page_title: In the Matter of the Estate of Charles Kanaina
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: In the Matter of the Estate of Charles Kanaina / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Hawaiian High Cheifess Kekāuluohi (1794–1845) was Queen Consort to the first two rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha I and II. She was mother of King William Charles Lunalilo (1834-1874), and Kuhina Nui (co-regent) with King Kamehameha III under the name Ka'ahumanu III. She signed the first written constitution of the Kingdom in 1840.
context_page_description: In the Matter of the Estate of Charles Kanaina was the litigation over the estate of Charles Kanaina that occurred between 1877 and 1881 brought by claimants under Kanaina's maternal grandmother, Moana and her four husbands, for quiet land titles ending with the adjudication of several heirs.
  The Supreme Court of Hawaii handed down several opinions and judgments over several years regarding the estate of Charles Kanaina, who died on March 13, 1877 in Honolulu, Oahu in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Petitions began to be filed the day after the death in probate court and lasted until 1882. Many relatives came forward to petition the courts to be named as an heir. The final adjudication found eight individuals or family groups, largely from Moana Wahine, to be legitimate claims.
context_section_description: Charles Kanaina was from a secondary chiefly line however, he was related to the Kamehameha's as a cousin and through marriage to Miriam Kekāuluohi. They had one son who survived to adulthood, William Charles Lunalilo who eventually became monarch of the kingdom shortly before his death. All the lands Lunalilo owned were passed to him from his mother, who was a former wife of Kamehameha I and II. All her lands were handed down from Kalākua Kaheiheimālie, Kekāuluohi's mother, also a wife of Kamehameha I and from the king's half brother, Kalaʻimamahu. Since no child between the union of Kamehameha I and Kaheiheimālie had survived by their mother's death, her lands passed to the woman's only surviving daughter by Kalaʻimamahu, who was Kekāuluohi. Her aunt was Kaahumanu, her mother's sister and another wife of Kamehameha I who was the first Kuhina Nui. Kekāuluohi would also become Kuhina Nui for a short period until the must direct heir to the position, Victoria Kamāmalu came of age. Kekāuluohi collected a number of lands from the position. 
  
  Kekāuluohi died June 7, 1845 and left no will that was located. Her lands were split in a matter agreed in court, leaving some land to her son LunaLilo as well as some land to other close relatives. When Lunalio died, between what was already gifted to him from the Mahele, left to him from his mother and purchased  (even after giving up a sizable amount) he was the largest land owner of the islands. He died in 1874 leaving a will bequeathing everything to his father during only his life, that would in turn, then be left to Kamehameha V for his lifetime. It was never intended for Kanaina to inherit the lands of his higher ranking wife. After both men had passed with no issue, the remaining lands were to become part of the Lunalilo Trust.
   The first three trustees included J. Mott Smitth and Sanford B. Dole. The will could not be carried out until after the death of Kanaina since the entire estate was his for life. Kanaina died 3 years later on March 13, 1877. Attorney General, Alfred S. Hartwell applied for the appointment of trustees shortly after the death under the articles of the Lunalilo will. Article three of that will bequeathing the entirety of his estate to be handled by three trustees appointed by the Justices of the Supreme Court of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The property was to be sold and invested until the sum of $25,000.00 was raised to fund a home for the poor and destitute.
caption: Miriam Kekāuluohi
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