John O. Dominis
| John Owen Dominis | |
|---|---|
| Prince Consort of the Hawaiian Islands | |
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| Tenure | January 29, 1891 – August 27, 1891 |
| Born |
March 10, 1832 Schenectady, New York |
| Died | August 27, 1891 (aged 59) Washington Place, Honolulu, Oahu |
| Burial | September 6, 1891 Mauna Ala Royal Mausoleum |
| Spouse | Liliʻuokalani |
| Issue | John ʻAimoku Dominis (illegitimate) |
| House | House of Kalākaua |
| Father | John Dominis |
| Mother | Mary Jones Dominis |
| Signature |  |
John Owen Dominis (March 10, 1832 – August 27, 1891) was an American-born statesman. He became Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi upon his marriage to the last reigning monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani.
His father was an Italian sea captain named John Dominis (born Giovanni Dominis, 1796–1846) who came to America in 1819 from Trieste during the Napoleonic Wars. He was a descendant of the Venetian noble family of Conti Palatini de Dominis de Arba, that had its origins in the island of Rab in Croatia. His mother was Mary Jones, an American of English descent. Working for Josiah Marshall of Boston, Massachusetts, captain Dominis sailed from North America across the Pacific, often stopping in Hawaii. One of his ships used on the trading voyages was called "Owhyhee" (an older transcription of 'O Hawai'i). The captain married Mary Lambert Jones (1803–1889), daughter of Owen Jones and Elizabeth Lambert, on October 9, 1821, and had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (1825–1838) and Frances Ann Dominis (1829–1842). About 1831, they moved to Schenectady, New York and son John Owen Dominis was born on March 10, 1832.
In 1837 the captain moved his wife and son from New York to Honolulu, Hawaii, leaving their two daughters at boarding school where they died young. King Kamehameha III awarded some land to the family in 1842 as settlement of a lawsuit with the British Consul Richard Charlton. The captain continued to take voyages to raise money for the construction of a large house. In 1846 he sailed for China on the Brig William Neilson, intending to purchase Chinese-made furniture for the house which was nearing completion. The ship was lost at sea, along with the American Agent George Brown, and Mary became a widow. Mary rented a suite of rooms to support herself and young John Owen. One of the first boarders established the American Legation in the house and named it "Washington Place", which was used as a governor's residence and is now a museum.
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