Kinooleoliliha
Encyclopedia
Kinooleoliliha Pitman née Hoolulu (c. 1827–1855), also written as Kinoole-o-Liliha, was a member of the royal family during the Kingdom of Hawaii
. She was known as Mrs. Pitman after her marriage. In the Hawaiian language
, kino 'ole means "thin" and liliha can mean "heartsick".
. Her paternal grandfather was High Chief Kameeiamoku, one of the royal twins (with Kamanawa
) who advised Kamehameha I
, and paternal grandmother was High Chiefess Kahikoloa.
Her mother was High Chiefess Charlotte Halaki Cox, whose father lent his name to Keeaumoku II, the Governor of Maui.
Her father and uncle Hoapili
were chosen to conceal the bones of Kamehameha I in a secret hiding place after his death.
They placed the bones of the king in a cave along the coastline; it was a great honor to be the last to touch the bones of the king.
Her brothers were the High Chief Kaiheekai and the High Chief Mooheau-nui-i-Kaaiawaawa-o-Ulu and her only known sister was the High Chiefess Kahinu-o-kekuaukalani, who married William Beckley (1814–1871), the hapa-haole son of Captain George Charles Beckley (1787–1826), an English sea captain and close friend of Kamehameha I, and his Hawaiian wife, the Chiefess Ahia (1792–1854). Some of her famous cousins include: High Chief Kamanawa II
and High Chief Aikanaka, sons of her uncle High Chief Kepookalani
and grandfathers of Queen Liliuokalani and King David Kalakaua
; the High Chiefess Kapiolani
, daughter of her aunt High Chiefess Kekikipaa; the High Chiefess Keouawahine, daughter of her aunt High Chiefess Loewahine and grandmother of Princess Ruth Keelikolani
; and Kuini Liliha
, the daughter of her uncle the High Chief Hoapili.
From her father she inherited vast lands in Hilo and Olaa. King Kamehameha III
granted her control of the ahupuaa of Hilo, thereby making her high chiefess. It was customary that when the lehua
s started to bloom, the first blossoms had be strung into the lei
s for Kinoole. These flowers were called the "Lehuas of Panaewa". This is one of the remnant traces of the kapu system
which gave the noble class special privileges and sacredness.
She married Benjamin Pitman, born in Salem, Massachusetts
who had arrived in Hawaii from New England
in 1836.
Pitman was a prominent businessman in Hilo and Honolulu. He owned a store or ship chandlery in Hilo and in Honolulu took up banking. This marriage, an example of a businessman marrying a landholding high chiefess, such as Kaoanaeha
and Namokuelua to John Young
, Nakai Nalimaalualu and Kalukuna to Isaac Davis, Bernice Pauahi Paki to Charles Reed Bishop
, Likelike
to Archibald S. Cleghorn, Liliuokalani to John Owen Dominis
, and Rachel Keliikipikaaneokoolakala to Samuel Parker. Such marriages paved the way for the ranches, plantations, banks and other businesses, through the investment of foreign capital. These chiefesses enjoyed a better life than most women of their time; they had more land than their husband, and spousal abuse by their commoner husbands was unheard of.
Like many of the elites of the Hawaiian kingdom, the couple moved to the new capital of Honolulu. They built a beautiful two story house named Waialeale ("rippling water") at the corner of Alakea and Beretania Streets, now the site of the Honolulu Gas Company office. Surrounded by an iron fence, the walks were paved with tiles. She died soon after the construction of her new home. Her funeral probably had the spirituality and solemnity traditionally associated with the Hawaiian nobility. Instead of a Honolulu funeral, she was buried on the Big Island
, her ancestral home. Her remains were taken to Hilo with a large entourage of relatives and friends. The people of Hilo swam out in great numbers to the boat and bore the casket on their shoulders. Native Hawaiians had a strong love and loyalty to their alii (nobility and royalty) unmatched in either Europe or Asia. Their funerals were customarily marked by great mourning and wailing.
but later changed to Kinoole street in her honor.
The Kinoole Baptist Church, is located at coordinates 19°41′42"N 155°4′10"W.
In 1851, Benjamin Pitman bought the "Post Boy", a 44 ton topsail schooner built in Auckland
, New Zealand
that had arrived from San Francisco on November 22, 1850. It had been previously sold to a native by the name of Philip Nation who registered and ran her for a time under her foreign name. Pitman changed her name to the "Kinoole" after his wife. The "Kinoole" plied as a windward packet on various routes, with occasional trips to Kauai
. She was sold to R. Robinson and J. A. Simmons in 1852, Jas. Dawson and Paniani in 1853, D. Fredison and T.E. Cook and P.H. Treadway in 1856, A. K. Clark and O. H. Culick in 1858, and later to E. W. Clark and S. L. Austin. On February 1, 1859, the "Kinoole" sailed from Honolulu and landed on Kealakekua Bay
two days later. Onboard was the President of Punahou School
who wanted to see the recent eruption of Mauna Loa
. On August 24, 1860, she finally wrecked on the shores of Niihau
.
After her death on August 18, 1855, Pitman remarried, but after his second wife also died, took his three children to attend schools in Boston.
Besides short trips back to Hawaii, her daughter Mary did not return to Hawaii until 1881.
Kinoole's descendants from her son Keolaokalani still live in Massachusetts
. Many of her descendants were named for her.
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...
. She was known as Mrs. Pitman after her marriage. In 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...
, kino 'ole means "thin" and liliha can mean "heartsick".
Life
Her father was High Chief HooluluHoolulu
Hoolulu was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great". He was one of a select few to know the secret resting place of Kamehameha, and his descendants continue the tradition of guarding...
. Her paternal grandfather was High Chief Kameeiamoku, one of the royal twins (with Kamanawa
Kamanawa
Kamanawa was a Hawaiian high chief and early supporter of King Kamehameha I, known as one of the royal niau-pio twins with his brother Kameeiamoku...
) who advised 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...
, and paternal grandmother was High Chiefess Kahikoloa.
Her mother was High Chiefess Charlotte Halaki Cox, whose father lent his name to Keeaumoku II, the Governor of Maui.
Her father and uncle Hoapili
Hoapili
Ulumāheihei Hoapili was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great"...
were chosen to conceal the bones of Kamehameha I in a secret hiding place after his death.
They placed the bones of the king in a cave along the coastline; it was a great honor to be the last to touch the bones of the king.
Her brothers were the High Chief Kaiheekai and the High Chief Mooheau-nui-i-Kaaiawaawa-o-Ulu and her only known sister was the High Chiefess Kahinu-o-kekuaukalani, who married William Beckley (1814–1871), the hapa-haole son of Captain George Charles Beckley (1787–1826), an English sea captain and close friend of Kamehameha I, and his Hawaiian wife, the Chiefess Ahia (1792–1854). Some of her famous cousins include: High Chief Kamanawa II
Kamanawa II
Kamanawa II known as Kamanawa Ōpio or Kamanawa Elua was a Hawaiian high chief and grandfather of the last two ruling monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii, King David Kalākaua and Queen Lydia Makaeha Liliuokalani. His family had a good reputation until 1840 when he was convicted of murdering his...
and High Chief Aikanaka, sons of her uncle High Chief Kepookalani
Kepookalani
Kepookalani was a High Chief during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii.Two of his grandchildren would marry, and two of his great-grandchildren would be the last two ruling monarchs of the Kingdom.-Life:Kepookalani was born around 1760...
and grandfathers of Queen Liliuokalani and King David Kalakaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
; the High Chiefess Kapiolani
Chiefess Kapiolani
High Chiefess Kapiolani was an important member of the Hawaiian nobility at the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the arrival of Christian missionaries...
, daughter of her aunt High Chiefess Kekikipaa; the High Chiefess Keouawahine, daughter of her aunt High Chiefess Loewahine and grandmother of Princess Ruth Keelikolani
Keelikolani
Princess Ruth Luka Keanolani Kauanahoahoa Keelikōlani , was a member of the Kamehameha family, the founding dynasty of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She served as Royal Governor of the Island of Hawaii. As primary heir to the Kamehameha family, Ruth became a landholder of what would become the Bernice...
; and Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha was a High Chiefess in the ancient Hawaiian tradition and served the Kingdom of Hawaii as royal governor of Oahu island. She administered the island from 1829 to 1831 following the death of her first husband.-Early life:...
, the daughter of her uncle the High Chief Hoapili.
From her father she inherited vast lands in Hilo and Olaa. King 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...
granted her control of the ahupuaa of Hilo, thereby making her high chiefess. It was customary that when the lehua
Lehua
Lehua is a small, crescent-shaped island in the Hawaiian islands, only north of Niihau, due west of Kauai. The uninhabited, barren island is a tuff cone which is part of the extinct Niihau volcano....
s started to bloom, the first blossoms had be strung into the lei
Lei
Lei may refer to:* Lei, the plural form of Leu, the name of two currencies. See Romanian leu and Moldovan leu* Lei , a Hawaiian flower necklace* Lei , a Chinese name* Lei, Italy, a town in Sardinia...
s for Kinoole. These flowers were called the "Lehuas of Panaewa". This is one of the remnant traces of the kapu system
Kapu
Kapu refers to the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations. The kapu system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics, religion, etc. An offense that was kapu was often a corporal offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of mana. Kapus were...
which gave the noble class special privileges and sacredness.
She married Benjamin Pitman, born in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
who had arrived in Hawaii from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1836.
Pitman was a prominent businessman in Hilo and Honolulu. He owned a store or ship chandlery in Hilo and in Honolulu took up banking. This marriage, an example of a businessman marrying a landholding high chiefess, such as Kaoanaeha
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...
and Namokuelua to 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...
, Nakai Nalimaalualu and Kalukuna to Isaac Davis, Bernice Pauahi Paki to Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop
Charles Reed Bishop was a businessman and philanthropist in Hawaii.Born in Glens Falls, New York, he sailed to Hawaii in 1846 at the age of 24, and made his home there. Bishop was one of the first trustees of and a major donor to the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii...
, Likelike
Likelike
Miriam Kapili Kekāuluohi Likelike was a Princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii, sister of the last two ruling monarchs, mother of Princess Kaiulani, last heir to the throne, and mistress of the [[ʻĀinahau]] estate.-Life:...
to Archibald S. Cleghorn, Liliuokalani to John Owen Dominis
John Owen Dominis
John Owen Dominis was an American-born statesman. He became Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii upon his marriage to the last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani...
, and Rachel Keliikipikaaneokoolakala to Samuel Parker. Such marriages paved the way for the ranches, plantations, banks and other businesses, through the investment of foreign capital. These chiefesses enjoyed a better life than most women of their time; they had more land than their husband, and spousal abuse by their commoner husbands was unheard of.
Like many of the elites of the Hawaiian kingdom, the couple moved to the new capital of Honolulu. They built a beautiful two story house named Waialeale ("rippling water") at the corner of Alakea and Beretania Streets, now the site of the Honolulu Gas Company office. Surrounded by an iron fence, the walks were paved with tiles. She died soon after the construction of her new home. Her funeral probably had the spirituality and solemnity traditionally associated with the Hawaiian nobility. Instead of a Honolulu funeral, she was buried on the Big Island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, her ancestral home. Her remains were taken to Hilo with a large entourage of relatives and friends. The people of Hilo swam out in great numbers to the boat and bore the casket on their shoulders. Native Hawaiians had a strong love and loyalty to their alii (nobility and royalty) unmatched in either Europe or Asia. Their funerals were customarily marked by great mourning and wailing.
Issues
Kinoole and Benjamin Pitman had three children:- Mary Ann Kinoole Kaaumokulani Pitman (1838/41-1905), later Mrs. Mary Ailau, a intimate friend and bridesmaid of Queen EmmaQueen Emma of HawaiiQueen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naea Rooke of Hawaii was queen consort of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She ran for ruling monarch against King David Kalākaua but was defeated....
, who married Kamehameha IVKamehameha IVKamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
. In her youth, she was known as the "Belle of Hilo Bay". She married in late life to Jack Ailau, a printer and musician of Honolulu. She died childless at Hilo in 1905, ten years after her husband. - Henry Hoolulu Pitman (1843–1863), served in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as a private in the Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, was taken prisoner, and died being held at Libby PrisonLibby PrisonLibby Prison was a Confederate Prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It gained an infamous reputation for the harsh conditions under which prisoners from the Union Army were kept.- Overview :...
in February 27, 1863. He was placed in the colored regimentUnited States Colored TroopsThe United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
even though he was 9/16th white. He was buried in the Oahu CemeteryOahu CemeteryThe Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemetery....
. - Benjamin Keolaokalani Franklin Pitman (1852-1918), married Almira Hollander (1854–1939), from Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, MassachusettsBrookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, and he had descendants. Among his descendants is Theodore Pitman, great-great grandson of Kinoole who donated some of his great-great grandfather's manuscript that accounted the events of the early period of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Legacy
Pitman Street in Hilo was named for her husband,but later changed to Kinoole street in her honor.
The Kinoole Baptist Church, is located at coordinates 19°41′42"N 155°4′10"W.
In 1851, Benjamin Pitman bought the "Post Boy", a 44 ton topsail schooner built in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
that had arrived from San Francisco on November 22, 1850. It had been previously sold to a native by the name of Philip Nation who registered and ran her for a time under her foreign name. Pitman changed her name to the "Kinoole" after his wife. The "Kinoole" plied as a windward packet on various routes, with occasional trips to Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. She was sold to R. Robinson and J. A. Simmons in 1852, Jas. Dawson and Paniani in 1853, D. Fredison and T.E. Cook and P.H. Treadway in 1856, A. K. Clark and O. H. Culick in 1858, and later to E. W. Clark and S. L. Austin. On February 1, 1859, the "Kinoole" sailed from Honolulu and landed on Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona.Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings on...
two days later. Onboard was the President of Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
who wanted to see the recent eruption of Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
. On August 24, 1860, she finally wrecked on the shores of Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...
.
After her death on August 18, 1855, Pitman remarried, but after his second wife also died, took his three children to attend schools in Boston.
Besides short trips back to Hawaii, her daughter Mary did not return to Hawaii until 1881.
Kinoole's descendants from her son Keolaokalani still live in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Many of her descendants were named for her.
