Soane-Patita Lavuia (died 30 November 1916) was a king of Uvea, ruling from 1910 until 1916. He succeeded Sosefo Mautāmakia I following a dispute between the king, the resident of France and the Catholic mission.

Rise to power

In 1910, the new resident, Victor Jean Brochard, wanted to expel the Father Superior of the Catholic mission, Father Bazin, and convinced King Sosefo Mautamakia I to side with him. In February 1910, Bazin left

Mata-Utu Mata Utu (; ʻUvean: Matāutu, ) is the capital city of Wallis and Futuna, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located on the island of Uvéa (Uvea), in the district of Hahake, of which it is also the capital. It is one of two ports in Wa ...

for the

Mua District Mua (also spelled Mu'a, Uvean for "first") is one of the 5 districts of Wallis and Futuna, located in Wallis Island, in the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from t ...

. On 19 March, a royal decree ordered him to leave Wallis. Faced with protests from the Marist fathers, the ''lavelua'' maintained its position. A hundred Wallisians favorable to the Marists took up arms and marched on Mata Utu on 1 April; the king, abandoned by his family, was then forced to abdicate. Soane Patita Lavuia was chosen to be the next ruler, but Brochard refused to accept his election. The crisis was resolved on 18 May with the arrival by ship of the governor of New Caledonia, Adrien Bonhoure, who asked the resident to make an official apology to Father Bazin. A new deliberation of the customary chiefs was held on board the warship ''Kersaint'' on 19 May 1910, and Soane Patita Lavuia was confirmed as the new ''Lavelua''.

Death

He died on 30 November, 1916 and was buried in the royal vault of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mata-Utu. After his death Sosefo Mautāmakia II was chosen as king to succeed him.

References

Wallis and Futuna monarchs 1916 deaths {{WallisFutuna-bio-stub