John Young of Hawaii
| John Young | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Royal Governor of Hawaiʻi | |
|
In office 1802–1812 |
|
| Monarch | Kamehameha I |
| Succeeded by | Kuakini |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
c.1742 or 17 March 1742 Crosby, England |
| Died | 17 December 1835 (aged 93) Honolulu, Oahu |
| Resting place | Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii |
| Spouse(s) |
Namokuelua Mary Kaʻōanāʻeha |
| Children |
Robert Young James Kāneloa Young Fanny Kekelaokalani Grace Kamaʻikuʻi Young John Kalaipaihala Young II Jane Lahilahi Young |
| Parents | Robert and Grace Young |
John Young (c.1742 – 17 December 1835) was a British subject who became an important military advisor to Kamehameha I during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was left behind by Simon Metcalfe, captain of the American ship Eleanora, and along with a Welshmen Isaac Davis became a friend and advisor to Kamehameha. He brought knowledge of the western world, including naval and land battle strategies, to Kamehameha, and became a strong voice on affairs of state for the Hawaiian Kingdom. He played a big role during Hawaii's first contacts with the European powers. He spent the rest of his life in Hawaiʻi. Between 1802–12, John Young ruled as Royal Governor of Hawaii Island while King Kamehameha was away on other islands. He organized the construction of the fort at Honolulu Harbor. The Hawaiians gave him the name ʻOlohana based on Young's typical command "All hands (on deck)".
According to his tombstone, he was born in 1742 in Crosby, Lancashire, England. Other sources give his birth as 17 March 1744. His father was Robert Young, also from Crosby, and mother Grace. He had two brothers: Peter and James. The Youngs were of Scottish descent. After his death, two families from Massachusetts and Connecticut claimed that Young was American and a member of their family, but all contemporary sources seem to indicate he was British.
Young served as boatswain on the Eleanora, an American ship captained by Simon Metcalfe, engaged in the maritime fur trade between the Pacific Northwest and China. Sailing from Cape Cod in 1789, the Eleanora put in at Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawaii in February 1790. In March Young went ashore to investigate the disappearance of the Eleanora's companion ship, the Fair American, and he was detained because Kamehameha did not want Metcalfe to learn that his own forces had attacked her. Metcalfe waited for two days, but eventually sailed without Young. It was there that he met Isaac Davis, a Welshman who was the only surviving member of Fair American's crew.
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