Mela (Miller)

Mela (Miller) was the name Native Hawaiians called Alexander (Alika) Miller Sr., the foreign mason of Kamehameha I and chief builder of the Brick Palace who was on Oahu before the Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795.

Brick Palace

Artist's conception of the Brick Palace from the Lahaina Restoration Foundation

Before the Battle of Nuuanu a number of foreigners were living on Oahu under the rule of Kalanikūpule. Among these settlers were Oliver Holmes, Shomisona, Mr. Lele, Mr. Mela [Miller] and Mr. Keakaʻeleʻele [Black Jack]. After Kamehameha I conquered Oahu they all pledged oaths to the new alii.^[1] A letter from William Richards to Reverend Levi Chamberlain dated September 18, 1830, describes "Miller" as a Mason living in Lahaina. Richard also notes that "Miller" likes rum.^[2]

Mela, along with Mr. Keka'ele'ele (Black Jack), possibly the first African American in Hawaii, built the Brick Palace for Kamehameha I's favorite wife, Kaʻahumanu.^[1]^[3] The palace was the first western-style structure built in the Hawaiian Islands, serving as the first Royal Palace.^[4] Located at Lahaina, Maui, the site became the seat of government and capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii until 1845.^[5] William Richards would later receive the land the Brick Palace was built on.^[2]

John Papa ʻĪʻī

Mela was the kahu (royal attendant) of John Papa ʻĪʻī, who writes of the occasion when, as a young boy who didn't wish to walk on a long journey, his attendants, either Mela or Kiwalao, scared him into walking by pointing to foreigners and telling the young boy; "Here come the haoles, who do not like children who cry too much".^[6]

Family, descendants and legacy

Mela's English name was Alexander (Alika) Miller Sr.^[7] Alexander wed or cohabitated with Kānekapōlei and had two children, a girl named Kahinu (w) and a son named Alika (Alexander) Mela (Miller) Jr.^[2] While Mela was originally gifted with several lots of land from Kamehameha I, his son Alika had to relinquish all but one, Opaeula ahupuaa in Lahaina, Maui.^[7]

Alika married Kanuha Kaialiilii, sister of Captain J.H. Mahiai, in 1855. Kanuha and Mahiai were two of 9 children of Kaialiilii and Poimoa.^[2] Alika and Kanuha had eight children;^[2]

Kale [Sarah] (w)
John Mahiʻai (born Miller) Kāneakua
Hale
Kahalea
Kanekapolei (w)
Isabel/Isabella Haleʻala Kaʻili Desha (née Miller) (w)
Noa
Kalimahana

Sarah Miller is said to have married or cohabitated with a Mr. Harvey Raymond but there was no issue from the union. Sarah did have 4 children with Charles Makee,^[2] including a son named Charles Miller.^[8] John Mahiʻai was hanai adopted by James Kāneakua.^[9]^[10] He married twice. His first marriage produced no issue however, his second marriage to Lucy Kaʻumealani Cummings produced ten children.^[10]

Family tree

Key- Subjects with bold titles and blue bold box= Aliʻi line. Bold title and grey bolded box= Lower ranking Aliʻi line. Bold title and un-bolded box= European nobility. Regular name and box= makaʻāinana or untitled foreign subject.

Mela (Miller)

Kānekapōlei^{[lower-roman 1]}

Kaialii

Poimoa

Kilinahe

Lama (w)

Alexander P. Miller Jr.
(Alika Mela)^{[lower-roman 2]}

Kapuailohia Wahine Kanuha Kaialiilii.^{[lower-roman 3]}

Ai

Namakalele

Charles Makee^{[lower-roman 4]}

Sarah Kaʻili Miller

John Mahiʻai Miller/Kaneakua
(Oct. 9, 1860-Jan. 26, 1936)
County Clerk of Kaua‘i
Hui Hawaiian Aloha ʻĀina

Lucy Kaʻumealani Cummings

Samuel Kalimahana Kaialiilii Miller.^{[lower-roman 5]}^{[lower-roman 6]}
(1868-Nov. 24, 1933)

Daisy Amoe Ai^{[lower-roman 7]}

George Langhern Desha

Isabella Haleʻala Kaʻili Miller^{[lower-roman 8]}^{[lower-roman 9]}
(1865-Feb. 28, 1949)

Noa Miller

Charles Miller

Sakichi Hayashi

Annie Maikaʻi Miller

Charles Hoolulu Siemsen

Peter Carl Beamer

Helen Kapuailohia Desha
(Sept. 8, 1882–Sept. 25, 1952)

David Lester Desha

James Waichiro Miller

Milton Hoʻolulu Beamer
(October 18, 1903^{[lower-roman 10]} - )

Kaaloehukaiopuaena Copp

Francis Kealiʻinohopono Beamer

Louise Leiomälama

Harriet Kekahiliokalani Beamer

Peter Carl Kaleikaʻapunihonua Beamer Jr.

Helen Elizabeth Kawohikukapulani Beamer

Mahi Beamer

Odell Steppe

Winona Beamer

Keola Beamer

Kapono Beamer

Notes:

↑ Hawaiian researcher Dorothy Barrère lists Kanekapolei as the wife of Mela (Miller) on page 458 of her book from the full Mahele land claim of Kanekapolei's son Alika Mela- LCA 8018.^{[lower-greek 1]}
↑ Kaʻanoʻi Walk writes in an article for the Hawaiian Cultural Center: "..my great-grandfather John Mahiʻai Kāneakua was born in Honuaʻula, Maui to his loving parents Alexander P. Miller and Kanuha (Kaialiilii) Miller".^{[lower-greek 2]}
↑ Kapuailohiawahine and her daughter Isabella, taught Hula in secret, hiding it after the ban by Kaʻahumanu.^{[lower-greek 3]}
↑ The son of Charles Makee (the son of James Makee, a wealthy sea Captain) Charles Miller was the son of "Sarah Miller, written as "S. Mila" on the marriage record".^{[lower-greek 4]}
↑ Hawaii State Archives lists Samuel Kaia Miller marrying Amoy Ai on 5-2-1903 in Honolulu, Hawaii.^{[lower-greek 5]}
↑ The Marriage certificate of Samuel and Daisy Amoe Ai lists Alika Miller and Kanuha as parents to Samuel, with Namakelele and Ai as parent to Daisy.^{[lower-greek 6]}
↑ Daisy Amoe and Samuel Kalimahana Miller had 12 children and resided in Kalihi where Samuel worked as a painter.^{[lower-greek 7]}
↑ In a press release from the Hula Preservation Society, they list Isabella Hale`ala Miller Desha as Nona Beamer's great grandmother.^{[lower-greek 8]}
↑ The Desha Genealogy lists William Francis Desha as the son of Isabella and George Desha.^{[lower-greek 9]}
↑ Hawaii Births and Christenings, 1852-1933. Milton Hoolulu Desha Beamer, 18 Oct 1903; citing Hilo, Hawaii, Hawaii, reference p 36; FHL microfilm 1,031,747.^{[lower-greek 10]}

↑ Barrère, D.B. (1994). The King's Mahele: The Awardees and Their Lands. D.B. Barrère. OCLC 31886789.
↑ Walk, Kaʻanoʻi. "Kāneakua, John Mahiʻai". Hawaiian Cultural Center. Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
↑ Barbara Bennett Peterson (1984). Notable Women of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8248-0820-4.
↑ Chinese America, History and Perspectives. Chinese Historical Society of America. 1988. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-9614198-1-3.
↑ "MARRIAGES: Oahu (1832-1910)". Hawaiian Genealogy indexes. Hawaiʻi State Archives. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
↑ State of Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Certificate of Marriage, May 2, 1903
↑ "No Race Suicide Here". The Garden Island. December 17, 1918. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
↑ "Hula Preservation". Hula Preservation Society. Hula Preservation Society. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
↑ DeWitt Collier Nogues (1983). Desha genealogy: a survey. ATEX Austin Inc. p. 212.
↑ Births, Kaʻanoʻi. "Milton Hoolulu Desha Beamer". Family Search. Retrieved 4 September 2015.

Citations

1 2 Kamakau 1992, p. 174.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Barrère 1994, p. 458.
↑ Jackson 2004, p. 11.
↑ Benson & Balfour 2013, p. 732.
↑ Ring, Watson & Schellinger 2013, p. 315.
↑ Ii 1983, p. 20.
1 2 Barrère 1994, p. 457.
↑ Chinese Historical Society of America 1988, p. 175.
↑ Staff writer 1900, p. 3.
1 2 Walk, Kaʻanoʻi (September 2013). "Kāneakua, John Mahiʻai". Ka‘iwakīloumoku Virtual Archive. Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 15 January 2014.

References

Barrère, D.B. (1994). The King's Mahele: The Awardees and Their Lands. D.B. Barrère. OCLC 31886789.
Benson, Sara; Balfour, Amy C (1 August 2013). Lonely Planet Hawaii. Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 978-1-74321-788-7.
Chinese Historical Society of America (1988). Chinese America, History and Perspectives. Chinese Historical Society of America. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-9614198-1-3.
Jackson, Miles M. (2004). Social Process in Hawaii. Department of Sociology, University of Hawaii at Manoa. ISBN 978-0-8248-2965-0.
Ii, John Papa (1983). Fragments of Hawaiian History. Bishop Museum Press. ISBN 978-0-910240-31-4.
Kamakau, Samuel Manaiakalani (1992). Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii. Kamehameha Schools Press. ISBN 978-0-87336-014-2.
Ring, Trudy; Watson, Noelle; Schellinger, Paul (5 November 2013). The Americas: International Dictionary of Historic Places. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-25930-4.
Woodson, Carter Godwin; Logan, Rayford Whittingham (1934). The Journal of African American History. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. ASIN B06XNVQRMP.
Staff writer (1900). "Obituary". The Independent. The Independent.

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[12] Hawaiian researcher Dorothy Barrère lists Kanekapolei as the wife of Mela (Miller) on page 458 of her book from the full Mahele land claim of Kanekapolei's son Alika Mela- LCA 8018.^{[lower-greek 1]}

[14] Kaʻanoʻi Walk writes in an article for the Hawaiian Cultural Center: "..my great-grandfather John Mahiʻai Kāneakua was born in Honuaʻula, Maui to his loving parents Alexander P. Miller and Kanuha (Kaialiilii) Miller".^{[lower-greek 2]}

[16] Kapuailohiawahine and her daughter Isabella, taught Hula in secret, hiding it after the ban by Kaʻahumanu.^{[lower-greek 3]}

[18] The son of Charles Makee (the son of James Makee, a wealthy sea Captain) Charles Miller was the son of "Sarah Miller, written as "S. Mila" on the marriage record".^{[lower-greek 4]}

[20] Hawaii State Archives lists Samuel Kaia Miller marrying Amoy Ai on 5-2-1903 in Honolulu, Hawaii.^{[lower-greek 5]}

[22] The Marriage certificate of Samuel and Daisy Amoe Ai lists Alika Miller and Kanuha as parents to Samuel, with Namakelele and Ai as parent to Daisy.^{[lower-greek 6]}

[24] Daisy Amoe and Samuel Kalimahana Miller had 12 children and resided in Kalihi where Samuel worked as a painter.^{[lower-greek 7]}

[26] In a press release from the Hula Preservation Society, they list Isabella Hale`ala Miller Desha as Nona Beamer's great grandmother.^{[lower-greek 8]}

[28] The Desha Genealogy lists William Francis Desha as the son of Isabella and George Desha.^{[lower-greek 9]}

[30] Hawaii Births and Christenings, 1852-1933. Milton Hoolulu Desha Beamer, 18 Oct 1903; citing Hilo, Hawaii, Hawaii, reference p 36; FHL microfilm 1,031,747.^{[lower-greek 10]}

[11] Barrère, D.B. (1994). The King's Mahele: The Awardees and Their Lands. D.B. Barrère. OCLC 31886789.

[13] Walk, Kaʻanoʻi. "Kāneakua, John Mahiʻai". Hawaiian Cultural Center. Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 27 December 2014.

[15] Barbara Bennett Peterson (1984). Notable Women of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8248-0820-4.

[17] Chinese America, History and Perspectives. Chinese Historical Society of America. 1988. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-9614198-1-3.

[19] "MARRIAGES: Oahu (1832-1910)". Hawaiian Genealogy indexes. Hawaiʻi State Archives. Retrieved 27 December 2014.

[21] State of Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Certificate of Marriage, May 2, 1903

[23] "No Race Suicide Here". The Garden Island. December 17, 1918. Retrieved 14 May 2014.

[25] "Hula Preservation". Hula Preservation Society. Hula Preservation Society. Retrieved 27 December 2014.

[27] DeWitt Collier Nogues (1983). Desha genealogy: a survey. ATEX Austin Inc. p. 212.

[29] Births, Kaʻanoʻi. "Milton Hoolulu Desha Beamer". Family Search. Retrieved 4 September 2015.

[FOOTNOTEKamakau1992174-1] 1 2 Kamakau 1992, p. 174.

[FOOTNOTEBarrère1994458-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barrère 1994, p. 458.

[FOOTNOTEJackson200411-3] Jackson 2004, p. 11.

[FOOTNOTEBensonBalfour2013732-4] Benson & Balfour 2013, p. 732.

[FOOTNOTERingWatsonSchellinger2013315-5] Ring, Watson & Schellinger 2013, p. 315.

[FOOTNOTEIi198320-6] Ii 1983, p. 20.

[FOOTNOTEBarrère1994457-7] 1 2 Barrère 1994, p. 457.

[FOOTNOTEChinese_Historical_Society_of_America1988175-8] Chinese Historical Society of America 1988, p. 175.

[FOOTNOTEStaff_writer19003-9] Staff writer 1900, p. 3.

[ksbe-10] 1 2 Walk, Kaʻanoʻi (September 2013). "Kāneakua, John Mahiʻai". Ka‘iwakīloumoku Virtual Archive. Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 15 January 2014.

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