Isaac Davis (c. 1758–1810) was a Welsh advisor to Kamehameha I, who recruited him to help conquer the other kingdoms in Hawaii, resulting in formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He arrived in Hawaii in 1790 as the sole survivor of the massacre of the crew of the Fair American. Davis and John Young became friends and advisors to Kamehameha. Davis brought western military knowledge to Hawaii and played a prominent role during Hawaii's first contacts with the European powers. He spent the rest of his life in Hawaiʻi and was known as ʻAikake.
Isaac Davis was born about 1758 in Milford Haven, Wales.[1] He was a seaman on the American schooner Fair American, commanded by Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe, engaged with a larger companionship, the Eleanora, in the maritime fur trade between the Pacific Northwest and China.
In 1790, the Eleanora was under Captain Simon Metcalfe, when one of his skiffs was stolen by chief Kaʻōpūiki at Honuaula on Maui. Metcalfe nevertheless invited the locals to trade with him, only to fire his cannons at the approaching canoes with unarmed traders, killing more than 100 Hawaiians at Olowalu.
Metcalfe also once mistreated Kameʻeiamoku, a high chief on the island of Hawaii, and one of the sacred pio twins, by whipping him. The humiliated Kameʻeiamoku swore vengeance on the next ship to arrive. He attacked The Fair American at Kaʻūpūlehu, which was under the command of Metcalfe's 18-year-old son, Thomas. Thomas and all of the Fair American’s crew were killed, except for Isaac Davis, the sole survivor of the attack, who was tied to a canoe and left nearly dead. It is said that Davis's life was spared because of his brave fighting.[citation needed] An alternative historical account that originated in a Hawaiian language newspaper in the early 20th century states that Kamehameha did not kill the crew of the Fair American.[2]
In March 1790, Simon Metcalfe left his boatswain, John Young, ashore and sailed away from the Hawaiian Islands without knowing that his son had been killed. The Fair American was taken over by Kamehameha. Davis was nursed back to health by an American beachcomber named Isaac Ridler. Like his friend Young, Davis assisted Kamehameha in his dealings with foreigners and in wars of conquest.[3]
Davis was known as ʻAikake, the translation into Hawaiian, of his given name Isaac—from /ˈaɪzək/ to /ˈaɪzɑkɛ/, Isaac"eh", to /ˈaɪkəkɛ/ (ʻAikake). He was given the status of a high chief and married a relative of King Kamehameha I. He was appointed Governor of Oʻahu, and owned estates on Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and the Big Island.
Family
Davis's son George in later life
Davis first married Nakai Nalimaʻaluʻalu,[4] a chiefess with whom he had one daughter in 1797, Sarah (Sally or Kale) Kaniʻaulono Davis, named after his sister Sarah in Wales. Kale Davis lived in Honokaula, Maui, had six children and died in 1867.
After Nakai died in the ukuʻu plague, Davis married Kalukuna,[5] a relative of Kamehameha, in Honolulu, and founded a prominent family in the islands. They had two children. His son George Hueu Davis was born on 10 January 1800. His daughter Elizabeth "Betty" Peke Davis was born on February 12, 1803. His son married Kahaanapilo Papa and Kalapuna and had many descendants; among them was his son Isaac Young Davis who was the second husband of Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani and his granddaughter Lucy Kaopaulu Peabody who served as a maid of honor and lifelong companion to Queen Emma of Hawaii. His daughter Betty married George Prince Kaumualiʻi (also known as Humehume), the son of King Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi.[1][6]
After his death, his companion John Young looked after his children. Two of them were living with him in 1807, and after Davis's murder in 1810 Young continued to care for them. In Young's will, dated 1834, he divided his lands equally between both his own and Davis's children.[7]
Death
Memorial to Isaac Davis and his descendants, Oahu Cemetery
When King Kaumualiʻi agreed to cede Kauaʻi to Kamehameha and become a vassal ruler, the chiefs became angry. A plan was made to kill Kaumualiʻi, while he was on Oʻahu. During a council of the other chiefs, Kamehameha's high priest Kalaikuʻahulu helped persuade Kamehameha not to kill Kaumualiʻi.
However, the other chiefs secretly continued the plan to poison King Kaumualiʻi. Isaac Davis, learning of the plot, warned Kaumualiʻi. Not waiting to attend the feast which was planned in his honor, Kaumualiʻi slipped away and sailed for Kauaʻi. The poison which was probably intended for Kaumualiʻi was given to Isaac Davis, and he suddenly died in April 1810.[8] He was buried in Honolulu, in "The Cemetery for Foreigners". On his tombstone was placed the inscription:
The remains of Isaac Davis who died on this Island April, 1810 Aged 52 years
This cemetery is located near the Hawaii State Library in Honolulu.[9]
Isaac Davis had been one of Kamehameha's closest friends and advisors. His death was a great shock to Kamehameha and cast a dark shadow over the satisfaction which the King must have felt with the peaceful settlement with the king of Kauaʻi.
His nephew John Davis came to Hawaii in 1810 trying to find his uncle. John stayed and married a Hawaiian noble woman named Kauweʻa kanoaʻakaka wale no haleakala kaʻuwe kekiniʻokoolau (Daughter of Chief Kaukamoa and Chiefess Nahulanui). They had a son named Charles Kapuainahulu Davis who married Hannah Kuloloia Davis (maiden Kupaka 1826–1936), and had issue Tammer Keopualani Davis (Born 1856). John and "Kauwe" also had a daughter named Eliza Davis (1821–1912) who had daughters Hannah (1855–1938) and Mary with husband William Johnson (?–1863). Eliza later married William Roy (?–1905).[10] Hannah Johnson would marry son of missionary John Davis Paris (1809–1892), and Mary would marry Hilo businessman William Herbert Shipman (1854–1943).
^Hawaiian Encyclopedia : Part 1: Complete Timeline of Hawaiian History
^"Nakaiakalimaalualu, (w)". Our Family History and Ancestry. Families of Old Hawaii. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
^"Kualukuna, (w)". Our Family History and Ancestry. Families of Old Hawaii. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
^Day, Arthur Grove (1984). History Makers of Hawaii: a Biographical Dictionary. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. p. 32. ISBN978-0-935180-09-1.
^Campbell, Ian Christopher (1998) "Gone Native" in Polynesia: Captivity Narratives and Experiences from the South Pacific Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN0-313-30787-3. p.46
^John Papa Ii (1983). Fragments of Hawaiian History. Bishop Museum Press. p. 83. ISBN978-0-910240-31-4.
^Robert C, Schmitt (2000). "The Cemetery for Foreigners". Hawaiian Journal of History. Vol. 34. Hawaiian Historical Society. pp. 63–67. hdl:10524/238.
^Geoff Stafford (3 July 2002). "Lanakila Congregational Church cemetery". USGenWeb Archives. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isaac Davis (Hawaii).
Richards, Rhys; Pierce, Richard Austin (1991). Captain Simon Metcalfe: pioneer fur trader in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and China, 1787-1794. Alaska History. Vol. Issue 37. Kingston, Ont., Canada ; Fairbanks, AK, USA: Limestone Press. ISBN978-0-919642-37-9. OCLC 26373766.
January 31, 2023
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Isaac Davis c 1758 1810 was a Welsh advisor to Kamehameha I who recruited him to help conquer the other kingdoms in Hawaii resulting in formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii He arrived in Hawaii in 1790 as the sole survivor of the massacre of the crew of the Fair American Davis and John Young became friends and advisors to Kamehameha Davis brought western military knowledge to Hawaii and played a prominent role during Hawaii s first contacts with the European powers He spent the rest of his life in Hawaiʻi and was known as ʻAikake Isaac DavisHigh Chief ʻAikakeBornc 1758Milford Haven Wales Kingdom of Great BritainDiedApril 1810Honolulu Oahu Kingdom of HawaiiSpouseNakai NalimaʻaluʻaluKalukunaIssueSarah KaniʻaulonoElizabeth PekeGeorge Hueu Contents 1 Life 2 Family 3 Death 4 Family 5 References 6 Further readingLife EditIsaac Davis was born about 1758 in Milford Haven Wales 1 He was a seaman on the American schooner Fair American commanded by Thomas Humphrey Metcalfe engaged with a larger companionship the Eleanora in the maritime fur trade between the Pacific Northwest and China In 1790 the Eleanora was under Captain Simon Metcalfe when one of his skiffs was stolen by chief Kaʻōpuiki at Honuaula on Maui Metcalfe nevertheless invited the locals to trade with him only to fire his cannons at the approaching canoes with unarmed traders killing more than 100 Hawaiians at Olowalu Metcalfe also once mistreated Kameʻeiamoku a high chief on the island of Hawaii and one of the sacred pio twins by whipping him The humiliated Kameʻeiamoku swore vengeance on the next ship to arrive He attacked The Fair American at Kaʻupulehu which was under the command of Metcalfe s 18 year old son Thomas Thomas and all of the Fair American s crew were killed except for Isaac Davis the sole survivor of the attack who was tied to a canoe and left nearly dead It is said that Davis s life was spared because of his brave fighting citation needed An alternative historical account that originated in a Hawaiian language newspaper in the early 20th century states that Kamehameha did not kill the crew of the Fair American 2 In March 1790 Simon Metcalfe left his boatswain John Young ashore and sailed away from the Hawaiian Islands without knowing that his son had been killed The Fair American was taken over by Kamehameha Davis was nursed back to health by an American beachcomber named Isaac Ridler Like his friend Young Davis assisted Kamehameha in his dealings with foreigners and in wars of conquest 3 Davis was known as ʻAikake the translation into Hawaiian of his given name Isaac from ˈaɪzek to ˈaɪzɑkɛ Isaac eh to ˈaɪkekɛ ʻAikake He was given the status of a high chief and married a relative of King Kamehameha I He was appointed Governor of Oʻahu and owned estates on Oʻahu Maui Molokaʻi and the Big Island Family Edit Davis s son George in later life Davis first married Nakai Nalimaʻaluʻalu 4 a chiefess with whom he had one daughter in 1797 Sarah Sally or Kale Kaniʻaulono Davis named after his sister Sarah in Wales Kale Davis lived in Honokaula Maui had six children and died in 1867 After Nakai died in the ukuʻu plague Davis married Kalukuna 5 a relative of Kamehameha in Honolulu and founded a prominent family in the islands They had two children His son George Hueu Davis was born on 10 January 1800 His daughter Elizabeth Betty Peke Davis was born on February 12 1803 His son married Kahaanapilo Papa and Kalapuna and had many descendants among them was his son Isaac Young Davis who was the second husband of Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani and his granddaughter Lucy Kaopaulu Peabody who served as a maid of honor and lifelong companion to Queen Emma of Hawaii His daughter Betty married George Prince Kaumualiʻi also known as Humehume the son of King Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi 1 6 After his death his companion John Young looked after his children Two of them were living with him in 1807 and after Davis s murder in 1810 Young continued to care for them In Young s will dated 1834 he divided his lands equally between both his own and Davis s children 7 Death Edit Memorial to Isaac Davis and his descendants Oahu CemeteryWhen King Kaumualiʻi agreed to cede Kauaʻi to Kamehameha and become a vassal ruler the chiefs became angry A plan was made to kill Kaumualiʻi while he was on Oʻahu During a council of the other chiefs Kamehameha s high priest Kalaikuʻahulu helped persuade Kamehameha not to kill Kaumualiʻi However the other chiefs secretly continued the plan to poison King Kaumualiʻi Isaac Davis learning of the plot warned Kaumualiʻi Not waiting to attend the feast which was planned in his honor Kaumualiʻi slipped away and sailed for Kauaʻi The poison which was probably intended for Kaumualiʻi was given to Isaac Davis and he suddenly died in April 1810 8 He was buried in Honolulu in The Cemetery for Foreigners On his tombstone was placed the inscription The remains of Isaac Davis who died on this Island April 1810 Aged 52 years This cemetery is located near the Hawaii State Library in Honolulu 9 Isaac Davis had been one of Kamehameha s closest friends and advisors His death was a great shock to Kamehameha and cast a dark shadow over the satisfaction which the King must have felt with the peaceful settlement with the king of Kauaʻi His nephew John Davis came to Hawaii in 1810 trying to find his uncle John stayed and married a Hawaiian noble woman named Kauweʻa kanoaʻakaka wale no haleakala kaʻuwe kekiniʻokoolau Daughter of Chief Kaukamoa and Chiefess Nahulanui They had a son named Charles Kapuainahulu Davis who married Hannah Kuloloia Davis maiden Kupaka 1826 1936 and had issue Tammer Keopualani Davis Born 1856 John and Kauwe also had a daughter named Eliza Davis 1821 1912 who had daughters Hannah 1855 1938 and Mary with husband William Johnson 1863 Eliza later married William Roy 1905 10 Hannah Johnson would marry son of missionary John Davis Paris 1809 1892 and Mary would marry Hilo businessman William Herbert Shipman 1854 1943 Family EditvteIsaac Davis Hawaii family treeKing Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi 1778 1824 Kualukuna 1778 Isaac Davis ʻAikake 1758 1810 i NakaiakalimaalualuYoung familyKanekuapuuSarah Kaniaulono Davis 1797 1867 Captain Alexander Adams 1780 1871 James Kanehoa 1797 1851 HumehumeGeorge P Kaumualiʻi 1798 1825 Betty Peke Davis 1803 1848 Antone Sylva 1807 1887 Isaac Keʻeaumoku Adams 1817 1900 Keliiopunui 1830 bef 1900 Harriet Kawahinekipi 1823 1843 John Meek Jr 1821 1848 Alexander Adams 1846 Keliʻimaikaʻi Alebada Kaʻeo 1851 Kahaanapilo PapaGeorge Hueu Davis 1808 1873 House of KamehamehaSarah Kahoiwai Davis 1838 Elizabeth Kamakaila DavisWilliam Kulua Davis Sr 1824 1871 George Davis Jr 1825 1896 Amelia Nakai Kanekuapuu 1827 1895 Ruth Keʻelikōlani 1826 1883 Isaac Young Davis 1824 1882 Louisa Kolohu SpencerJohn Young ʻOlohana Davis 1830 Hana KailihiwaWilliam Kahiukahi Davis 1860 Keolaokalani Davis Paki 1862 1863 Elizabeth Kahaanapilo Davis 1857 Isaac Kahaulelio Davis 1849 William Kulua Davis Jr Notes The Isaac Davis Family 1960 Honolulu Star Bulletin Honolulu Star Bulletin 7 April 1960 p 38 Retrieved 1 February 2021 References Edit a b Hawaiian Genealogy of Kekoolani and Other Families pafg18 Generated by Personal Ancestral File Kanaiolowalu And Other Peoples Credibility http kanaiolowalu myths blogspot com 2013 06 kanaiolowalu and credibility html citing Desha Stephen Kamehameha And His Warrior Kekuhaupio 237 Kamehameha Schools Press May 2000 Hawaiian Encyclopedia Part 1 Complete Timeline of Hawaiian History Nakaiakalimaalualu w Our Family History and Ancestry Families of Old Hawaii Retrieved 16 February 2010 Kualukuna w Our Family History and Ancestry Families of Old Hawaii Retrieved 16 February 2010 Day Arthur Grove 1984 History Makers of Hawaii a Biographical Dictionary Honolulu Mutual Publishing p 32 ISBN 978 0 935180 09 1 Campbell Ian Christopher 1998 Gone Native in Polynesia Captivity Narratives and Experiences from the South Pacific Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 0 313 30787 3 p 46 John Papa Ii 1983 Fragments of Hawaiian History Bishop Museum Press p 83 ISBN 978 0 910240 31 4 Robert C Schmitt 2000 The Cemetery for Foreigners Hawaiian Journal of History Vol 34 Hawaiian Historical Society pp 63 67 hdl 10524 238 Geoff Stafford 3 July 2002 Lanakila Congregational Church cemetery USGenWeb Archives Retrieved 17 October 2009 Further reading Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isaac Davis Hawaii Richards Rhys Pierce Richard Austin 1991 Captain Simon Metcalfe pioneer fur trader in the Pacific Northwest Hawaii and China 1787 1794 Alaska History Vol Issue 37 Kingston Ont Canada Fairbanks AK USA Limestone Press ISBN 978 0 919642 37 9 OCLC 26373766 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Isaac Davis advisor amp oldid 1117087825, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
