Histories

Biographical Information: WILLIAM HERBERT PURVIS (HERBERT) of Kukuihaele, Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands (Hawaii), born 27th November 1858 at Kinaldy, Cameron Parish, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, died 31st December 1950 at his home Eastlands, Plummers Plain, Horsham, Sussex, England, buried in Dunino Churchyard, Dunino, near St Andrews, Fife. See A Scottish-Hawaiian Story, written and published 1994 by Nancy Oakley Hedemann (see OA.55). Captain in The Rifle Brigade Special Reserve, commanding B Company of the 9th Battalion (the same company with which his son John Ralph Purvis (see 1.1.3.6.1.5.4. below) was serving when killed in 1915) when wounded in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (Somme Offensive) on 15th September 1916. Went to the Hawaiian Islands in 1878 (aged 19) and lived (1878-90) at Kukuihaele, where he gradually took over (in partnership with his father John Purvis (see 1.1.3.6.1. above) and (until January 1882) Dr Georges Phillipe Trousseau (born 1st May 1833 in Paris, France, died 4th May 1894 in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, buried in Makiki Cemetery, Honolulu) - see account of his life by Jean Greenwell in The Hawaiian Journal of History, vol. 25 (1991) - and subsequently (from 1889) his youngest brother Robert Walter Purvis (see 1.1.3.6.1.10. below)) the successful sugar plantation and sugar mill (Pacific Sugar Mill Company) which was ultimately sold by the family in 1928, became part of the Hamakua Sugar Company and was finally closed down by bankruptcy on 31st March 1993. He introduced the first mongoose to Hawaii, in order to control the rats in the sugar plantations, the Macadamia nut (1881 at Honokaa, Hawaii) and also several plants from Ceylon (tea, cinchona, Jack, camphor, Natal red grass, Guinea grass, Buffalo grass, Giant Bamboo, Male bamboo, King coconut palm, etc.) examples of which can now be seen in the grounds he laid out around his house at Kukuihaele. A Macadamia nut cultivar was named "Purvis" in 1982 in honour of his first introducing (1882) the macadamia nut from Australia and at that time (1982) one of his original 100 year old macadamia nut trees at Kukuihaele was still producing nuts. He stood for election to represent the District of Hamakua in the Hawaiian Legislature in 1890 but was not elected. Visited New Zealand (c.1882) seeing his Russell cousins (see 1.1.3.1.2. above et seq.), went (1894) to British Columbia, Canada, where he was a partner in Brockman and Ker who owned mills at Edmonton, Alberta (subsequently merged into Western Flour Mills Limited, Toronto), and was associated with The Cassiar Central Railway mining concessions at the time of the Klondike gold rush. Protested to his brother, Alexander Burridge Purvis (see 1.1.3.6.1.2. above), against being passed over in the succession to Kinaldy. Living (1930s) and until he died (1950) at Eastlands, Plummers Plain, Horsham, Sussex. During the "Bayonet Revolution" of July 1887 against King Kalakaua he happened to be in Honolulu and became temporarily and "foolishly" involved. It was probably at this time (July 1887) that he met Elizabeth Kamoeikukalia Kinney Kahookano (born 1865 at Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, died 20th December 1939 at her home 3413 Kaahinani Drive, Dowsett Highlands, Hawaii (see obituary in the Honolulu Advertiser of 21st December 1939)), daughter of Ninia, granddaughter of Aliiloa and Okuu, and great-granddaughter of Chief Kamaukoli who brought Kaahumanu from Maui to Hawaii where she wed Kamehameha I and became a queen much beloved by her people. The family lived on a property, which came to their ancestors by royal grant. This was situated at the very end of Kalia Road, Waikiki, Honolulu, adjacent to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and across the street from the "House Without a Key" and which was (1991) the site of the Waikiki Sheraton Hotel. She is remembered by her grandchildren as "a very beautiful and regal looking woman" and as "stately, reserved, with a lot of polish to her". She knew all the important kamaainas and belonged to Hawaiian orders and clubs. She was probably an attendant at Iolani Palace during the reign of King Kalakaua. William Herbert and Elizabeth Kahookano met again in 1906 when he returned to Hawaii. They evidently kept in touch. She had two other daughters: Eva (born 1883), who married Floyd Perkins, and Mabel Kinney (born 1885), who married Frank King and had issue living (1991) in Hawaii. As a result of this relationship a daughter was born:- WILLIAM HERBERT PURVIS then married (15th October 1888 at St Andrews Episcopal Church, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland) Mabel Vida Turner (born 19th November 1869 in Peebles, Peebleshire, Scotland, died 23rd September 1946 at Eastlands, Plummers Plain, Sussex, England), who accompanied him to Kukuihaele, Hawaii (1889-90), third daughter of Francis Charles Turner (born 1836 in Edinburgh, Scotland, died 18th March 1905 at Fife Lodge, Staines, Middlesex, England), Captain 79th Cameron Highlanders and 39th Dorsetshire Regiment, of East Molesey, Surrey, England, of Bruges (Brugge), Belgium, and of 10 Hope Street, St Andrews, who served (1854-55) in the Crimean War (Battles of Alma (Al'Ma), Balaklava, Siege of Sebastopol, Crimea, Ukraine), awarded the Crimea Medal and Turkish Medal, served through the Indian Mutiny (1857-58) (Siege of Lucknow), being awarded the India Medal & Clasp, and Emma Graciosa Doering (born 1842 at sea) (their other two daughters and sisters of Mabel Vida Turner were:- 1 Eleanor Constance Turner, born 1874 in St Andrews, died 25th February 1936 at 11A Hope Street, St Andrews. Married Ronald Burn, who predeceased her (before 1936). 2. Leila Nannette Turner, died aged 32 at Glycine House, Hampton Court, Middlesex), having four further children:-