Bennett Nāmākēhā-o-kalani (c. 1799–1860) was a Hawaiian high chief, uncle of
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke (January 2, 1836 – April 25, 1885) was queen of Hawaii as the wife of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She was later a candidate for the throne but King Kalākaua was ele ...
, and first husband of
Queen Kapiolani
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
. His first name is often given as ''Benjamin'', ''Beneli'', or ''Beniki''.
Life
He and his brother
George Naea were sons of High Chief Kamaunu and High Chiefess Kukaeleiki, the daughter of Kalauawa from the royal line of Kauaian chiefs. Kukaeleiki was also cousin of Queen
Keōpūolani
Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo (1778–1823) was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I.
Early life
Keōpuolani was born around 1778 at an area known a ...
.
His name was the same as the
high chief who rebelled against
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; to May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii ...
during the end of his military career in 1796. His brother Naʻea was the father of
Queen Emma.
He was a member of the
House of Nobles from about 1848 through 1855. By 1851 the House of Nobles consisted only of petty chiefs called ''Kaukaualiʻi''. Nāmākēhā was inferior to the ''aliʻi nui'' (High Chiefs). Kaukaualiʻi were only descended from famous fathers while ''aliʻi nui'' claim parentage of mother of the highest rank.
Prior to 1852, he was married to Halauwai and later Lydia Piʻia, daughter of Kekaikuihala, the daughter of Nuhi and
Kaohelelani. With Halauwai, he had a son Hinau who married Kamakaaiau, an attendant of Queen Emma. With Piʻia, he had another son named Kahaekalaunu, who died in infancy.
On March 8, 1852 he married
Kapiʻolani
Kapiʻolani (December 31, 1834 – June 24, 1899) was the queen of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi as the consort of Mōʻī (king) Kalākaua, who reigned from 1874 until his death in 1891, when she became known as the Dowager Queen Kapiʻolani. Dee ...
, daughter of
Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and
Kinoiki Kekaulike
Kinoiki Kekaulike I was a Princess of the island of Kauaʻi during the transition from ancient Hawaii to the Kingdom of Hawaii. Biography
She was born in the early 19th century. Her father was King Kaumualiʻi (1778–1824), descended from the ...
. His second wife was only eighteen years old while he was more than thirty years her senior. Through that marriage she became Queen Emma's aunt and nurse to her son Prince
Albert Edward Kauikeaouli. Nāmākēhā and Kapiʻolani had no children. For his health the couple voyaged for months on ''The Morning Star'', a missionary vessel, among the
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands (;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this name applied o ...
, but in vain, for Nāmākēhā died on December 27, 1860, at
Honolulu
Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
. His widow later remarried to
Kalākaua
Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, u ...
and became the Queen consort of Hawaii in 1874.

Initially buried in the Pohukaina Tomb, located on grounds of
ʻIolani Palace
The Iolani Palace () was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty. It is located i ...
, his remains were later transported along with those of other royals in a midnight torchlight procession on October 30, 1865, to the newly constructed
Royal Mausoleum at Mauna ʻAla in the
Nuʻuanu Valley.
In 1904, after the Mausoleum building became too crowded, the coffins belonging to
Robert Crichton Wyllie
Robert Crichton Wyllie (October 13, 1798 – October 19, 1865) was a Scottish physician and businessman. He served for twenty years as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Early life
Wyllie was born October 13, 1798, in an area ...
and the relatives of Queen Emma including Nāmākēhā's were moved to the newly built Wylie Tomb. The name "Bennet Namakeha" was inscribed on the ''
ʻewa
ʻEwa was one of the original districts, known as ''moku'', of the island of Oʻahu in Ancient Hawaii history.
The word ''ʻewa'' means "crooked" or "ill-fitting" in Hawaiian. The name comes from the myth that the gods Kāne and Kanaloa threw a ...
'' (west) side of the monument above his final resting place.
His line died out with his granddaughter Stella Keomailani (1866–1927), daughter of Hinau and Kamakaaiau, who was married to James Dawson Cockett and later to Edwin K. Kea.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Namakeha, Bennett
1790s births
1860 deaths
Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Hawaiian Kingdom politicians
Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom House of Nobles
Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla)