Nancy Wahinekapu Sumner (March 9, 1839 – January 10, 1895) was a high chiefess during the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian:

ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi Latin epsilon or open E (majuscule: Ɛ, minuscule: ɛ) is a letter of the extended Latin alphabet, based on the lowercase of the Greek letter epsilon (ε). It was introduced in the 16th century by Gian Giorgio Trissino to represent the pronunc ...

, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...

of Hawaiian, Tahitian and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

descent. She served as

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

of Queen Emma and was one of the most prominent ladies of the Hawaiian royal court during the reigns of

Kamehameha IV Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; Anglicisation, anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the List of Hawaiian monarchs, fourth monar ...

and

Kamehameha V Kamehameha V (Lota Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Aliʻiōlani Kalanikupuapaʻīkalaninui; December 11, 1830 – December 11, 1872), reigned as the fifth monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipaʻa": immovable, firm, s ...

Biography

Genealogy

Born in 1839, Nancy Wahinekapu Sumner was a member of the Sumner family of part English, Hawaiian, and Tahitian descent. She was the only child of William Keolaloa Kahānui Sumner, a ''hapa-haole'' (part Caucasian) Hawaiian high chief, and Manaiʻula Tehuiariʻi, a Tahitian princess and relative of the

Pōmare Dynasty Pōmare or Pomare may refer to: Tahiti * Pōmare dynasty, the dynasty of the Tahitian monarchs * Pōmare I (c. 1742–1803), first king of the Kingdom of Tahiti * Pōmare II (c. 1774–1821), second king of Tahiti * Pōmare III (1820–1827), third ...

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

. Her maternal grandfather Tute Tehuiariʻi, was the adoptive son of King

Pōmare I Pōmare I (c. 1753 – September 3, 1803) (fully in old orthography: Tu-nui-ea-i-te-atua-i-Tarahoi Vaira'atoa Taina Pōmare I; also known as Tu or Tinah or Outu, or more formally as Tu-nui-e-a'a-i-te-atua) was the unifier and first king of T ...

and the royal chaplain of King

Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...

and

. A cousin of her mother's was the famous Princess Ninito Sumner, who had been betrothed to a Hawaiian prince but married her uncle John Kapilikea Sumner instead. Her paternal grandparents were High Chiefess Keakuaaihue Kanealai Hua and the British Captain William Sumner (1786–1847), of

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

. Captain Sumner arrived in Hawaii in 1807 as a cabin boy; initially befriending

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

's king Kaumualii, he later served as a naval captain under King

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; to May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii ...

, who united the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

in 1810. Her paternal grandmother Hua was the cousin and ''hānai'' (adoptive) sister of high Chiefess Ahia Beckley, wife of Captain

George Charles Beckley George Charles Beckley (March 5, 1787 – April 16, 1826) was an English people, English captain, trader, and military adviser. He was one of the earliest foreigners to have a major impact in the Kingdom of Hawaii, where he eventually became a ...

, who was one of the reputed designers of the

Flag of Hawaii The flag of Hawaii, also known as the Hawaiian flag, is the State flag, official flag of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of a field of eight horizontal stripes, in the sequence of white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red with a Brit ...

. Related to the Kamehamehas through Uminuikukaailani, her grandmother descended from the famous twins Kahānui and Kaha‘opulani, the Kohala chiefs who reared Kamehameha during his infancy. Her younger half-sister was

Elizabeth Keawepoʻoʻole Sumner Elizabeth Sumner Chapman Achuck Lapana Keawepoʻoole (December 24, 1851 – February 22, 1911) was a Hawaiian high chiefess during the Hawaiian Kingdom and lady-in-waiting of Princess Likelike. An accomplished Hawaiian composer, she composed t ...

(1850–1911).

Court life and romance

She was educated by Hawaiian and foreign tutors and entered Mrs. Gummer's School for young girls at the age of seven. In 1854, she was placed at the Royal School, the former Chiefs' Children's School, to finish her formal education under the tutelage of missionary teacher Edward Griffin Beckwith. Her classmates included Princess

Victoria Kamāmalu Victoria Kamāmalu Kaʻahumanu IV (November 1, 1838 – May 29, 1866) was ''Kuhina Nui'' of Hawaii and its crown princess. Named Wikolia Kamehamalu Keawenui Kaʻahumanu-a-Kekūanaōʻa and also named Kalehelani Kiheahealani, she was mainly refe ...

, the future Queen Liliuokalani and other members of the Hawaiian nobility. Her family ancestry and connections to the ruling families of Hawaii and Tahiti allowed her to associate with many members of the royal family of Hawaii. Nancy became a prominent lady of the court during the reigns of King

and King

, serving from 1858 as a

to Queen Emma and becoming a close friend to Princess Victoria Kamāmalu. Nancy Sumner was regarded as one of the most beautiful chiefesses of her generation, and many asked for her hand in marriage. In 1865, she met and befriended the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

aristocrat

Lord Charles Beresford Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford, (10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British admiral and Member of Parliament. Beresford w ...

, R.N., while he was a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

on board the steam-corvette . Beresford fell in love with Nancy and proposed to her four years later in 1869, but she refused likely due to their social and racial differences. Nancy Sumner became notorious for her many romantic liaisons and suitors. However, after rejecting the suit of the reigning king

, she found herself ostracized from the Hawaiian royal court. She married her coachman Charles Kuinao Ellis (1852–1877) on December 11, 1873. Her husband possessed no wealth and was of low genealogical rank, which prompted her father William K. K. Sumner to disinherit her and her descendants. Her husband died in 1877 leaving her a widow. She focused the remainder of her life on educating their children. Sumner and Ellis had three children: William Kualiʻi Sumner Ellis (1874–?), Victoria Kualiʻi Sumner Ellis (1875–1921) and John Kapilikea Sumner Ellis (1877–1914). Her two sons became famous Hawaiian musicians and were members of the

Royal Hawaiian Band The Royal Hawaiian Band is the oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. At present a body of the City & County of Honolulu, the Royal Hawaiian Band has been entertaining Honolulu residents and visitors since its inception ...

. William married Amelia Kealoha Nakapuahi while John married May Barnard and had one son Everett. Her daughter Victoria married Eugene Derville Buffandeau and has living descendants.

Death

Nancy Sumner herself died on January 10, 1895, from an

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

attack.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Nancy Wahinekapu 1839 births 1895 deaths Hawaiian nobility Hawaiian Kingdom people Hawaiian ladies-in-waiting Hawaiian Kingdom people of English descent Hawaiian Kingdom people of French Polynesian descent Deaths from asthma Royal School (Hawaii) alumni