Lady Jane Franklin | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

Jane Franklin (1791-1875), was born on December 4, 1791, the daughter of John Griffin, a wealthy silk weaver, of London, and Mary, née Guillemard. In 1828, she married (as his second wife) John Franklin, an explorer trying to map out the Northwest Passage.

On April 29, 1829, John was knighted by George IV and the same year awarded the first Gold Medal of the Société de Géographie of France. Franklin was governor of Tasmania for a while before heading out on his next Canadian Arctic expedition. (Franklin had spent three winters in the Arctic without sending word back home; Jane began to get worried.)

In 1848 the search for Franklin and his crew began. In 1849 Jane’s panic began and she dedicated her life and resources to trying to find her missing husband and his crew. Later a journal was found that said that Franklin had died on June 11th, 1847.

While monitoring her husband’s rescue trips and waiting for news she became well-acquainted with the Hawai‘i royal family. En route to the Sandwich Islands Lady Jane and Sophia Cracroft, her niece, went around South America and stopped in California.

In 1861, Robert Crichton Wyllie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, hosted a visit by Lady Jane Franklin, a lively, energetic 69 year old who delighted the 63 year old Wyllie.

He housed her in a spacious apartment at Rosebank. It appears that the confirmed bachelor was rather smitten with Lady Jane. Wyllie was taken with the idea that she should visit Princeville and she quickly agreed.

“We passed here twelve delightful days of unbroken repose, free from bustle, interruption, and fatigue – pray don’t imagine that this means in indolence …”

“… the very reverse is the fact – we read, wrote, drew, sewed, while drinking in the perfume of the flowers such as are cherished in conservatories at home, revelling in beauty which could never satiate, because ever changing.” (Miss Sophia Cracroft, 1861; Harrington)

Wyllie arranged for the ladies to be presented to King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. The friendship that developed was very beneficial for Lady Jane, who had open access to the palace. (Kauai Historical Society)

They discussed a wide range of topics. Lady Jane and her niece were very involved with social events of the community, attending musicals, teas, receptions, excursions into the country side and dances.

Next, Lady Jane went to California for a brief time then returned to Hawai‘i to visit the royal family when en route to Japan. Again she was the guest of Robert Wyllie at Rosebank. From Hawai‘i she proceeded to Calcutta before making her way home to England.

Although Lady Jane never returned to Hawai‘I, she maintained close contact with Queen Emma and Robert Wyllie through correspondence. In 1864 Lady Jane wintered in Spain but hurried back to England to host a visit from Queen Emma. (Kauai Historical Society)

To win support for an Anglican mission to Hawai‘i, where Lady Jane was concerned that British should replace American influence, she acted as hostess in her London home to Queen Emma. (Woodward)

“(S)he was received with great kindness by the ‘royal family,’ and is now repaying it by having ‘the Queen’ and her retinue to live with her; though our Queen has placed her apartments at Clarges’ Hotel at the Sandwich Island Queen’s disposition.”

“(Queen Emma) is a charming young woman, in spite of the tinge of black – or rather green. Large black, beautiful eyes, a lovely smile, great intelligence, both of face and manner, a musical, true voice, a perfect English accent.” (Jane W Carlyle to Welch)

“The queen is the widow of the late King of the Sandwich Islands, Kamehameha IV., to whom she was married in 1856. Her only child died in the year 1862; and the throne is now filled by her husband’s brother, with the title of Kamehameha V.”

“The Queen Dowager Emma is partly of Hawaiian and partly of European race; her father was one of the native chieftains, and her mother was a granddaughter of John Young, one of the companions of Vancouver.”

“She has come to England on a visit to Lady Franklin, for the purpose of interesting the friends of English Church missions in the welfare of the Christians among her own people, which ought to be no matter of surprise, when it is known that her husband was the Hawaiian king who invited the planting in his dominions of a branch of the English Church …”

“… the king, who himself translated the English Prayer-book into the native language, and wrote the preface to it, which the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge have published as one of their own tracts.”

“It must not be imagined that, though Queen Emma has come to England on a visit to Lady Franklin, that she is confined alone to the residence of that distinguished lady.”

“She has also been the guest of Mr JF Batemen, of Moor Park, near Farnham, Surrey. The spot is not only one of romantic beauty, but the house itself was formerly the residence of Sir William Temple and Dean Swift.”

“While staying with Lady Franklin, Queen Emma visited the Duke of York‘s Military School at Chelsea. During her visit to Mr. Buteman, she visited all the interesting places round Farnham, including Aldershott Camp”.

“At the time that she was on a visit to the Rev. Mr. Keble, at Hursley, in Hampshir she went to see Winchester, when the bells of the ol cathedral rang peals of welcome during her stay, and on her way through the Close to Archdeacon Utterton’s, she was greeted with a succession of cheers.” (London Journal, September 30, 1865)

On September 9th, Queen Emma and Queen Victoria met. The British Queen noted in her Journal: “After luncheon I received Queen Emma, the widowed Queen of the Sandwich Islands of Hawai‘i. Met her in the Corridor & nothing could be nicer or more dignified than her manner.”

“She was dressed in just the same widow’s weeds as I wear. I took her into the White Drawingroom, where I asked her to sit down next to me on the sofa. She was much moved when I spoke of her great misfortune in losing her husband and only child.”

“She was very discreet and would only remain a few minutes. She presented her lady, [Mrs. Hoapili] whose husband is her Chaplain, both being Hawaiians.” (Queen Victoria; Hackler)

Note, at this time, the three women were widows: Lady Jane Franklin learned of her husband’s death in 1854; Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria died December 14, 1861; and Prince Albert, Kamehameha Iv and Emma’s only son died August 27, 1862 and Kamehameha IV died November 30, 1863.

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Lady_Jane_Franklin

Sophia_Cracroft

Lady-Jane-Franklin

Queen_Emma_and_Kamehameha_IV-between 1856 and 1863

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Queen_Victoria,_photographed_by_George_Washington_Wilson-WC-1863

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John Adams Kuakini was born about 1789 with the name Kaluaikonahale, the son of Keʻeaumoku and his wife Nāmāhana. His sisters were Queen Kaʻahumanu (Kamehameha’s favorite wife who later became the powerful Queen Regent and Kuhina nui,) Kalākua Kaheiheimālie and Namahana-o-Piʻia (also queens of Kamehameha) and brother George Cox Kahekili Keʻeaumoku.

He married Analeʻa (Ane or Annie) Keohokālole; they had no children. (She later married Caesar Kapaʻakea. That union produced several children (including the future King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani.))

In 1838, Kuakini built Huliheʻe as his primary residence; a structure that exemplified Hawaiʻi’s ability to build modern structures; it is a two-story stone structure with a symmetrical floor plan that has strong similarities to a New England style house. These similarities were readily apparent to foreign visitors.

In 1838, a visitor who witnessed the palace under construction wrote: “It is of stone and as handsome a building as I have seen in the islands …. It is two story, has three rooms above and below, a lanai in front the whole length and a piazza back, the lower part painted marble color and the upper green. He has much of the Koa in it which is almost as nice as mahogany.” (NPS)

Huliheʻe Palace was a source of great pride for its builder and he would regularly show the palace off to foreign visitors to the island. Kuakini died December 9, 1844 in Kailua-Kona; Huliheʻe passed to his hānai son, William Pitt Leleiōhoku.

Leleiōhoku died a few months later, leaving Huliheʻe to his wife, Princess Ruth Luka Keʻelikōlani. It became a favorite retreat for members of the Hawaiian royal family.

Following Kuakini’s death, Amos Cooke and Thomas Rooke took the children of the Chiefs’ Childrens’ School (Royal School) on a visit to Kona, arriving on July 11, 1846. Cooke noted in his journal:

“… we landed at Kailua, & were escorted to the large stone house, builed by John Adams. It had been cleared of its furniture, but mats were plenty & we occupied them for beds. Our meals were cooked on board the vessel & brought on shore.”

“The house had three large rooms above 5 below. The boys took one end room above & the girls the other. The room under the girls was used as a dining hall while we were there. It was a large & commodious house & must have cost $10,000.”

Later, Kamehameha IV (Ruth’s half-brother, who had visited Huliheʻe as a student at the Royal School) and Queen Emma particularly enjoyed their time vacationing at Huliheʻe, and visited the palace many times with their son, Prince Albert.

Kamehameha IV signed a lease with Princess Ruth for Huliheʻe at $200 per year, with the agreement that additions and repairs made would be deducted from the rental. (Daughters of Hawaiʻi)

The King and Queen purchased the ahupuaʻa of Waiaha; in 1858 they moved to Kona for a 4-month stay. (That visit was cut short with the untimely death of Queen Emma’s hānai father, Dr Rooke.)

In May, 1861 Lady Jane Franklin, widow of a famed explorer, visited the palace. Lady Franklin describes Huliheʻe as “a huge house, with excellent rooms, standing within a grassy enclosure close upon the shore and faced to the sea by a wall of lava blocks. “

“We have the great house all to ourselves, every door and window open, scanty furniture (only a bed, a sofa, tables and chairs).” The future king and future owner of the palace, David Kalākaua, accompanied Lady Franklin on the trip. (NPS)

Shortly after being elected King in 1873, Lunalilo became ill and at the urging of Princess Ruth and Queen Emma went to Huliheʻe to recover. Lunalilo brought the Henry Berger and the Royal Hawaiian Band to the palace throughout Christmas and the New Year to entertain the royalty during the holiday season. Lunalilo never recovered from his illness and died shortly after returning to Honolulu.

Despite owning Huliheʻe Palace, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani chose to live in a large hale pili (traditional grass home) on the same oceanfront property. When she became ill in Honolulu, her doctors recommended that she return to Huliheʻe, her Kailua-Kona residence, where they believed she would more quickly regain her health.

She received medical attention, but did not recover. On May 24, 1883, Keʻelikōlani died at the age of fifty-seven at Haleʻōlelo, her hale pili. Per her will, Huliheʻe Palace went to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop (who died within a year of inheriting the palace.)

Shortly after King Kalākaua finished building ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu (1882,) he purchased Huliheʻe from Pauahi’s estate in 1885 and turned Huliheʻe into his summer residence.

He completed some major renovations so that the palace would more closely resemble the modern structures he saw during his travels. He stuccoed the entire lava rock exterior and plastered over the koa-paneled walls. He felt that the palace was outdated and that these renovations were necessary so that Hawai’i could portray itself to the world as a modern society.

Other changes included enlarging the lanais, and hanging crystal chandeliers, like those he had seen in the United States and Europe, in the entry ways. The ceiling of the palace was given an ornamental cornice and gold leaf picture molding was added in some of the rooms.

Kalākaua felt that these larger and more modern palaces were more comparable to those that he saw when he was abroad, and that they were better suited for the aliʻi to live in. (During the renovation he also demolished Princess Ruth’s grass house that still stood on the property.)

The same year he finished renovation to Huliheʻe (1887,) Kalākaua, under threat of force, signed the ‘Bayonet Constitution.’ The King spent the majority of his time at Huliheʻe Palace after he signed the new constitution.

He continued to make improvements to Huliheʻe while living there and had a telephone line installed in the palace in 1888, which was one of the first telephones on the island of Hawai’i. He continued to entertain foreign visitors at the palace.

In 1889 the Prince and Princess Henri de Bourbon, members of the Austrian royal family, visited the palace and were entertained by the King. Kalākaua died in 1891 and his wife, Queen Kapiʻolani, inherited the palace. Kapiʻolani resided at Huliheʻe throughout the period of the subsequent overthrow.

Upon her death in 1899, the property went to her nephews, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and Prince David Kawānanakoa. Fifteen years after the Princes inherited the palace they sold it to a wealthy woman, Mrs Bathsheba Alien, for $8,600. (She died just one month after the transaction.)

For years the property sat vacant and eventually fell into a state of disrepair. In 1925, the Territory of Hawaiʻi purchased the property then turned it over to the Daughters of Hawaiʻi to run it as a museum (which they continue to do today.)

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