Charles Kanaʻina Eia was born about May 4, 1798 to his mother Kauwā and father Eia, at Napoʻopoʻo, Hawaiʻi, although the year has been dated as late as 1812. There was speculation Kanaʻina was not a High Chief by birth, however recent research has identified his father to be Eia Kalaikuʻahulu, making him a descendant of the first aliʻi nui
Liloa through both sons,
Umi-a-Liloa and Hakau.
Abraham Fornander states in his 1916-17 publication; "Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Antiquities and Folk-lore" that C. Kanaina was descended from
Kanealai, aliʻi nui wahine (female ruler) of
Molokai, through a grandmother named Kaha. Fornander records that Kanealai was one of the recognized wives of
Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku with whom she had four children, including Kumukoa (k) who became the father of
Kalaikuʻahulu who is connected to Molokai. In the 2000 publication; ''"Kamehameha's Children Today"'', authors Charles Ahlo, Rubellite Kawena Kinney Johnson and Jerry Walker state that Kanaʻina's maternal grandfather, Palila Nohomualani was
Kamehameha I's grandson through the monarch's first born child named Kahiliopua, a daughter of
Kalola-a-Kumukoa. This genealogy is based on previously unpublished family trees compiled by the DeFries family. Eia and Kauwā's other four children were named Naʻea, Iʻahuʻula, Kahele and Kaikumoku. He was named Kanaʻina, after the nickname of his uncle
Kalaimanokahoʻowaha, the
Native Hawaiian drawn by artist
John Webber, who greeted
Captain James Cook and was present at the navigator's death at
Kealakekua Bay. In the
Hawaiian language,
ka naina means "the conquering". Kanaʻina was part of the
kaukau aliʻi class, which was one of five levels of
kānaka maoli (ʻōiwi) (Native Hawaiian)
aliʻi (hereditary noble) status that served the ruling class as close relatives.
Marriage , co-ruled as
Kuhina Nui, styled as Kaʻahumanu III from April 5, 1839, to June 7, 1845 In 1810 the monarch of the independent Island of Kauaʻi,
Kaumualii ( – May 26, 1824), negotiated a peaceful agreement that allowed Kauaʻi to become a part of
Kamehameha I's new Hawaiian Kingdom, while still allowing Kaumualii to remain the islands ruler until his death. The agreement established Kamehameha's son
Liholiho as supreme monarch after Kaumauii's death. After Kamehameha I's death, a council was held in July 1821 with Kaumualii and Liholiho, now styled as "Kamehameha II" along with the top chiefs and advisors, including Charles Kanaʻina. Kamehameha II decided to continue his father's arrangements. For this, Kaumualii asked the new monarch to take some Kauaʻi lands for his wives, to appease Liholiho's guardians. While Kamehameha II refused to do so—stating that his father had left no instructions about the land, only that he should be the supreme monarch—he did take Kaumualii's wife Kekaihaʻakūlou as one of his own wives and gave his wife
Kekāuluohi to his most trusted advisor, Kanaʻina, as a way to please the chiefs. It is believed the council decision displeased the new
Kuhina Nui,
Kaʻahumanu. A year later, she would take Kaumualii and later his son
Kealiiahonui as her husbands, using the teachings of the missionaries on marriage, to make herself their heirs. Kanaina married Miriam Auhea Kekāuluohi that same year on Kauaʻi. Kekāuluohi had been one of several wives of both
Kamehameha I and Kamehameha II. She became co-ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom with
Kamehameha III in 1839 as
Kuhina Nui (co-regent), styled as Kaahumanu III.
Residence Kanaʻina and Kekāuluohi lived near
Kekūanaōʻa, who had his home just west of theirs called
Haliimaile. The homes were in the area called
Pohukaina. This area was a sacred burial site for
aliʻi. Their home was similar to that of the other estates in the neighborhood consisting of small buildings used for different purposes. The sitting and sleeping area had a folding door entrance of green painted wood under glass upper panels. The house had two rooms separated by a festooned tent door of chintz fabric and was carpeted with hand crafted
makaloa mats. In the front was a lounge area opposite a sideboard and mirror. In the middle they placed a semi circle of armchairs with a center table where the couple would write. Four matching cabinet-bookshelves with glass doors were set in each corner of the room with silk scarves hanging from each. In his book,
A visit to the South Seas, in the U.S. Ship Vincennes: during the years 1829 and 1830, Charles Samuel Stewart states: {{blockquote Next to their home was an old estate that had been demolished called
Hanailoia. This was the spot of an ancient
heiau called
Kaahaimauli. In July 1844 Kekūanaōʻa began building a large home here as a gift to his daughter Victoria Kamāmalu. Instead,
Kamehameha III would buy the estate and use as his Royal Residence after moving the capitol of the kingdom to Honolulu. It would become the
Iolani Palace. As older alii died, the lands were passed down and concentrated into fewer hands. Kekāuluohi's lands were passed down to her from the Kamehameha family. When she died, she left her accumulated lands and wealth to her son, not her husband Kanaʻina however, Lunalilo predeceased his father. Kanaʻina served as a member of the
House of Nobles of
Kamehameha III from 1841 to 1876, on the Privy Council from July 29, 1845, to 1855, and on the Supreme Court from when it was first founded on May 10, 1842. In the tradition of European royalty, he was granted the
style (manner of address) of "His Highness".
Children ruled as king from January 8, 1873, to February 3, 1874 Kanaʻina and Kekāuluohi had two sons. Their first son Davida, died young. Their surviving natural son,
William Charles Lunalilo was born on January 31, 1835, at
Pohukaina. He was considered the grandnephew of
Kamehameha I, and second cousin to King
Kamehameha V, King
Kamehameha IV, and
Princess Victoria Kamāmalu, through his mother, Kekāuluohi, who was the cousin of Elizabeth Kīnau (later called
Kaahumanu II). Lunalilo was declared eligible to succeed by the royal decree of King
Kamehameha III and sent to the
Chief's Children's School (later called the Royal School) when it was founded by missionaries
Amos Starr Cooke and Juliette Montague Cooke. They had several
hānai (informal adoption) children including
Kalama, the daughter of Iʻahuʻula (Kanaʻina's sister) and
Naihekukui. Kalama became the queen consort and wife of
Kamehameha III. Kanaʻina and Kekāuluohi also hānai adopted Kalama and Kamehameha III's second son
Keaweaweulaokalani II.
Lunalilo Trust Kanaʻina acted as trustee of the royal lands that had been inherited by his wife while his son was a minor, and after his son's death. When Kanaina died, the court appointed nine trustees, six of which would take part in the militia that overthrew the monarchy and also take part in the new provisional government. Dole himself had been on the record as supporting the break up of
crown lands to promote American style farming in his newspaper in 1872. Various lawsuits ensued over the property including a suit questioning the validity of the will due to Lunalilo being under the guardianship of his father when he made it out. Lunalilo had requested in his will to use the estate to fund a charity. The trustees favored splitting up the estate by selling it off, while others claimed the value of land was underestimated, and an endowment to run the charity could have been funded by lease income. For example, Kanaʻina leased (and later his heirs would sell) thousands of acres of land on the
island of Hawaii to businessman (and son of missionaries)
William Herbert Shipman. ==Death and legacy==