo and called Alebada, but he died one year later. One other marriage was to Haale and they had a daughter named Jane Lahilahi Young (1812–1862). This Jane was born in 1812, prior to her aunt Jane Lahilahi Young, so her aunt couldn't have been her namesake. Jane married a chief name Nuuanu and had a son named Samuel Nuuanu.
Kānehoa's last marriage was to Hikoni Kahele. During the last six years of his life, he got to know his young niece Emma Rooke. He made his wishes clear to his wife, Hikoni, that his home in Lawai, a large ahupuaa that he owned in the district of Koloa, Kauai where he served as a judge for a time, should one day be given to her. The rest of his lands were inherited by his widow and after her death willed to Emma.
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
and Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
during the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
. Sometimes he is confused with his half-brother John Kaleipaihala Young II
Keoni Ana
John Kaleipaihala Young II sometimes called Keoni Ana Opio was a politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, serving as Kuhina Nui of the Hawaiian Islands and Minister of Interior.-Early life:...
known as Keoni Ana.
Life
He was born August 7, 1797 at Kawaihae, Hawaii. His father was John YoungJohn Young (Hawaii)
John Young was a British subject who became an important military advisor to Kamehameha I during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was left behind by Simon Metcalfe, captain of the American ship Eleanora, and along with a Welshmen Isaac Davis became a friend and advisor to Kamehameha...
who was the British advisor of Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
.
Kānehoa was Young's second son by his first wife, the chiefess Namokuelua of Oahu aristocracy. His mother was of chiefly rank, though not high. Kānehoa had an elder brother named Robert Young
Robert Young (Hawaii)
Robert Young was a Hawaiian chief and the son of John Young, the British advisor of Kamehameha the Great. Named after his paternal grandfather, Robert Young of Lancashire, England, he was probably called Lopaka by his mother and other Hawaiians.-Early life:He was born February 14, 1796, the eldest...
, born in 1796. His father had four children from another wife named Kaōanaeha
Kaoanaeha
Kaōanaeha Mele or Mary Kuamoo Kaōanaeha was a Hawaiian high chiefess during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Parentage:She was born circa 1780...
who was the niece of Kamehameha I. His half-siblings were Fanny Kekela, Grace Kamaikui
Grace Kamaikui
Grace Kamaikui Young Rooke was a Hawaiian high chiefess who was daughter of the chief military advisor during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and adoptive mother of a future Queen consort.-Early Life and Marriage:...
, Jane Lahilahi
Jane Lahilahi
Jane Lahilahi Young Kaeo was a Hawaiian high chiefess and a daughter of John Young Olohana royal advisor of Kamehameha I.-Early life:She was born in May 1813, in Kawaihae, in the Kohala District, on the Island of Hawaii...
, and John Kaleipaihala.
He left Hawaii at a young age, perhaps at the age of nine. He was sent to the United States to be educated along with his brother Robert. Robert would join the US Army and die in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. He became a merchant mariner like his father; for many years he sailed between Philadelphia, his home port, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Eventually, his experience abroad and his fluency in English led to recognization by Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
when Kānehoa returned to Hawaii. Kānehoa was entrusted with the official letters of introduction and served as translator. Kamehameha II, his queen and three other chiefs contracted the measles and died abroad. He survived and interpreted for High Chief Boki, the new leader of the royal party, when he met King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. Kānehoa accompanied the bodies of his king and queen back to Honolulu on the in 1825.
He served as a member of the House of Nobles
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
during Kamehameha III's reign from 1845 to 1851. From 1846 he was a member of the first Board of Land Commissioners under Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
. Other members were William Richards
William Richards (Hawaii)
William Richards was a missionary and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Family life:William Richards was born in Plainfield, Massachusetts on August 22, 1793. His father was James Richards and mother was Lydia Shaw. He was schooled under Moses Hallock in Plainfield, attended Williams College...
, John Ricord, John Papa Ii, and Zorobabel Kaauwai. Their duties were to settle or quiet land claims during the great Mahele
Great Mahele
The Great Mahele or just the Mahele was the Hawaiian land redistribution act proposed by King Kamehameha III in the 1830s and enacted in 1848.-Overview:...
. He also was the governor of Maui 1842–1851 when he had to deal with a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic. He died October 1, 1851, not long after his stepmother Kaōanaeha and was buried in the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
later in the Wylie Tomb or the John Young's Tomb. He was a patient at Rooke House
Rooke House
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke was an English physician who married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He built a mansion called the Rooke House in Honolulu that became popular with political and social leaders of the Kingdom.-Life:...
, the place so connected with the Young family.
Marriage and children
Kānehoa married three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Kaniaulono Davis.the daughter of Isaac DavisIsaac Davis (Hawaii)
Isaac Davis was a Welsh advisor to Kamehameha I and helped form the Kingdom of Hawaii. He arrived in Hawaii in 1790 as the sole survivor of the massacre of the crew of The Fair American. He along with John Young became friends and advisors to Kamehameha...
, his father's comrade in arms. The wedding ceremony was performed by and English chaplain, and Mrs. Laura Judd states that it may have been the first Christian marriage in the Hawaiian Islands.
He and Sarah had no children of their own but they hānai (adopted) one from Kānehoa's sister Jane Lahilahi and her husband Joshua Kaeo. This boy was named Keliimaikai Kaeo and called Alebada, but he died one year later. One other marriage was to Haale and they had a daughter named Jane Lahilahi Young (1812–1862). This Jane was born in 1812, prior to her aunt Jane Lahilahi Young, so her aunt couldn't have been her namesake. Jane married a chief name Nuuanu and had a son named Samuel Nuuanu.
Kānehoa's last marriage was to Hikoni Kahele. During the last six years of his life, he got to know his young niece Emma Rooke. He made his wishes clear to his wife, Hikoni, that his home in Lawai, a large ahupuaa that he owned in the district of Koloa, Kauai where he served as a judge for a time, should one day be given to her. The rest of his lands were inherited by his widow and after her death willed to Emma.