They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii

They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii Contributed by CARL THIJRMAN SMITH, F.G.S.P. T HE following items appeared in The Friend: A Monthly Journal Devoted to Temperance, Seamen, Marine and General Intelligence, which was first published in January 1843, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was edited by Samuel C. Damon, Seamen's Chaplain on the island. The abstracts are not verbatim or complete; only those portions which refer to persons having Pennsylvania or Delaware Valley connections were transcribed. Each item is prefaced by the month and year of the journal in which the item appeared. June 1843: Whaleship Parker, New Bedford, Capt. Prince Sherman, sailed 26 August 1839, bound for the Pacific. Wrecked on an ocean island. [Among survivors] JOHN ERVIN, seaman, Philadelphia, Penn., and F. ANDERSON, steward, Wilmington, Del., under care of the American Consul, Honolulu; DAVID PERRIGRINE, cook, Wilmington, Del., now on board Nassau. October 1843: Whaling bark Pearl, Capt. Bankenship, was lost in a gale of wind, on the "Japan Ground," 14 August 1843. Lost: RICHARD PARRS, cook, Philadelphia. November 1844: American Whaleship Holder Borden wrecked. [Among survivors] GEORGE DOWN, seaman, Easton, Penn., brought to Hawaii, remained on the Island. January 1845: Died (on board ship) AuGusrus G. SMITH, of Reading, Penn., aged 20 years. February 1845: CAPT. ENGLE,' master of the American bark Valparaiso, died in China about 10 November 1844. He will be remembered at the Islands as having commanded the American ship Hopewell, Philadelphia. Copt. Ileac B. Engle d. ba Macao 3 November 0844, ee. about 46, according to his tombstone in the East India Company Protestant Cemetery at Macao. He was a native of Chester, Pa. See "Americans Buried at Macao, China,. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 59 (1971 ) , 115. 248 They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii 249 July 1845: Died, in Honolulu, 3 July, Mx. JOHN- B. GREGORY, a native of Philadelphia. For many years he had resided at the Marquesas Islands, and acted as an interpreter between the natives and foreigners. October 1845: Died, at the U.S. Hospital, Lahaina [Maui, Hawaii], 31 September, HENRY THOMPSON, aged 41 years. He was a native of Philadelphia. August 1846: Died, 5 July, JAMES LUCAS, of Philadelphia, aged 22, discharged from the ship Lydia of New Bedford, at this place last April. November 1846: Died, in this town, at the U.S. Hospital, 1 October, PERCIVAL LESTER, of Jonestown, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania. He was left here by the U.S.S. Congress, in June last, sick with consumption. December 1846: Died, in the U.S. Hospital, Lahaina, 1 November 1846, JOHN WuazAms, a native of Philadelphia, Penn., aged 30 years. He left the ship Superior of Sag Harbor. October 1849: [Deaths on board the U.S. Sloop-of-war Preble from 13 June to 27 August 1849] At sea, 29 June, PETER THomrsoN, ordinary seaman, Philadelphia, aged 25; at sea 17 July, JAMES VALLANCE, capt. of afterguard, Delaware City, aged 21; at sea, 29 July, JAMES QUINN, capt. of maintop, Delware, aged 28.2 October 1849: Information Wanted. Respecting EUGENE LEWIS, a native of the state of New Jersey, U.S.A. If alive he is now 16 years of age. A report has reached his father, residing in Morristown, N. J., that Eugene may still be alive and residing in some part of the Pacific. Any information will be thankfully received, if made to the Editor of The Friend, and communicated to an anxious parent. November 1849: Died, on board bark Prudent, 24 October, off Honolulu, JOHN CRAIG, blacksmith, of Elizabethtown, N. J. July 1852: Died, in Honolulu, at the Exchange Hotel, 17 June, MR. THOMAS HOMER, belonging to Honesdale, Wayne county, Penn. The deceased was a passenger on board the English ship Constant, bound for Sydney. December 1852: Died, 2 August, on board the Ship Ohio, JOHN HYER, seaman, belonging to Philadelphia. May 1853: Died, at the U.S. Hospital, Honolulu, 5 April, HENRY SMITH, belonging to Kensington, Philadelphia. He was discharged from the whaleship Niagara. September 1853: Died, 2 August, WILLIAM BRAGG, a native of 2 Included in thia entry is the Comm,,,,, "The editor notes that places of nativity and age are taken from shipping articles and cannot be depended on as very accurate." 280 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Pennsylvania, aged 24 years. He was a policeman in Honolulu. His disease was smallpox. November 1853: Died, at Honolulu, 17th inst., RICH. &mot, of consumption. Mr. B. arrived from California recently in the Swiss Boy. He was from Philadelphia, and left a will, making over his property to a sister in that city. November 1854: Died, at the U.S. Hospital, MR. SAMUEL CLARK, a native of Pennsylvania. He was a blacksmith, and had resided several years in Honolulu. June 1855: [Passenger in the John Gilpin from Boston on 16 April] JAMES METCALF, Of Erie, Penn. December 1855: Died, on board the ship John Howland, 11 January 1855, SOLOMON R. KOLLOCK, aged 50 years, and belonging to Newark, N. J. November 1856: Deaths. Drowned, at Bonin Island, 5 April, WILLIAM HALL, of New Jersey. He left the ship Martha; was drowned by the upsetting of a canoe alongside the whaleship Mt. Vernon. This report is made by Capt. Nye, of the Mt. Vernon. Killed by a whale, 1 August, Jokm McGRA, of the ship Nauticum. Philadelphia papers please copy. December 1856: Died, at the U.S. Hospital in Honolulu, 6 December, CHARLES OSBORNE, a native of Pennsylvania. He was discharged from the Pochahantas, Capt. Butler. January 1857: [On list of Boarders at the Sailor's Home from 21 September to 22 December 1856] ROBERT MASTERS, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. B. F. CAR, Pennsylvania. G. DARCI, Pennsylvania. PETER MCGATHON, New Jersey. JOHN LEMAN, Philadelphia. GEO. BLOOM, New Jersey. February 1857: Died, on the 12th inst., of consumption, at the hospital, Hilo [Hawaii, Hawaii], WILLIAM ROBINSON, late 3rd Master of the American whaling ship Arnolda, of New Bedford, A. S. Sarvent, master. He was a Mulatto, about 44 years of age, born in Philadelphia, but had sailed for a number of years out of the port of New Bedford. May 1857: Died, in Pablo Valley, Oahu, 22 March, MR. PETER LEONARD, of Philadelphia, aged 42 years. He came to the Islands about two years since, in the bark Delta. November 18 87: Died, in Honolulu, 4th inst., CAPT. H. N. CRABB, aged 57 years, a native of Middletown, Dauphin county, Penn. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1821, and, after rising to the rank of captain, he resigned in 1837. In 1847 he was appointed Naval Store- They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii 251 keeper at Honolulu, which post he retained until the store was removed from the Islands in 1850. He was highly esteemed and much lamented by all who knew him. September 1858: Information Wanted. Respecting Wm. B. HOYT, of Wilkesbarre, Penn. In October 1856, he was in Honolulu and reported he was about to sail for home on board the Huntsville, but since that date no intelligence has been had respecting him. February 1859: Died, at the U.S. Hospital, Honolulu, Friday, 14 January, FREDERICK MILLER, belonging to Germantown, Pennsylvania. He came out in the whaleship Nimrod, and received an injury by a fall while the vessel lay in port, which resulted fatally. May 1859: Obituary. Died, at Makawao, Maui, 1 April 1859, THOMAS COOPER, a colored man, who had been a resident of the Islands more than thirty years. He was born in Maryland, of slave parents, in 1783. When Thomas was five years old, his master took him to Philadelphia, designing that he should, when of sufficient age, learn the trade of coach-making. Here he remained till he was fifteen, when he ran away, having a desire to go to sea, and reached New Bedford. Here he was robbed of what decent clothes he had, and, in a state of intoxication, found himself on board some fishing vessel bound for Newfoundland. He remained in this service a year or two, when he shipped on board a merchantman for the Mediterranean, and thence to Liverpool. He afterwards obtained a situation on board an East Indiaman bound to Madras. On reaching that port he was impressed into the British service and put on board a frigate, where he remained some time. He at length got back to the United States, and on board a whaleship found his way to the Pacific, and took up his abode on the islands. During the last three years, Mr. Cooper has maintained a Christian character. He united with the native church at Makawao, adorned his profession, and died sustained by the hopes of the Gospel. (Communicated by J. S. G., Makawao, 9 April 1859.) February 1860: Died, in Honolulu, 31 December 1859, of neuralgia, HENRY K. SworE, aged about 36, a native of Pennsylvania. May 1860: Information Wanted. Respecting HENRY DUBOSY, of Philadelphia, son of a partner in the house of H. Dubosy and Brother. Reports have reached his friends that he may be residing upon the Islands, under an assumed name. Any information will be thankfully received by the Seaman's Chaplain, or Castle and Cooke. November 1860: Died, in Honolulu, 1 October, SARAH S. T. OAT, only daughter of Capt. Joseph M. and Elizabeth R. Oat, of this city, 252 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine aged 4 years and 10 months. 8 New London and Philadelphia papers please copy. October 1861: Information Wanted. Respecting WILLIAM D. BEWLEY,' belonging to Philadelphia. He last wrote, in 1859, from Honolulu. Any information may be communicated to the Editor of the Friend, or to Wright, Smith and Pearsall, merchants, No. 5 North 5th St., Philadelphia. May 1861: Died, 20 January 1861, on board the whaleship Thomas Dickason, of N. B., LAWRENCE CARPENTER, of Troy, Penn., and JOHN H. BILLINGS, of Toledo, Ohio, seamen, who were killed by falling from the Main topsail yard, off Cape Horn, while engaged in reefing sail. March 1862: Died, in San Francisco, 24 January, GEORGE THOMAS, born in Philadelphia 2 July 1829, and for many years a much respected resident of Honolulu. July 1862: Died, at the U.S. Hospital, Honolulu, 7 June, JOHN H. BANKS alias JOHN HENRY DWITT, a native of Mount Bethel, Northampton county, Penn. The deceased had lived several years in Honolulu, and worked as a gun and lock smith. November 1863: Died, 13 September, at West Middleton, Washington Co., Pa., SAMUEL MATTHEWS, ESQ., aged 74, father of Mrs. C. H. Lewers, of this city. May 1865: Information Wanted. Respecting GEORGE EDWARDS, Madison, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Please direct to Simeon Edwards, Moscow, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, or to the Postmaster, Honolulu, or to the Editor of the Friend. September 1865: Died, at Yokohama, Japan, 26 April, of heart disease, CHARLES QUIN, seaman, belonging to the American whaling bark Favorite. He had a sister living in Philadelphia. October 1865: Died, at Makawao, 1 September, of Bronchitis, EDWARD RooKE, a native of Philadelphia, Penn., aged about forty years. February 1866: Information Wanted. Respecting JOHN BINGHAM and THOMAS BINGHAM, reported to have been lost while attached to the Members of the Oat family ate bur, in the U.S. Military Section of Nuuana Cemetery, Honolulu. Capt. Their inscriptions are: Sarah S. T. Oat, b. in Honolulu 24 Noverober 1855; d. 1 October 1860. Jos. M. Oat, b. in Philadelphia 25 September 1809; d. 24 February 1885. Fred B. Oat, b. in Honolulu 19 August 1859; d. 1 July 1900. Mir. E. R. Oat, b. in New London, Conn., 7 September 1815; d. 11 September 1887. Jos. Morton Oat, 1848-1911. Other burials in this section of the cemetery include: "Taller" William G. Hawkins, Co. D, 58th Reg. Penna. Vol. 1846-1924. Samuel Kennedy McKeagne, 21 August 1847-16 January 1912. Co. E, 08-186 Penna. Vol., 1861• 1863. C. N. Arnold, 1846-1890, Co. G, 11th Penna. Res. Chiba N. Arnold, 1857-1916. George Snyder, of Somerset, Penn., d. 1 August 1891, aged 68 years. Elsewhere in the cemetery: D. McCartney, Jr., a native of Allegheny. Pa., d. 3 September 1884, aged 17 years. See also the entry for December 1879. They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii 253 American schooner or brig Lodi, also reported to have been lost, about the year 1848 or 1849, while on her trip from San Francisco to the Islands, or on her passage from Honolulu to Lahaina. Any information will be gladly received by the Editor, or John Bingham, Esq., at Adams' Express Co., Philadelphia. August 1867: Married on the 9th of July, at the residence of the bride's father, by the Rev. Thos. G. Thurston, MARCUS BENFIELD,' of Philadelphia, to MRS. MARY T. HEYDON, of this city. June 1871: Died, in Honolulu, 30 April, Elm LEX BENFIELD, 8 infant son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Benfield, aged 16 months and 13 days. May 1873: Died, in this city, 18 April, of aneurism, G. W. ROBERTS, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., aged 46 years. He had resided in this city about 17 years, 13 of which was in the employ of Mr. C. P. Ward. Funeral this P.M. at 3 o'clock, from Merchant St. April 1875: Died, in Taylorsville, North Carolina, 22 November 1874, IDA BENFIELD, infant daughter of Marcus and Mary Benfield, late of Honolulu, aged 5 months. May 1875: Died, in this city, 2 April, of consumption, MR. FRANCIS WusoN, a native of Philadelphia, aged about 49 years. He came here (a barber by trade) a few months since, and after working a while, he was cared for by a charitable hand. He died a Christian. November 1875: Died, in this city, 14 October, JOSEPH RICHARDSON, aged 27 years and 7 months, a native of Conostogo Center, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. September 1876: [On the list of Recorded Visitors at the (Hawaiian Department) Centennial] 1 July, CHAS. HATHAWAY, JR., Phila., Pa., grandson of Mrs. Daniel Chamberlain, the only survivor of the first missionaries to the Islands, who now resides in Westborough, Mass., in her 92d year. Her daughter Nancy Chamberlain, was the first white child born on the Islands. March 1879: Information Wanted. Respecting GEORGE S. BRIT' TON,' whose friend and relation, Mrs. James H. Park (formerly Miss Frances A. Matthias), 908 North 17th Street, Philadelphia, is very anxious to learn something about him. He visited the Islands about twenty-five years ago. According to the Card File of Deaths, Hawaii Archives, Honolulu, the Hawaiian Gazette for 9 December 1874, carried a notice of his death: M. Benfield, dWd Taylorsville, Alexandu county, N. Carolina, 23 September 1874, aged 43 years; a former resident of Honolulu. See also the entry for May 1889. °He 4,29 hurled in the U.s. Maitary Section of NY1.1902 Cemetery, Honolulu. 5 See also the entry for January 1880. 254 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine August 1879: Died, at the Queens Hospital, on 16th July, of consumption, JAMES S. JOHNSTON, aged 31, a native of Wilmington, Pa. [sic], U.S.A. The deceased was formerly an engineer on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe R.R., and the Texas and Pacific R.R. Pennsylvania papers please copy. September 1879: Kindness recognized. On a former trip of the Kalakana, a stranger took passage for the Islands, for the benefit of his health. Capt. Jenks and wife did all in their power for his comfort, even allowing him to occupy their stateroom; he died on the passage, his name was G. G. WAYNE of Philadelphia. Capt. Jenks wrote to his friends, and the Masonic Lodge of which he was a member. So highly did these parties appreciate the kind services of Captain and Mrs. Jenks, that the Williamson Lodge of Philadelphia, sent to him a handsomely framed testimonial, while his friends presented Mrs. Jenks with a gold watch and chain. It is with pleasure we note such expressions of appreciation for services rendered, and their infrequency only renders them more praiseworthy. December 1879: Infortnation Wanted. I had a dear son who, when I last heard from him, about twenty years ago, dated at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, said that he would be home soon. His name was WILLIAM D. BENTLY,8 light complexion, and with blue eyes and red whiskers when he left here; he also had an impediment in his speech. If any one knows of my son's death I wish him to be candid and let me know. My address is No. 1821 North 21st Street, above Montgomery Avenue, Philadelphia. Mrs. Sarah D. Bentley [sic]. January 1880: Information Wanted. Philadelphia, 24 November 1879. Dear Sir: I address you with a desire for obtaining through your kindness, information of a friend of mine, MR. GEORGE S. &moil.° Some years ago he left California for the Sandwich Islands. Since then nothing has been heard from him. It was understood he was going among the natives. As our Minister to the Islands, you have powers given you, which gives us hopes of receiving good and welcome news of our friend. Yours, etc., A. E. Griffith, No. 1321 North 19th St., Philadelphia, Penn. To General J. N. Comly. February 1880: Died, in this city 19th January, at her residence, MARIA P. CHAMBERLAIN, widow of the late Levi Chamberlain," See the entry f or October 1161. the entry for March 1879. .) The Chamberlain f =Ay 2f C burled ha Kawaiaba Churchyard, Honolulu. Their inscriptions are: Mow Patton, w. of Levi Chmoberlain, b. ill Pequea, Lancaster Co., Pa., 19 March 1803; d. 19 January 55 They Went West: Pennsylvanians in Hawaii 255 formerly Secular Superintendent of the American Mission to these Islands, aged 76 years, 10 months. Mrs. C. was a native of Pequea, Lancaster county, Pa., and arrived at Honolulu in 1828. She was the last survivor at these Islands of the large company of which Messrs. Andrews, Judd, Clark, Gulick, Green and their wives and others were members. She had resided in this city about 51 years. May 1889: Died, in Berkely, Calif., 30 January, MRS. MARY H. BENFIELD, " nee Tinntsrow, born in Kailua, Hawaii in 1831. 1880. Levi Chamberlain, for 26 yam Secular Agent of the Sandwich Islands Mission in the service of the A.B.C.F.M., who d. 25 July 1849, aged 56 years 11 months. Warren Chamberlain, 1829-1914. J. &arta Chambrrlans, b. 5 February 1851; d. a Honolulu 22 August 1882. Martha A. Chamberlain, 1833-1919. Levi T. Chamberlain, 1837-1917. In the same cemetmy: Maria C. Ogden, b. in Philadelphia, I's., 17 February 1792; d. in Honolulu 3 April 1874. See Note 5 above. Information Wanted Mrs. William B. Lawrence, Route 1, Box 23-A, Tryon, North Carolina, 28782, seeks information on the birthplace in Pennsylvania of her grandfather, JOHN HENRY WISE (Weiss), b. 21 July 1843; d. 21 April 1912 (son of Benjamin Wise and Sarah Baucher, both born its the United States); m. in Elmore, Ottawa Co., Ohio, 16 May 1867, SARAH JANE AMES, and lived in the areas of Pemberville, Haskins, and Toledo, Ohio. Their names appear in the 1870 Census of Ottawa Co., Ohio. Mrs. W. 0. Richey, Box 291, Boyce, La., 71409, seeks data on PAUL Wtxxams who was settled in York Co., Pa., in 1729 as a "squatter" under Maryland titles. 'Where and when (1700 - 1710?) did he marry MARTHA? Who were the parents of Paul and Martha? Among their married children in 1748 were: JEREMIAH WELLIAMS, eldest son and heir, and wife JEAN (Jane), proved in deeds, and ELIZABETH WILLIAM', wife of JOHN PEARSON.