Jean Baptiste Rives
Encyclopedia
Jean Baptiste Rives was a French
adventurer who served in the court of the Kingdom of Hawaii
. His first name was sometimes spelled John and last name Reeves by English speakers. Some sources give other middle names.
(part of the region of Gascony
) circa 1793. He arrived in the Hawaiian Islands
sometime between 1803 and 1810, probably as a cabin boy or steward given his youth. He must have had an ear for learning new languages, since he spoke at least French and English, and picked up the Hawaiian language
quickly. About the same age as the sons of King Kamehameha I
, he became a close friend of the boys and became useful as an interpreter for the growing number of foreign visitors.
Royal teacher John Papa Īī had him give the Princes language lessons.
His short stature earned him the Hawaiian language
nickname Luahine ("Old Woman").
but when Prince Liholiho became King as Kamehameha II
in May 1819 Rives became part of his "inner circle"; personal secretary and binge drinking companion.
Rives was granted land on four different islands.
On August 8, 1819 French explorer Louis de Freycinet
(1779–1842) arrived on the ship Uranie and Rives acted as interpreter. On August 12, ship chaplain Abbé de Quélen performed a Roman Catholic Baptism
ceremony on chief minister Kalanimoku
and on August 27 island Governor Boki. Rives tried to convince others to join the ceremony, but people who would often plunge into the Pacific found it hard to believe a spoonful of water had much power.
Jacques Arago
describes him as a strange sight: Rives was under four feet tall, while native Hawaiians were much larger than Europeans at the time. Rives was wearing an elegant silk robe that had to be tied up because it was far too large. Although Rives boasted of having sailed to china several times, being the son of a famous physician and curing the natives with his medicines, the fellow Gascons of crew were embarrassed by his claims. In his journal Arago says:
When the first Protestant missionaries arrived in March 1820, Rives advised the king to send them away. However, the Queen Regent Kaahumanu and other chiefs were convinced by British advisor John Young
and some Hawaiians on the ship to let them stay. This religious tension would be a long-lasting conflict.
Rives was appointed captain of the royal yacht
Cleopatra's Barge
when purchased in January 1821, but probably served in only an honorary capacity since he was not known for his maritime skills.
He opened one of the first hotels in downtown Honolulu
about 1822, and ran a grog
shop in the hotel.
Rives had several children while in Hawaii from a Hawaiian wife of noble birth named Holau: twin daughters Theresa Owana Kaheiheimalie Rives (1815–1850) and Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Rives (1815-after 1869?) and a son John Lafayette Rives (1822-after 1869?). Queen Kaahumanu adopted these girls and raised them as Princesses. Gideon Peleioholani Laanui
married Theresa.
Virginia first married American Henry Augustus Peirce
and had a son Henry E. Pierce (born 1833). Since there were no official records kept in this era, the legitimacy claim became a notable court case when H.A. Peirce returned almost 40 years later.
She then divorced in 1837, moved to Siberia
and married a Russian.
on a state visit to London
in November 1823. English missionary William Ellis wanted to return to England and act as interpreter, even offering to pay for his passage, but somehow Rives convinced Starbuck to select him instead.
While waiting for the royal audience, the king, queen, and other members of the court died from measles
. Rives wrote a letter to Kalanimoku giving official notice of the death of the king which was printed in the English newspapers. He accompanied the royal bodies to St Martin-in-the-Fields
church where they awaited transportation back home. It would be one of his last official acts.
The royal entourage had left with $25,000 in their treasure chest, but only $10,000 remained by the time they arrived in London. Rives was suspected of taking or spending the funds, perhaps with Captain Starbuck as accomplice, who quickly departed. Without the king's protection, he might have realized his services were no longer wanted. Another theory was he wanted to visit relatives; for whatever reason he did not accompany the surviving members of the court on the on their way back to Hawaii on September 8, 1824. John Young's son James Kānehoa
took over official duties as interpreter.
First he tried to convince investors in London to partner with him in a business venture, but found no takers. He then went to Paris
and claimed to still represent the Kingdom of Hawaii. He raised financing in early 1826 from banker Jacques Laffitte
and other investors including the Javal family
to form a joint stock company
to profit from trade with Hawaii. He also signed a treaty with the French government which guaranteed his firm favorable trading rights. They did not trust Rives to totally run the expedition, so hired Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly (1790–1849) as commander. They sailed from Le Havre
on Le Héros on April 10, 1826 to Alta California
. The French were more interested in exploiting the vast western coast of North American than isolated Pacific islands.
under the Spanish commander José de la Guerra y Noriega
. They then proceeded to Monterey, California
, and were surprised to see a ship flying a French flag.
While in Paris, Rives had asked for Catholic missionaries to be sent to Hawaii, and promised to fund the church after it arrived. Eventually word reached Pope Leo XII
who appointed Alexis Bachelot
of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
to lead the group which left November 21, 1826 on La Comète under command of Captain Plassard. They arrived July, 1827, and the passengers found out they were not wanted in Hawaii. Plassard was told to take the passengers away, but his contract fulfilled, he left without them. It was La Comète that they met in Monterey; Duhaut-Cilly was starting to become more doubtful of Rives.
They went back to Santa Barbara, and on September 13, 1827 met a schooner Waverly under Captain William Sumner that had sailed from Hawaii.
They chartered the Waverly for Rives to engage in trade along the Pacific Northwest
and planned a rendez-vous with Duhaut-Cilly next summer. On October, 1827 Duhaut-Cilly left for Peru
on Le Héros and returned to Monterey in July 1828. While waiting for Rives he grew impatient, and started loading horses on board to sell in Hawaii. When the Waverley finally returned in late September to Monterey to meet Duhaut-Cilly, Rives was not even on board.
From Captain Sumner and Rives' letters, he discovered Rives had gone south to Mexico
and lost all his cargo "in consequence of his imprudent conduct and his incapacity."
When Duhaut-Cilly did arrive in the islands, he was told Rives' universal opinion was negative, and all his lands had been given away to others.
Rives died August 18, 1833 in Mexico, never seeing his family nor Hawaii again.
(translation of French)
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
adventurer who served in the court of 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...
. His first name was sometimes spelled John and last name Reeves by English speakers. Some sources give other middle names.
Life
Jean Baptiste Rives was born in the city of BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
(part of the region of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
) circa 1793. He arrived in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
sometime between 1803 and 1810, probably as a cabin boy or steward given his youth. He must have had an ear for learning new languages, since he spoke at least French and English, and picked up the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
quickly. About the same age as the sons of King 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...
, he became a close friend of the boys and became useful as an interpreter for the growing number of foreign visitors.
Royal teacher John Papa Īī had him give the Princes language lessons.
His short stature earned him the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
nickname Luahine ("Old Woman").
Rise to favor
He was not mentioned by a French visitor in early 1819,but when Prince Liholiho became King as 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...
in May 1819 Rives became part of his "inner circle"; personal secretary and binge drinking companion.
Rives was granted land on four different islands.
On August 8, 1819 French explorer Louis de Freycinet
Louis de Freycinet
Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet was a French navigator. He circumnavigated the earth, and was one of the first to produce a comprehensive map of the coastline of Australia.-Biography:...
(1779–1842) arrived on the ship Uranie and Rives acted as interpreter. On August 12, ship chaplain Abbé de Quélen performed a Roman Catholic Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
ceremony on chief minister Kalanimoku
Kalanimoku
William Pitt Kalanimoku was a High Chief who functioned similar to a prime minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II and the beginning of the reign of Kamehameha III. He was called The Iron Cable of Hawaii because of his abilities.-Life:Kalanimoku was born ...
and on August 27 island Governor Boki. Rives tried to convince others to join the ceremony, but people who would often plunge into the Pacific found it hard to believe a spoonful of water had much power.
Jacques Arago
Jacques Arago
Jacques Étienne Victor Arago was a French writer, artist and explorer, author of a Voyage Round the World.-Biography:...
describes him as a strange sight: Rives was under four feet tall, while native Hawaiians were much larger than Europeans at the time. Rives was wearing an elegant silk robe that had to be tied up because it was far too large. Although Rives boasted of having sailed to china several times, being the son of a famous physician and curing the natives with his medicines, the fellow Gascons of crew were embarrassed by his claims. In his journal Arago says:
"...his fibs, if he told them with better grace and adroitness, would be the only indication by which you could guess what countryman he was."
When the first Protestant missionaries arrived in March 1820, Rives advised the king to send them away. However, the Queen Regent Kaahumanu and other chiefs were convinced by British advisor John Young
John 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...
and some Hawaiians on the ship to let them stay. This religious tension would be a long-lasting conflict.
Rives was appointed captain of the royal yacht
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
Cleopatra's Barge
Cleopatra's Barge
Cleopatra's Barge was an opulent yacht built in Massachusetts in 1816. It became the Royal Yacht of King Kamehameha II who named it Haaheo o Hawaii , but was wrecked in the Hawaiian Islands in 1824.-Building:...
when purchased in January 1821, but probably served in only an honorary capacity since he was not known for his maritime skills.
He opened one of the first hotels in downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, governmental, and central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District...
about 1822, and ran a grog
Grog
The word grog refers to a variety of alcoholic beverages. The word originally referred to a drink made with water or "small beer" and rum, which British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the Royal Navy on 21 August 1740. Vernon wore a coat of grogram cloth and was nicknamed Old Grogram or...
shop in the hotel.
Rives had several children while in Hawaii from a Hawaiian wife of noble birth named Holau: twin daughters Theresa Owana Kaheiheimalie Rives (1815–1850) and Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Rives (1815-after 1869?) and a son John Lafayette Rives (1822-after 1869?). Queen Kaahumanu adopted these girls and raised them as Princesses. Gideon Peleioholani Laanui
Gideon Peleioholani Laanui
Gideon Peleioholani Laanui was a Hawaiian chief who was grandnephew of Kamehameha the Great who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. From him descends the House of Laanui.-Early life:...
married Theresa.
Virginia first married American Henry Augustus Peirce
Henry A. Peirce
Henry Augustus Peirce was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.-Early life and business:...
and had a son Henry E. Pierce (born 1833). Since there were no official records kept in this era, the legitimacy claim became a notable court case when H.A. Peirce returned almost 40 years later.
She then divorced in 1837, moved to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and married a Russian.
Back to Europe
Rives was one of the party chosen by Kamehameha II to take the ship L'Aigle (French for "The Eagle") under Captain Valentine StarbuckStarbuck (whaling family)
The Starbuck family were a group of whalers operating out of Nantucket, Massachusetts from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Some members of the family gained wider exposure due to their discovery of various islands in the Pacific Ocean....
on a state visit to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in November 1823. English missionary William Ellis wanted to return to England and act as interpreter, even offering to pay for his passage, but somehow Rives convinced Starbuck to select him instead.
While waiting for the royal audience, the king, queen, and other members of the court died from measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
. Rives wrote a letter to Kalanimoku giving official notice of the death of the king which was printed in the English newspapers. He accompanied the royal bodies to St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
church where they awaited transportation back home. It would be one of his last official acts.
The royal entourage had left with $25,000 in their treasure chest, but only $10,000 remained by the time they arrived in London. Rives was suspected of taking or spending the funds, perhaps with Captain Starbuck as accomplice, who quickly departed. Without the king's protection, he might have realized his services were no longer wanted. Another theory was he wanted to visit relatives; for whatever reason he did not accompany the surviving members of the court on the on their way back to Hawaii on September 8, 1824. John Young's son James Kānehoa
James Kanehoa
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.-Life:...
took over official duties as interpreter.
First he tried to convince investors in London to partner with him in a business venture, but found no takers. He then went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and claimed to still represent the Kingdom of Hawaii. He raised financing in early 1826 from banker Jacques Laffitte
Jacques Laffitte
Jacques Laffitte was a French banker and politician.-Biography:Laffitte was born at Bayonne, one of the ten children of a carpenter....
and other investors including the Javal family
Javal family
The Javal family originated in Alsace. They benefited from Napoleon I's policy of openness toward Jews, and in the nineteenth century experienced a remarkable ascent, with family members becoming prominent bankers, industrialists, physicians, public officials and artists...
to form a joint stock company
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
to profit from trade with Hawaii. He also signed a treaty with the French government which guaranteed his firm favorable trading rights. They did not trust Rives to totally run the expedition, so hired Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly (1790–1849) as commander. They sailed from Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
on Le Héros on April 10, 1826 to Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. The French were more interested in exploiting the vast western coast of North American than isolated Pacific islands.
Demise
Le Héros arrived March 29, 1827 at Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
under the Spanish commander José de la Guerra y Noriega
José de la Guerra y Noriega
José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega was a soldier and early settler of California.-Biography:José de la Guerra was born 1779 at Novales, Cantabria, Spain. As a boy he wished to be a friar...
. They then proceeded to Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, and were surprised to see a ship flying a French flag.
While in Paris, Rives had asked for Catholic missionaries to be sent to Hawaii, and promised to fund the church after it arrived. Eventually word reached Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII
Pope Leo XII , born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga, was Pope from 1823 to 1829.-Life:...
who appointed Alexis Bachelot
Alexis Bachelot
Alexis John Augustine Bachelot was a Roman Catholic priest best known for his tenure as the first Prefect Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands. In that role, he led the first Catholic mission to the Kingdom of Hawaii....
of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, priests, and nuns...
to lead the group which left November 21, 1826 on La Comète under command of Captain Plassard. They arrived July, 1827, and the passengers found out they were not wanted in Hawaii. Plassard was told to take the passengers away, but his contract fulfilled, he left without them. It was La Comète that they met in Monterey; Duhaut-Cilly was starting to become more doubtful of Rives.
They went back to Santa Barbara, and on September 13, 1827 met a schooner Waverly under Captain William Sumner that had sailed from Hawaii.
They chartered the Waverly for Rives to engage in trade along the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and planned a rendez-vous with Duhaut-Cilly next summer. On October, 1827 Duhaut-Cilly left for Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
on Le Héros and returned to Monterey in July 1828. While waiting for Rives he grew impatient, and started loading horses on board to sell in Hawaii. When the Waverley finally returned in late September to Monterey to meet Duhaut-Cilly, Rives was not even on board.
From Captain Sumner and Rives' letters, he discovered Rives had gone south to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and lost all his cargo "in consequence of his imprudent conduct and his incapacity."
When Duhaut-Cilly did arrive in the islands, he was told Rives' universal opinion was negative, and all his lands had been given away to others.
Rives died August 18, 1833 in Mexico, never seeing his family nor Hawaii again.
Further reading
(French)(translation of French)