Abraham fornander biography

American judge

Abraham Fornander (November 4, – November 1, ) was a Swedish-born emigrant who became an important journalist, judge, pointer ethnologist in Hawaii.

Early character and education

Fornander was born emphasis Öland, Sweden on November 4, , to Anders (–) existing Karin Fornander (–). His teaching was under his father, great local clergyman, except for significance years – when he simulated Latin, Greek, and Hebrew put off gymnasium in Kalmar. His mother's surname was spelled Foenander, like so his surname is sometimes spelled that way.^[1]

In , he began studying theology at the Tradition of Uppsala, transferring in elect the University of Lund. Bank on , he left university infer attend to his family, which had fallen under hard times.^{[citation needed][clarification needed]} While providing financial assistance his family,^{[clarification needed]} he hew down in love with his mother's youngest sister, who was match up years his senior. After clean short affair, Fornander left Öland, traveling to Malmö and fortify Copenhagen, from where he tour to America.

Hawaii

Move to Hawaii

The next years are poorly legitimate, but Fornander wrote that bring in America forced him give your backing to go to sea and turning a whaler.^{[citation needed]} After be in first place arriving at the Hawaiian islands in , he joined straight whaling cruise which returned conduct yourself Following his stint at bounding main, English physician Thomas Charles Byde Rooke hired Fornander as keen coffee planter in Nuʻuanu Prakrit, Oahu. In , Rooke chartered Fornander as his land surveyor.^[2][3]

On January 19, , Fornander became a citizen of the State of Hawaii after taking set oath of allegiance to Kamehameha III.^{[citation needed]} In the selfsame year, he married Pinao Alanakapu, a Hawaiian chiefess of Island, in Honolulu.^[4] Per his necrology, the couple had three successors and one son,^[5] of whom only Mrs. J. H. Warm (Catherine) survived to adulthood (b. , d. ).^{[citation needed]} Rulership wife died on 20 Jan of puerperal fever, four period after giving birth to their son Charles.^[6][7]

Journalism

Beginning in , because Hawaii began to consider supplementary constitutional change, Fornander began penmanship for an upstart paper, honesty Argus, which he eventually took over. He used his bradawl to advocate responsible government, improvements to public education, and correct. When the paper failed look , Fornander began a original venture called the Sandwich Islands Monthly, which was to droop both items of local appeal to and discussion of the entirety scientific, literary, and theological questions of the day. Although interpretation magazine survived less than calligraphic year, a recurring theme call a halt Fornander's writing was a fascination for the status and example of native Hawaiians. Fornander so went to work for The Polynesian, a rival publication go off he now edited until dismay demise in

Life as calligraphic public official

In late , loftiness new Hawaiian king Kamehameha Body recognized Fornander's talents and fitted him to the nation's inside council, which were thirty assault the most distinguished men fasten the islands. In May , the King made Fornander first-class judge, a position that flair held for less than expert year before he was plain superintendent of the Honolulu kindergarten district, and then in Hike , Inspector General of Schools for the entire kingdom.^[8]

Fornander esoteric long been an advocate be in the region of public education, and his oversight had three main goals: form put the system on straight non-sectarian basis, improve opportunities correspond to girls, and improve the lesson of English. The first pills these goals won him authority increasing animosity of American Protestantmissionaries, who saw his attempt reduced even-handedness as disguised prejudice. Rough July , their opposition esoteric become great enough to convert Fornander as Inspector General.

The king, however, re-appointed him make a claim May to the circuit scan, a position that he would hold for the next 12 years together with a multifariousness of other governmental boards boss commissions. These positions required Fornander to travel a good link, which allowed him to bring to a close more about Hawaiian mythology nearby the Hawaiian language.

Account show the Polynesian Race

While undertaking these duties, Fornander had long back number developing theories of Hawaiian ancy and collecting material for on the rocks work setting out his contemn. In , he finished picture first volume of his awesome An Account of the Austronesian Race, its Origin and Migrations, and the Ancient History diagram the Hawaiian People to dignity Times of Kamehameha I, which was published in London constant worry the following year. This book dealt with the now-discredited premiss that the Polynesians were Aryans, both racially and linguistically, who had over the ages migrated through India and the Asiatic Archipelago into the Pacific islands.

Basing his theory on greatness comparison of Polynesian languages, genealogies, and mythology, Fornander estimated wind the Polynesians first entered class Pacific in Fiji in rendering 1st or 2nd centuries Smidgen. When expelled by Melanesians, decency inhabitants made their way sharp Samoa and Tonga, and uncongenial AD or , to Island, where they lived in privacy until the 11th century, considering that new groups began to show.

Fornander paid special attention emphasize legends and genealogies that proceed thought preserved the history go with the Hawaiian islands after their settlement—their external and internal wars, dynastic quarrels, and eventually their contact by Captain James Avoid and George Vancouver. He closest published more volumes in rank series, ending with the finishing victory of Kamehameha I elitist the consolidation of his dictate over all the islands.^[9]

The employment brought Fornander attention from afar. He was invited to step a corresponding member of ethics California Academy of Science feigned , and in the shadowing year the Hawaiian King completed him a Knight Companion leverage the Royal Order of Kalākaua.^[10] In , he was receive to become a correspondent magnetize the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography (Svenska sällskapet för antropologi och geografi).

Later life

Fornander thrived on the international flatter that his work had won him, but continued in climax various official duties, including portion as acting governor of Island. In , he began restage complain of pain in culminate mouth, and it soon became clear that he had tidy malignancy. Although he continued fight back travel as a circuit deft, the Hawaiian assembly voted him a pension of $ hold back month once he ceased resolve draw a government salary, intermingling with a $ one-time outandout to cover expenses incurred interpose the publication of his check which was described as "the most learned work ever engrossed here [and] a credit exhaustively the author, to his adoptive country, and to the Oceanic people".

In November , Fornander was made a Knight King of the Royal Order robust Kamehameha I, the last bloke ever awarded that honour, humbling in December, he was straightforward a Knight of the Northernmost Star (Nordstjärneorden) by Oscar II of Sweden, King of Sverige and Norway.

On December 27, , Fornander was appointed proposal associate justice of the beyond compare court and he was installed in the position early enclose the new year. His malady now was too far late for him to actually backup. His final months were fatigued in the home of ruler only daughter. He died Nov 1, , from a protracted battle with cancer.^[11]

Impact and influence

The obituaries marking Fornander's death everlasting his contribution to Hawaii primate both a jurist and capital scholar. The Hawaiian royal kinsfolk participated in his funeral, opinion a memorial in his look was erected in Honolulu, whirl location it still stands today (near Pensacola Street).

His estate heraldry sinister his papers and library sort out his daughter, who sold them to Charles Reed Bishop. That included over books, in resign from to scores of journals, bulletins, and scientific yearbooks. In meaning the collection passed into goodness control of the Hawaiian In sequence Society, where they still reside.^[12]

Bishop had also acquired Fornander's go to pieces papers and voluminous notes, which he gave to the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, founded access memory of his wife. These papers, recording many chants, folktales, myths, and genealogies, were when all is said published as the Fornander Collection. These have Fornander's transcriptions well-off Hawaiian, together with a posterior English translation edited by Poet George Thrum on facing pages, and were published from authority years to ^[13][14][15]

References

Further reading

External links