John Young ( 1742 – 17 December 1835) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
subject who became an important military advisor to
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
. He was left behind by Simon Metcalfe, captain of the American ship ''Eleanora'', and along with a Welshman
Isaac Davis became a friend and advisor to Kamehameha. He brought knowledge of the western world, including naval and land battle strategies, to Kamehameha, and became a strong voice on affairs of state for the Hawaiian Kingdom. He played a big role during Hawaii's first contacts with the European powers. He spent the rest of his life in Hawaii. Between 1802 and 1812, John Young ruled as Royal
Governor of Hawaii Island while King Kamehameha was away on other islands. He organized the construction of the fort at Honolulu Harbor. The Hawaiians gave him the name Olohana based on Young's typical command "All hands (on deck)".
["A Cultural History of Three Traditional Hawaiian Sites on the West Coast of Hawaii Island"](_blank)
by Diane Lee Rhodes, on National Park Service web site
Life
According to his tombstone, he was born in 1742 in
Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
;England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
** Crosby (U ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Other sources give his birth as 17 March 1744.
His father was Robert Young, also from Crosby, and mother Grace. He had two brothers: Peter and James.
The Youngs were of Scottish descent. After his death, two families from Massachusetts and Connecticut claimed that Young was American
and a member of their family, but all contemporary sources seem to indicate he was British.
Young served as
boatswain
A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...
on the ''Eleanora'', an American ship captained by Simon Metcalfe, engaged in the
maritime fur trade
The maritime fur trade was a ship-based fur trade system that focused on acquiring furs of sea otters and other animals from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and natives of Alaska. The furs were mostly sold in China in ex ...
between the Pacific Northwest and China. Sailing from
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
in 1789, the ''Eleanora'' put in at
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 (heiaus) and also ...
on the island of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
in February 1790. In March, Young went ashore to investigate the disappearance of the ''Eleanoras companion ship, the , under
Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe
Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe (also spelled Metcalf) ( – March 16, 1790) was an American maritime fur trader who worked with his father, Simon Metcalfe. After being separated from his father in a storm, Thomas sailed a small schooner with a crew of ...
, and he was detained because Kamehameha did not want Metcalfe to learn that his own forces had attacked her. Metcalfe waited for two days, but eventually sailed without Young. It was there that he met
Isaac Davis, a Welshman who was the only surviving member of ''Fair American''s crew.
In battles such as the
Battle of Nuʻuanu
The Battle of Nuʻuanu ( Hawaiian: ''Kalelekaʻanae''; literally the leaping mullet), fought in May 1795 on the southern part of the island of Oʻahu, was a key battle in the final days of King Kamehameha I's wars to conquer the Hawaiian Islands ...
, when the army of Kamehameha conquered Oahu, Young had charge of the cannon. He is credited with firing the shot that put an end to
Kaʻiana
Kaʻiana, also known as Keawe-Kaʻiana-a-Ahuula, (born about 1755 - died 1795) was a Native Hawaiian (kānaka ʻōiwi/maoli) warrior and ''aliʻi'' (noble) of Puna, Hawai‘i, who turned against Kamehameha I in 1795 during his conquest of Oahu an ...
, who had seceded from the invading army en route and joined
Kalanikūpule
Kalanikūpule (1760–1795) was the Alii nui of Maui, Mōī of Maui and King of Oahu, Oahu. He was the last king to physically fight with Kamehameha I over the Hawaiian Islands. Kalanikūpule was the last of the longest line of ''aliʻi nui'' in th ...
, king of Oahu and Maui. At the close of this contest, when Kamehameha was called back to Hawaii island to suppress the rebellion of
Namakaeha, Young was left on Oahu to adjust the new regime's affairs, then with a number of foreigners who also joined Kamehameha at Hawaii island. Beginning about 1800 or 1802, he was appointed as the
Royal Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii Island ( haw, Kiaaina o na Mokupuni o Hawaii) was the royal governor or viceroy of the Island of Hawaii during the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Governor of Hawaii was usually a Hawaiian chief or prince and could even be a woman. ...
island after chief Mokuhia, whom Kamehameha had picked, was murdered by a rival.
This included his superintendency of tax gatherings when he returned to Kawaihae.
''Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1911''
(1910) Thomas G. Thrum, Compiler and Publisher. p. 100
Young acted as interpreter for many English speaking visitors, and sowed the seeds of Christianity in Hawaii. When Captain Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver (22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a British Royal Navy officer best known for his 1791–1795 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of what ar ...
visited the island during the Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...
in 1793, he offered to take Young and Davis back to Britain. But they were already content with their island life and refused the offer. Naturalist Archibald Menzies
Archibald Menzies ( ; 15 March 1754 – 15 February 1842) was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist. He spent many years at sea, serving with the Royal Navy, private merchants, and the Vancouver Expedition. He was the first recorded Euro ...
left seeds and plants such as citrus fruit
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to So ...
in his care. He helped mediate a treaty with Britain in 1794, and coordinated the building of the first large European-style ships.
In 1803, Richard Cleveland, of the American ship ''Lelia Byrd'', left a mare with foal with Young in Kawaihae. This was the first horse ever seen in the islands, and led eventually to the establishment of Parker Ranch
Parker Ranch is a working cattle ranch on the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii, now run by a charitable trust.
History
The ranch was founded in 1847 and is one of the oldest ranches in the United States, pre-dating many mainland r ...
. He took the first horses and cattle to Honolulu in 1809.[
Young lived near Kealakekua Bay probably until about 1819, when Kamehameha I died.]
Young built the first European-style house on the island of Hawaii, and its ruins are still to be seen at the Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site
Puukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii. The site preserves the National Historic Landmark ruins of the last major Ancient Hawaiian temple, an ...
near the town of Kawaihae
Kawaihae is an unincorporated community on the west side of the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii, north of Kailua-Kona. Its harbor is one of only two on the island, together with that of Hilo.
Description
The town's harbor includ ...
. It was made of stone and Young had no tools but a hatchet and a wooden trowel. He made the door with a hatchet, hewing it out of a koa tree slab. He whitewashed the house with lime made from white coral fished from the sea.
Lucy Goodale Thurston
Lucy Goodale Thurston (October 29, 1795October 13, 1876) was a Protestant missionary and author. She was the wife of Asa Thurston and was one of the first American Christian missionaries to Hawaii. She is noted for her letters documenting her li ...
, in her story of her life as a missionary in Hawaii, described Young:
He was one of the few close friends to be at Kamehameha's side when he died in 1819 at Kamakahonu
Kamakahonu, the residence of Kamehameha I, was located at the north end of Kailua Bay in Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island.
History
Kamehameha I (also known as Kamehameha the Great), who unified the Hawaiian Islands, lived out the last years of hi ...
.[
]
Family
After the wars, Young returned to Kawaihae on the Big Island and expanded his compound, including building a small European-style fort. There he and wives raised a family and entertained both Hawaiian and western visitors.
His first marriage, in 1795, was to the chiefess Namokuelua of Oahu aristocracy. Their son, James Kānehoa
James Young Kānehoa (August 7, 1797 – October 1, 1851) 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 Kalaipaihala Young II known as Keon ...
, was an influential member of the court of Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II (November 1797 – July 14, 1824) was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu ʻIolani. It was lengthened to Kalani Kaleiʻaimoku o Kaiwikapu o Laʻ ...
. On the king's 1823 visit to England, Kānehoa was entrusted with the official letters of introduction and served as translator. Kamehameha II, his queen and three other chiefs contracted measles and died abroad. Another son was Robert Young who was born in 1796, sent to school in America, fought for the American side in the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
and disappeared.["Foreign Aide"]
in Spirit of Aloha Magazine, by Carol Silva, May 2003
About 1805, Kamehameha's niece, Kaōanāeha, his favourite brother's daughter, became Young's second wife. This marriage brought him increased recognition and prestige.
Four children were born to John Young's second marriage. Fanny Kekelaokalani
Fanny Kekuʻiapoiwa Kailikulani Leleoili Kulua Kekelaokalani Young Naʻea (July 21, 1806 – September 4, 1880), was a Hawaiian high chiefess and a member of the royal family of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and mother of Queen Emma of Hawaii.
Early l ...
, his eldest daughter married George Naʻea and gave birth to a daughter, Emma, who would later marry King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the fourth monarch of Hawaii under the title ''Ke Aliʻi ...
. Grace Kamaikui Young married Thomas Charles Byde Rooke
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke (18 May 1806 – 28 November 1858) 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 socia ...
and adopted her niece Emma. John Kalaipaihala Young Jr. known as Keoni Ana
Keoni Ana, full name John Kalaipaihala Young II (March 12, 1810 – July 18, 1857), was a politician in the Hawaiian Kingdom, Kingdom of Hawaii, serving as Kuhina Nui, Kuhina Nui of the Hawaiian Islands and Interior minister, Minister of Interio ...
married Alapai and would become one of the only two males to hold the title of Kuhina Nui
Kuhina Nui was a powerful office in the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1819 to 1864. It was usually held by a relative of the king and was the rough equivalent of the 19th-century European office of Prime Minister or sometimes Regent.
Origin of the offic ...
. Jane Lahilahi Young married Joshua Kaeo
Joshua Kaeo (c. 1808 – June 27, 1858), was a Hawaiian high chief or nobleman of Hawaii (island), Hawaii Island descent, the uncle of Queen Emma of Hawaii, and an early Hawaiian politician and advisor of Kamehameha III.
His father was Asa Kaeo, ...
and gave birth to Peter Kaeo
Peter Young Kaʻeo Kekuaokalani (March 4, 1836 – November 26, 1880) was a Hawaiian high chief (aliʻi) and politician of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His cousin was Emma, who contended for the throne after the death of Kamehameha. After being diagnose ...
, a member of the House of Nobles. Jane also mothered an illegitimate son by Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name is Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...
, Albert Kūnuiākea
Albert Kūkaʻilimoku Kūnuiākea (June 19, 1851 – March 10, 1903) was the illegitimate son of King Kamehameha III and his mistress Jane Lahilahi. He served as a politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii. He later was bap ...
who might be the last direct descendant of Kamehameha I. His line is believed to have gone extinct.
In 1810, Young adopted his murdered companion Isaac Davis' children. They were Sally
Sally may refer to:
People
*Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name
Military
*Sortie (siege warfare), Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port
*Sally, ...
, thirteen years of age; George
George may refer to:
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* George (given name)
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* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
, 2 or 10 years old; and Betty
Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...
, seven years of age.
Family tree
Death
During an illness in December 1835, his daughter Grace
Grace may refer to:
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* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...
sent a ship to collect him and his wife Kaōanāeha. She transported them from Kawaihae on the Big Island to Honolulu, so Rooke could administer a heart medication and keep him under observation. He insisted on bringing his own coffin with him. "When I die, I don't want to leave any question about how I wished my body to be treated," he said. Fear of being murdered and having his body treated for burial in the old traditions, with the chiefs taking his bones to make icons or fishhooks, plagued his painful days and nights. Two weeks after his arrival on Oahu, Young died at Rooke House in Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
on 17 December 1835, at the age of 93 after living in Hawaii for 46 years. Grace sent for the family while the Oahu chiefs planned his funeral. His lands were divided among his children and the children of Isaac Davis whom he had adopted.
He was interred in the cemetery adjacent to the little coral mausoleum, called ''Pohukaina'', on the Iolani Palace Iolani is a masculine Hawaiian name meaning "royal ''hawk''." It comes from the Hawaiian words ''ʻio'', meaning "Hawaiian hawk," and ''lani'', meaning "royal."
It may refer to:
*ʻIolani School, a private school located in Hawaii
*ʻIolani Palac ...
ground, on 18 December 1835. Later he was removed to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal may refer to:
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* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
at ''Mauna 'Ala'' on 16 May 1866. At the Royal Mausoleum, on a flat, grey stone which covers his grave, is the following inscription:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, John (Hawaii)
1740s births
1835 deaths
People from Crosby, Merseyside
People from Hawaii
Governors of Hawaii (island)
Hawaii (island)
Prisoners and detainees of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Hawaiian Kingdom politicians
Hawaiian Kingdom people of Scottish descent
Hawaiian Kingdom people
Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla)
British expatriates in the Hawaiian Kingdom
Hawaiian nobility
Nobility of the Americas
Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom