John Young (Hawaii)
Encyclopedia
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. He brought knowledge of the western world, including naval and land battle strategies, to Kamehameha, and 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 1802-1812, 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".
, Lancashire
, England
. Other sources give his birth as March 17, 1744.
His father was Robert Young, of Crosby, Lancashire, and mother Grace. He had two brothers: Peter and James.
The Youngs were of Scottish descent.
Young served as boatswain
on the Eleanora, an American ship captained by Simon Metcalfe, engaged in the maritime fur trade
between the Pacific Northwest and China. Sailing from Cape Cod
in 1789, the Eleanora put in at Kealakekua Bay
on the island of Hawaii
in February 1790. In March Young went ashore to investigate, and he was detained because Kamehameha did not want Metcalfe to learn of an attack on the Eleanoras companion ship, the Fair American. Metcalfe waited for two days, but eventually sailed without Young.
In battles such as the Battle of Nuuanu, 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 Kaiana, who had seceded from the invading army en route, and joined fortunes with Kalanikupule
, 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 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 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.
Young acted as interpreter for many English speaking visitors, and sowed the seeds of Christianity in Hawaii. When Captain Vancouver visited the island during the Vancouver Expedition
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
left seeds and plants such as citrus fruit 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
. 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 Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site near the town of Kawaihae. 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, in her story of her life as a missionary in Hawaii, described John Young:
He was one of the few close friends to be at Kamehameha's side when he died in 1819 at Kamakahonu
.
His first marriage, in 1795, was to the chiefess Namokuelua of Oahu aristocracy. Their son, James Kānehoa
, was an influential member of the court of Kamehameha II
. 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 the 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
and went missing.
About 1805, Kamehameha's niece, the Princess Kaōanāeha
, the daughter of his favorite brother, became the second wife of John Young. This marriage brought him increased recognition and prestige.
Four children were born to John Young's second marriage. Fanny Kekelaokalani Young, his eldest daughter married George Naea and gave birth to a daughter, Emma
, who would later married King Kamehameha IV
. Grace Kamaikui Young
married Thomas Charles Byde Rooke and adopted her niece Emma. John Kaleipaihala Young Jr. known as Keoni Ana
married Alapai and would become one of the only two males to hold the title of Kuhina Nui
. Jane Lahilahi Young
married Joshua Kaeo
and gave birth to Peter Kaeo
, a member of the House of Nobles
. Jane also mothered an illegitimate son by Kamehameha III
, Albert Kunuiakea who might be the last direct descendant of Kamehameha I.
In 1810, Young adopted the children of his murdered companion Isaac Davis
. They were Sally, thirteen years of age;
George, 2 or 10 years old; and Betty, seven years of age.
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 day and nights. Two weeks after he arrival on Oahu, John Young died at Rooke House
in Honolulu on December 17, 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.
His Excellency, J. H. Kapena, Minister of Foreign Relations, on the occasion of the laying of the Cornerstone of The Royal Palace, Honolulu, in 1879, said:
He was interred in the little coral mausoleum, called Pohukaina, on the Iolani Palace ground, on December 18, 1835. Later he was removed to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
at Mauna 'Ala in 1866. At the Royal Mausoleum, on a flat, grey stone which covers his grave, is the following inscription:
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
subject who became an important military advisor to 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...
during the formation 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...
. He was left behind by Simon Metcalfe
Simon Metcalfe
Simon Metcalfe was a British American surveyor and one of the first American maritime fur traders to visit the Pacific Northwest coast...
, captain of the American ship Eleanora, and along with a Welshmen Isaac Davis
Isaac Davis (Hawaii)
Isaac Davis was a Welsh advisor to Kamehameha I and helped form the Kingdom of Hawaii. He arrived in Hawaii in 1790 as the sole survivor of the massacre of the crew of The Fair American. He along with John Young became friends and advisors to Kamehameha...
became a friend and advisor to Kamehameha. He brought knowledge of the western world, including naval and land battle strategies, to Kamehameha, and 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 1802-1812, 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".
Life
According to his tombstone, he was born in 1742 in CrosbyCrosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Other sources give his birth as March 17, 1744.
His father was Robert Young, of Crosby, Lancashire, and mother Grace. He had two brothers: Peter and James.
The Youngs were of Scottish descent.
Young served as boatswain
Boatswain
A boatswain , bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The boatswain supervises the other unlicensed members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews...
on the Eleanora, an American ship captained by Simon Metcalfe, engaged in the maritime fur trade
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 exchange for tea, silks, porcelain, and other Chinese...
between the Pacific Northwest and China. Sailing from Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
in 1789, the Eleanora put in at 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...
on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
in February 1790. In March Young went ashore to investigate, and he was detained because Kamehameha did not want Metcalfe to learn of an attack on the Eleanoras companion ship, the Fair American. Metcalfe waited for two days, but eventually sailed without Young.
In battles such as the Battle of Nuuanu, 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 Kaiana, who had seceded from the invading army en route, and joined fortunes with Kalanikupule
Kalanikupule
Kalanikūpule was the 27th Mōī of Maui and King of 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 Alii Aimoku in the Hawaiian Islands.- Early life :...
, 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 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 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.
Young acted as interpreter for many English speaking visitors, and sowed the seeds of Christianity in Hawaii. When Captain Vancouver visited the island during the Vancouver Expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
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
Archibald Menzies was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist.- Life and career :Menzies was born at Easter Stix in the parish of Weem, in Perthshire. While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at...
left seeds and plants such as citrus fruit 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
Parker Ranch is a working cattle ranch on the Island of Hawaii in the 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 ranches in Texas and other southwestern states by more than 30...
. 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 Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site near the town of Kawaihae. 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, in her story of her life as a missionary in Hawaii, described John Young:
"He had long been a rare example in that degenerate age, of building a hedge about his family and standing in the gap thereof. When occasion offered, he spoke with energy and decision, giving no uncertain sound, well understood by his children and by strangers. By marriage, by deeds and by counsel, he had justly risen to the eminence of a peer with the chiefs of the nation. Saxon blood flowed in his veins. He was Mr. Young, the noble grandfather of our most noble Queen Emma. His descendants all had the blood of chiefs flowing in their veins, for his wives were women of high rank."
He was one of the few close friends to be at Kamehameha's side when he died in 1819 at Kamakahonu
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 , who unified the Hawaiian Islands, lived out the last years of his life and instituted some of the most constructive measures of his reign here...
.
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 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:...
, was an influential member of the court of 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...
. 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 the measles and died abroad. Another son was Robert Young
Robert Young (Hawaii)
Robert Young was a Hawaiian chief and the son of John Young, the British advisor of Kamehameha the Great. Named after his paternal grandfather, Robert Young of Lancashire, England, he was probably called Lopaka by his mother and other Hawaiians.-Early life:He was born February 14, 1796, the eldest...
who was born in 1796, sent to school in America, fought for the American side in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and went missing.
About 1805, Kamehameha's niece, the Princess Kaōanāeha
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...
, the daughter of his favorite brother, became the second wife of John Young. This marriage brought him increased recognition and prestige.
Four children were born to John Young's second marriage. Fanny Kekelaokalani Young, his eldest daughter married George Naea and gave birth to a daughter, Emma
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen 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 would later married King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha 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:...
. Grace Kamaikui Young
Grace Kamaikui
Grace Kamaikui Young Rooke was a Hawaiian high chiefess who was daughter of the chief military advisor during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and adoptive mother of a future Queen consort.-Early Life and Marriage:...
married Thomas Charles Byde Rooke and adopted her niece Emma. John Kaleipaihala Young Jr. known as Keoni Ana
Keoni Ana
John Kaleipaihala Young II sometimes called Keoni Ana Opio was a politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, serving as Kuhina Nui of the Hawaiian Islands and Minister of Interior.-Early life:...
married Alapai and would become one of the only two males to hold the title of Kuhina Nui
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 office :...
. Jane Lahilahi Young
Jane Lahilahi
Jane Lahilahi Young Kaeo was a Hawaiian high chiefess and a daughter of John Young Olohana royal advisor of Kamehameha I.-Early life:She was born in May 1813, in Kawaihae, in the Kohala District, on the Island of Hawaii...
married Joshua Kaeo
Joshua Kaeo
Joshua Kaeo , was a Hawaiian high chief or nobleman of Big Island descent, the uncle of Queen Emma of Hawaii, and an early Hawaiian politician and advisor of Kamehameha III....
and gave birth to Peter Kaeo
Peter Kaeo
Peter Young Kaeo Kekuaokalani was a Hawaiian noble and politician of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Peter was born March 4, 1836 at Paloha, Honolulu on the island of Oahu. His mother was Jane Lahilahi, the youngest daughter of John Young Olohana, the advisor to Kamehameha I, and Chiefess Kaōanaeha...
, a member of the House of Nobles
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
. Jane also mothered an illegitimate son by 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...
, Albert Kunuiakea who might be the last direct descendant of Kamehameha I.
In 1810, Young adopted the children of his murdered companion Isaac Davis
Isaac Davis (Hawaii)
Isaac Davis was a Welsh advisor to Kamehameha I and helped form the Kingdom of Hawaii. He arrived in Hawaii in 1790 as the sole survivor of the massacre of the crew of The Fair American. He along with John Young became friends and advisors to Kamehameha...
. They were Sally, thirteen years of age;
George, 2 or 10 years old; and Betty, seven years of age.
Death
During an illness in December 1835, his daughter GraceGrace Kamaikui
Grace Kamaikui Young Rooke was a Hawaiian high chiefess who was daughter of the chief military advisor during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and adoptive mother of a future Queen consort.-Early Life and Marriage:...
sent a ship to collect him and his wife Kaōanāeha
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...
. 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 day and nights. Two weeks after he arrival on Oahu, John Young died at Rooke House
Rooke House
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke 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 social leaders of the Kingdom.-Life:...
in Honolulu on December 17, 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.
His Excellency, J. H. Kapena, Minister of Foreign Relations, on the occasion of the laying of the Cornerstone of The Royal Palace, Honolulu, in 1879, said:
- "Here in the premises of Pokukaina was erected the tomb of the departed chiefs and at the entrance of the sacred place was placed the body of John Young, one of Kamehameha's intimate friends. In order that the spot may not be forgotten where a tomb once stood, King Kalakaua has caused a mound to be raised there, crowned with ferns and flowers in memory of those who slept beneath it. Doubtless the memory is yet green of that never to be forgotten night when the remains of the departed chiefs were removed to the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu Valley. Perhaps the world had never witnessed a procession more weird and solemn than that which conveyed the bodies of the chiefs through the streets, accompanied on each side by thousands of people until the mausoleum was reached, the entire scene and procession lighted by large kukui torches, while surrounding darkness brought in striking relief the coffins on their biers. Truly we cannot forget the weirdness, the solemnity and the affecting scene afforded by that strange midnight procession."
He was interred in the little coral mausoleum, called Pohukaina, on the Iolani Palace ground, on December 18, 1835. Later he was removed to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
at Mauna 'Ala in 1866. At the Royal Mausoleum, on a flat, grey stone which covers his grave, is the following inscription:
Beneath this stone are deposited
the remains of John Young
(of Lancashire, England)
The friend and companion-in-war of
Kamehameha.
who departed this life
17 December 1835,
in the 93rd year of his age
and the 46th of his residence
on the "Sandwich Islands"