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September 22, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Surfing in Britain

“Surf riding after the Hawaiian fashion is extremely simple when performed with pen and ink, but the swimmer who tries it at Waikiki when there is any sort of sea tumbling in from the south is either overwhelmed in the roller …”

“… or parts company with his board to learn the adamantine solidity of beach sand when a would-be rider essays to plow it up with any portion of his anatomy.” (Paducah Daily Sun, AK, August 18, 1898)

Edward, Prince of Wales (Later King Edward VIII) visited Hawai‘i in April 1920 and enjoyed a three-day surf trip with Earl Mountbatten (future Admiral of the Fleet.) He was so thrilled with the experience that he ordered his ship, the HMS Renown, to return for three days so he could surf again.

But it’s not the surfing of British royals in Hawai‘i that is the focus of this summary, this is about Hawaiian royals in Britain, surfing off the British coast.

While Duke Kahanamoku introduced and promoted surfing to the rest of the world (making him the ‘Father of International Surfing,’) the year he was born (1890,) a couple Hawaiian Princes were riding the waves at Bridlington, Yorkshire in Britain.

Brothers David Kawānanakoa (Koa) and Kūhiō, orphaned after their father died in 1880 and mother in 1884, were adopted by King David Kalākaua’s wife, Queen Kapiʻolani, who was their maternal aunt.

Both were sent on Kalākaua’s ‘studies abroad program.’ They travelled with a guardian arriving in London on November 27, 1889. At first, it was thought that David might work for Hawaii Consul Armstrong in London.

There were 13 Hawaiian Consuls throughout England, indicative of the two countries important trade relations. As for Kuhio, “(he) is not sure if he wants to stay or leave. He thinks he’ll leave, (because) it is very cold here.” (Hall)

On September 22, 1890 Prince Kūhiō could not restrain his enthusiasm in his letter to the Hawaiian Consul Armstrong about their experience of surfing at Bridlington:

“We enjoy the seaside very much and are out swimming every day. The weather has been very windy these few days and we like it very much for we like the sea to be rough so that we are able to have surf riding. We enjoy surf riding very much and surprise the people to see us riding on the surf.”

“Even (John) Wrightson (their tutor) is learning surf riding and will be able to ride as well as we can in a few days more. He likes this very much for it is a very good sport.” (Museum of British Surfing)

Their Bridlington surfboards would most likely have been planks purchased from a boat‐builder. There were extensive regional forests plus readily available foreign timber. A local wood expert’s best guess is that the wood was ash, sycamore or lime. (Hall)

This wasn’t the first international surfing experience for the princely brothers. In 1885, the Koa and Kūhiō (and their other brother Edward, who later died in 1887) were schooled at St Matthew’s Hall in San Mateo, California; they were placed under the care of Antoinette Swan, one of the ‘Pioneers’ of Santa Cruz and daughter of Don Francisco de Paula Marin.

When the Swan home became too crowded, the princes boarded at the nearby Wilkins House, located half a block away, on Pacific and Cathcart streets. (Dunn & Stoner)

The three princes are noted in the first account of surfing anywhere in the Americas: “The young Hawaiian princes were in the water, enjoying it hugely and giving interesting exhibitions of surf-board swimming as practiced in their native islands.” (Santa Cruz Daily Surf, July 20, 1885; Divine)

Another Hawaiian royal may also have added to the international surfing experience. It is suggested that when Princess Kaʻiulani, a cousin of Koa and Kūhiō, also surfed in England (in 1892.)

“She may have been the first female surfer in Britain, … a letter in which she wrote that she enjoyed ‘being on the water again’ at Brighton.”

“Kaʻiulani liked swimming and surfing. She was a high-spirited girl, who when she returned to Hawaii, liked to sneak out past midnight to go swimming in the moonlight with girlfriends.” (Hall)

Reportedly, “The tall foreign dignitary stood erect on a thin board with her hair blowing in the wind and rode the chilly waters.” (British Surfing Museum; Boal)

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Brighton Beach-UK-from_the-Pier-LOC-1890
Brighton Beach-UK-from_the-Pier-LOC-1890
David Kawananakoa (1868-1908) Edward Keliiahonui (1869-1887) and Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (1871-1922)-PP-97-17-008
David Kawananakoa (1868-1908) Edward Keliiahonui (1869-1887) and Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (1871-1922)-PP-97-17-008
Hawaiian Surfers-BridlingtonFreePress
Hawaiian Surfers-BridlingtonFreePress
Koa and Kuhio-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Koa and Kuhio-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Prince Kuhio letter to the Hawaiian consul Mr Armstrong in London-Sep_22,_1890-1-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Prince Kuhio letter to the Hawaiian consul Mr Armstrong in London-Sep_22,_1890-1-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Prince Kuhio letter to the Hawaiian consul Mr Armstrong in London-Sep_22,_1890-2-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Prince Kuhio letter to the Hawaiian consul Mr Armstrong in London-Sep_22,_1890-2-MuseumOfBritishSurfing
Saltburn-by-the-Sea-UK-noting-sea_bathing-changing-carts-LOC-1890
Saltburn-by-the-Sea-UK-noting-sea_bathing-changing-carts-LOC-1890
Brighton_Beach-UK-from_the-Pier-LOC-1890
Brighton_Beach-UK-from_the-Pier-LOC-1890
Brighton Beach-UK-the-Pier-LOC-1890
Brighton Beach-UK-the-Pier-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_The_Parade-(Promenade)-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_The_Parade-(Promenade)-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_The_Harbor-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_The_Harbor-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_Childrens_Corner-LOC-1890
Bridlington_UK_Childrens_Corner-LOC-1890
Brighton Beach-UK-LOC-1915
Brighton Beach-UK-LOC-1915
Brighton_Beach-UK-LOC-1915
Brighton_Beach-UK-LOC-1915
Brighton Beach-Bathing-UK-LOC-1915
Brighton Beach-Bathing-UK-LOC-1915
Prince_Edward_Surfing-Waikiki-1920
Prince_Edward_Surfing-Waikiki-1920
Prince Edward-and_Duke_Kahanamoku_go_Surfing
Prince Edward-and_Duke_Kahanamoku_go_Surfing

Filed Under: Prominent People, Economy, Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance, Hawaiian Traditions Tagged With: Antoinette Swan, Bridlington, Hawaii, Britain, Surfing, Prince Kuhio, Kaiulani, Kawananakoa, Surf, Prince Edward, David Kawananakoa

July 1, 2016 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Antoinette Francesa Marin

Don Francisco de Paula Marin (known to the Hawaiian as “Manini”) was a Spaniard who arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1793 or 1794 (at about the age of 20.) Manini’s nickname appears to be the closest way that the Hawaiians could pronounce his name.

Marin spoke four languages (he arrived fluent in Spanish, French and English, and learned Hawaiian) and was employed by Kamehameha as Interpreter, Bookkeeper and part time Physician (although he had no formal medical training, he had some basic medical knowledge.) He also served as purchasing agent for the arms that proved decisive to Kamehameha’s victory of the Battle of Nu‘uanu (1795.)

Among his several children, Marin had a daughter, Antoinette Francesa Marin, who was born on October 6, 1832 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

Her father died in 1837 and Antoinette was hānai to Dr Thomas Charles Byde and Grace Kamaikui Rooke; he was one of three physicians in Honolulu in the 1830s. (Santa Cruz Sentinel, December 14, 1941) (Emma, later Queen Emma, was also adopted by the Rookes.)

Antoinette later married Lyman Swan (born on February 26, 1823 at Jefferson County in Watertown, New York,) a partner in Swan & Clifford. “In 1848 (Ornan O Clifford) came to Honolulu and shortly after entered into co-partnership with Lyman Swan in the baking business, at the corner of King and Fort streets.” (Hawaiian Gazette, May 28, 1884)

In April of 1853, Antoinette gave birth to the couple’s first child, Olivia (“Lily,”) and the young Swan family appeared to be living a life of prosperity and promise in Honolulu. (Dunn & Stoner)

Thrum notes Swan and Clifford were consignees to the first cargo of ice to the Islands that came from Sitka, per brig “Noble,” in October, 1854.

But as often would be the case with Lyman Swan throughout his life, appearances were often deceiving. Business records for Swan & Clifford indicate that while the chandlery was doing a booming business, income was not keeping up with expenses.

Apparently, unbeknownst to his partner, Swan was forging $40,000 in promissory notes and leaving over $80,000 in unpaid bills. A $5,000 reward was offered for information on his whereabouts. (Anderson)

Clifford declared his innocence. (Dunn & Stoner) Lyman left town and headed for California.

“Swan & Clifford bought and refitted the condemned bark George for whaling and trading … the senior member of the firm taking passage by her, on departure, to evade the impending crisis in their affairs in consequence of his own questionable transactions.”

“In the fall the vessel reported at San Francisco with 500 bbls oil, where Mr Swan remained. The ship on arrival here was seized by the marshal for the assignees and in due time was sold, as she lay”. (Thrum) Lyman was apprehended in Alameda.

All of the forged bills had been executed in Swan’s handwriting. While Hawaiian authorities tried to extradite Swan, he was never to return to the islands. He endured several years of both civil and criminal cases against him in San Francisco (he was found guilty on several, but not all, counts;) it’s uncertain if he was sentenced to any time in prison. (Dunn & Stoner)

Somehow, he managed to bring Antoinette and daughter Lily to California during his court cases, where the family first resided in San Jose. (Dunn & Stoner) Then, the family settled in Santa Cruz in around 1857.

They are considered one of the ‘Pioneers’ of Santa Cruz; Lyman was one of the signatories of the Constitution and Roll of Members of the Society of Pioneers of Santa Cruz County.

Swan returned to his roots and opened a bakery on Pacific Avenue; the Swans were popular and widely respected pillars of the Santa Cruz business community.

The family purchased a large plot of land in downtown Santa Cruz, at what is now the corner of Front and Cathcart Streets, that backed up to the San Lorenzo River. At least two of the Swan sons, Frank and Alfred, then in their twenties, joined in the family business. (Dunn & Stoner)

But the Swan marriage was not a happy one. Lyman Swan’s larceny may have long been hidden from the Santa Cruz community, but he couldn’t hide it from Antoinette, whom he had shamed with his activities in Honolulu.

Antoinette decided to return to the islands for lengthy periods of time and was Queen Kapiʻolani’s Chambermaid for approximately 5-years. (Santa Cruz Sentinel, October 3, 1905) She returned to Santa Cruz.

When Princes David Kawānanakoa (Koa,) Edward Keliʻiahonui and Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, nephews of Queen Kapiʻolani, were schooled at St Matthew’s Hall in San Mateo in 1885, they were placed under the careful eye of Antoinette Swan.

When the Swan home became too crowded, the princes boarded at the nearby Wilkins House, located half a block away, on Pacific and Cathcart streets. (Dunn & Stoner)

The three princes are noted in the first account of surfing anywhere in the Americas: “The young Hawaiian princes were in the water, enjoying it hugely and giving interesting exhibitions of surf-board swimming as practiced in their native islands.” (Santa Cruz Daily Surf, July 20, 1885; Divine)

“Mrs Antoinette Don Paul Marie Swan was courtly in manner, and had a charm in her dealing with people that won many friends.”

“She was a kind neighbor and a devoted mother, loved by her children.” She was clearly a well-liked and widely respected member of the community. (Santa Cruz Daily Surf, October 2, 1905; Dunn & Stoner)

She died on October 1, 1905 at the age of 72 and was buried at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery. (Society of California Pioneers of Santa Cruz County)

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Antoinette_Swan-400
Antoinette_Swan-400
Kalakaua & Kapiolani - Iolani Palace with Col. Charles Hastings Judd (Chamberlain), and Antoinette F. Manini Swan (Chambermaid)-WC
Kalakaua & Kapiolani – Iolani Palace with Col. Charles Hastings Judd (Chamberlain), and Antoinette F. Manini Swan (Chambermaid)-WC
Antoinette-Swan-400
Antoinette-Swan-400
Queen_Kapiolani_on_the_Iolani_Palace_grounds with Antoinette Swan-(PP-97-14-016)
Queen_Kapiolani_on_the_Iolani_Palace_grounds with Antoinette Swan-(PP-97-14-016)
Royal_Bungalow_outside_Iolani_Palace_(PP-11-2-003)
Royal_Bungalow_outside_Iolani_Palace_(PP-11-2-003)
Kalakaua & Kapiolani and others in front of the Bungalow including Antoinette Swan PP-96-13-016
Kalakaua & Kapiolani and others in front of the Bungalow including Antoinette Swan PP-96-13-016
Chest of Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, later Antoinette Swan-PP-37-4-005
Chest of Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, later Antoinette Swan-PP-37-4-005
Chest of Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, later Antoinette Swan-PP-37-4-004
Chest of Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, later Antoinette Swan-PP-37-4-004
Frank Manini to Antoinette Swan-letter (portion)
Frank Manini to Antoinette Swan-letter (portion)

Filed Under: Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance, Prominent People Tagged With: Hawaii, Kapiolani, Don Francisco de Paula Marin, Rooke, King Kalakaua, Antoinette Swan

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