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No. 4032, [Polly Holmes], R.G. Davis
F.R. 175v2
[continued from 4031 Robert Davies claim]
4032. The following the claim of my brother, William H. Davies (whose duly empowered attorney I am) to that portion of land in Honolulu, on Fort Street, upon which my store and a cooper's shop now stand. The metes & bounds are marked by an adobie wall now standing, and it is my intention to have it surveyed. This piece is also a part of the old Holmes Estate & was willed to my brother by my late mother.
F.T. 348-358v3
No. 4032, [Polly Holmes], R.G. Davis, Apana 1, 1852; 254, 4032, 6201, J.S. Lewis & others
John Ii, sworn, I know the bounds of the lot of Polly Holmes. It is bounded:
Mauka by the lot of Mary Ii & S. Reynolds
Waititi by Captain Snows' premises
Makai by the Globe Hotel Premises, belonging to heirs of Hanah Holmes & Premises of George Holmes & other Holmes children
Ewa by Premises of Samuel Thompson & property of John Neddles.
In Kamehameha 2 time it was enclosed by a stick fence, perhaps in 1832. I did not hear that Hannah Holmes had any property in this lot then, but there were others living on it under Polly as I understood. After Polly's death, there arose a dispute between Hannah & the children of Polly about the property. The cooperage premises were once leased or a part of them to Pitman, as I heard by Pai, who was a sailor. His name was Sam Pai. It was a piece of Polly's yard formerly. I know of the arrangement made by Hannah & heirs of Polly, after Polly's death (Mr. Gulick then offered in evidence a settlement in writing made by Hannah Holmes alias Hannah Jones with Mr. Ii acting for Polly's children, by which it appears the portions of the several children of Polly Holmes were set apart - See documents marked A1).
Ii continued: At that time in 1843, it was settled that J.G. Lewis should have a part adjoining Hannah's lot, which he occupied as a store & the place occupied by Hackfield was given to Isaiah Lewis & William Mills, another child of Polly's - and the Heap and Greenwell Premises were set aside as the portion of Thomas Crocker, but the house thereon was Upai's. The portion of Polly's lot on this side of Fort St. now occupied by Burdick & Robert Davis, was not settled at that time, as Hannah insisted on it, that this part belonged to her - her claim to it I had not heard of before.
My own opinion was that the portion of this side did belong to Polly at this time and I did not yield it to Hannah. I know when the lot was cut in two by Fort St. it was about 1838, after Polly's death.
Napukane & Upai had houses in the roadthat were destroyed. They erected the house standing on the present ground or lot occupied by Heap & Greenwell. I did not consider the settlement I made as excluding Polly's children from inheriting any property other than that set aside to them, in case it should be proved to belong to them.
Old Mr. Holmes lived makai of the Premises in dispute in the old Holmes House. I heard that Polly & her family quarreled Y that Polly left Y took her lot, then unoccupied &enclosed it. I do not know who built the fence. Kino, an old man lived inside of it.
Polly stick fence, I think included the premises now occupied by R.G. Davis as a store & by J. Burdick, as a cooperage on Waititi side of Fort St.
I was the representative of the Polly Holmes' children in the settlement made in 1843. Hannah Jones did not at that time claim the Heap & Greenwell Premises. I did not know if Pitman leasing the Premises of Hannah Holmes. I heard Sam Pai leased to him. Pai owned the house then. Kino lived on the land under Polly, as I understood.
John Neddles, sworn, I knew Polly Holmes for the day of her birth to her death. I was acquainted with the boundaries of the old Holmes Estate, as claimed by Oliver Holmes.
Polly Holmes' lot was bounded:
Mauka by S. Reynolds & Mary Ii's lot
Waititi by the old road
Makai by Hannah, George, Mary & Jenny's lots (Hannah's part is the Globe Hotel Premises)
Ewa side by S. Thompson's lot.
Polly's part was included in the old Holmes enclosure. It was a stick fence formerly & after an adobie, bounded:
Makai side by present King Street
Waititi side by the old road
I do not know how Polly came by her part of this lot, but I think it was a division from her father. It was divided among the children. Polly had undivided & undisputed possession of these premises, called hers, & I never knew of any other claim to them. I lived I the same lot & I had a slaughter house there, which stood nearly where the Barber's shop now stands (Augustus). I think the premises occupied by R.G. Davis on the corner of Hotel & Fort Sts was not in the Polly Holmes' Premises, but am not certain to swear to either way. Polly went to the old road, I am clear. Burdick's cooperage was in the yard belonging to Mills, the husband of Polly. His native name was Palu. Polly's fence was first stick & after adobie. The Heap & Greenwell Premises were in Polly's lot.
Hannah Hooper, sworn, I knew Polly Holmes from her youth & the lot of her father. I knew on which the children lived - all of them. Hannah married & then her place was set off. Afterwards went to live with Captain Lewis & her part was set off on the mauka side of Hannah's lot and the old Holmes House. This lot was a round lot on one side, fenced with stick & was set off on account of some difficulty in the family. I think where Burdick's cooperage is, was in part, the old road. The makai boundary of Polly was straight.
Levi, sworn, I knew Polly from her birth to her death. I lived with her & knew the bounds of her lot.
It was bounded:
Waititi by the old road &
Makai by Hannah's lot & the old Holmes House yard.
The Heap & Greenwell's Premises were inside of Polly's enclosure. The Burdick cooperage & R.G. Davis store lot were not in Polly's lot, I think, but am not certain. I have forgotten where the old road ran exactly. Polly's lot was set apart as hers ponoi & she enclosed it. It was considered hers only & the other children had their share. Kino lived formerly with Hannah, but she drove him off & he then came & lived in Polly's enclosure under her. I lived with Kino's Pai. I am sure Kino lived under Polly. Kino's & Sam Pai's houses stood in the present street, I think, right in front of Hackfield store.
George Holmes, sworn for R.G. Davis, I am second child of Oliver Holmes. I know the Polly Holmes lot as I understood it to be given by my father, to include all the property belonging to the Holmes Estate on the Ewa side of Fort St., now occupied by Hackfield & Heap & Greenwell - all above the Globe Hotel Premises up to Stephen Reynolds & Mary Ii's lots. The Burdick cooperage premises & R.G. Davis' store lot were not in Polly's enclosure. I am not quite sure[if] the Heap & Greenwell's lot was inside Polly's enclosure, but I think it was. All between Burdick & Hotel Street was given to Hannah Holmes by Kinau. I was present at the death of Polly. I did not then or at any time hear her give Hannah the Heap & Greenwell Premises. I heard her tell Hannah to take care of her lot for her children because she was afraid Mills, her last husband, would sell it.
Hannah Holmes rented the Heap & Greenwell store, but in what capacity I do not know. Cross examined. The old road ran between Burdick's lot & Captain Snows or Brewers & Co's lot. I think Burdick was not in Polly's lot. I am sure R.G. Davis lot (store) was not within it. Hannah received this from Kinau & it is a new thing.
Thomas Cummins, sworn for R.G. Davis, I was a clerk for H & Pierce & Co. while they occupied the Brewer & Co. premises. In 1840 Pitman & Pai occupied the Burdick cooperage lot & it was divided on the makai side from Polly's lot by a stick fence, the old road ran between Burdick's & Brewer & Co's lot & when the Davis store lot was a common & I always understood Kinau gave this piece of common to Hannah. I am not certain whether the Burdick lot belonged to Polly or not, ....
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.... er heirs had not set up a claim for it, I should not say any think [sic] about it. Hannah told me to make this division to meet especially her difficulty with Isaiah Lewis; & not for the sake of setting of the shares of the others.
G.P. Judd, sworn, I remember about the place now in dispute before the new street was made. I understood this place belonged to Old Holmes Estate, of which, Hannah, George, & Mills, all enclosed [a] portion. Hannah told me she was very anxious to have the land properly divided. In regard to Isaiah, it was settled when Fort Street was made Kinau gave Hannah the old road and the place where R.G. Davis' store stands, as compensation. Hannah told me that her father empowered her to divide & arrange with the other children. Fort Street was opened during the lifetime of Mr. Mills, after Polly's death. Hannah told me that Polly left the property in charge of her, and William Mills, her son, to my charge. I think Pitman's store stood between Mills' house & the old road & that Pitman leased the place from Hannah, even before Polly's death. I never heard that Hannah & Polly quarreled about this or any other lot. There was a fence between Polly's & Hannah's, built probably by Mr. Jones, but I do not think intended to mark distinctly the boundary between the parties; or that it settled that matter at all. I knew Kino, he was an old servant of Holmes; had lived with their family a long time. I do not think Kino had any right to the land himself.
(By Gulick) I suppose Kino was a kahu of all Holmes' children, but Hannah was the head of them.
M. Kekuanaoa, sworn, I recollect the old Holmes estate, and the bounds of Polly's land and the old road. Her fence did not come out as far as the old road. Kino lived on the land adjoining the old road under Hannah. The old road ran between the cooperage & R.G. Davis' store. When Fort Street was made Hannah got the old road as compensation for her loss by the new Street. When Polly was dying, Kinau & myself heard her will; viz. that Hannah should take charge of her property for her children. Kino lived under Hannah. I never heard that Kino's house site belonged to Polly. I recollect there was a stick fence at one time between Kino's & Mill's land. I always understood Kino lived under Hannah; some wells & a horse shed were lost by Hannah by the new street and she got the old road & R.G. Davis' place to make up her loss.
T.C.B. Rooke, sworn, knows the place in dispute, the cooperage, to my best knowledge, never was included in Polly Holmes' enclosure. I always understood it belonged to Hannah who got it from Kinau for loss sustained by her in opening Fort Street. I do not think Polly Holmes ever owned any land on Waititi side of Fort Street. Pai lived where the street is now, outside of Polly's land.
Waha, sworn (for Polly Holmes heirs), Kino lived on the place now in dispute when Polly was alive. He lived before in Hannah's yard, when he lived on the land in dispute he lived under Polly. The old road was the boundary of Polly's land on Waititi side. Kino & Hannah had a falling out & she drove Kino away & she gave [?] Polly gave him a place to live in on her land. Kino's house stood where Fort Street now runs, and was destroyed by opening the new street.
Polly went to arrange with Pierce when Kino & he had trouble about the fence. I lived with Polly at that time. After Polly's death Mr. Mills had charge of the place & after that, Hannah. I understood that Polly left her property in charge of Mills for her children, but in case he did anything wrong, then Hannah was to take charge. The land did not belong to Kino.
Fort Street when it was made, cut through Polly's land & destroyed two houses which houses belonged to Kino & Pai.
(By W. Davis) There was a stick fence between the cooperage & Polly's. After the place was leased to Pitman, a fence was made on the Ewa side of it. Pitman leased the place originally from Polly, but after she died, from Hannah. The cooperage was not divided from the rest, when Kino went there first. I think Polly ordered the fence to be put up. There was a fence there before Pitman arrived here, who had his store at first in Pai's house, which was one destroyed by the new street. The slaughter house stood in Polly's land, close to the old road, about where Brewer & Co's gate is now. Polly went to drive Pitman out of Pai's house; & after that he paid rent to her & her husband & after she died he paid it to Mr. Mills. I am 32 years old.
Kaapuiki, sworn, I knew Kino when he lived with Hannah Holmes. I was at the making of the new street. Kino's house was destroyed by the new road. I heard that the house where the cooperage now is, was a canoe house of Kino's. It was a grass house. There was a fence between Hannah's & Polly's lots running southeast and northwest. Kino lived at that time in Polly's land under her.
(By Mr. Davis) I understood from Hannah herself, that the canoe house belonged to Kino. I heard so from all the people. I cannot say whether there was a stick division fence there or not.
Continued October 14th
Isaiah Lewis, sworn, says he is not now personally interested in this claim, having sold all my interest to J.G. Lewis.
I have heard that Kino lived with Hannah Holmes when I was a child & went farther mauka on account of a quarrel. He built a grass house for himself on what appeared then waste land. Kino's mother-in-law, Hao, who lived with Polly, invited Kino to come up & occupy this vacant place. Pai lived with Kino, but had no land of his own there. After Polly married Mills, he (Mills) went to Boki, and got permission to enclose the land occupied by Kino and others within his land. Kino had a stick fence around a [sic] his house, but Mill's fence went outside of all & took them all in. The old road was the boundary of Mill's & Polly's land on Waititi side. Mill's slaughter house stood on the place where Captain Snow's large gate is now on Fort Street, just mauka of Hannah Holmes' boundary. The place now occupied by the cooper's shop was then occupied by Kino's canoe house or Haalau.
When Pitman arrived here, he lived in Pai's grass house & Pai lived under Kino. After Pitman lived there about a year Polly & Mills were going to put him out of the house because they were afraid he would claim, but they arranged it, allowing him to live there 2 years, giving him all the cooper's shop site that is now.
Pitman agreed to build what is now the cooper's shop & make other improvements on the place, as rent for 2 years. Kino lived in what is now Fort Street. His house was destroyed by the new street.
Polly died before Pitman's first lease expired; and when the time was up, George Holmes & Hannah got the paper from Mills, because he did not behave well and they made a fresh lease with Pitman. At that time Hannah built Davis' store. She got the lot from Kinau for it, and then made a fence round the whole. Pitman leased the whole. Brewer got a passage through Polly's land from Kinau where his Gate on Fort Street now is. Hannah got the old road from Kinau because of her losses from the new street. I think the lane at the back of Pitman's store might have been about 4 fathoms wide. I saw the first lease by Polly to Pitman and that also from Hannah to Pitman. Polly lost the same breadth of land by the street as Hannah, but not the same length.
(By R. G. Davis) I always heard that Kino from the first lived under Polly. I cannot say for certain that the place occupied by Kino belonged to Polly before Mills enclosed it by Boki's permission. Kino's stick fence stood after that. I think Mills went to live with Boki in 1822 and soon after married Polly. I told John Ii when he was dividing the land, that we had a right to land on the Waititi side of Fort Street & I told the Governor so also. J.G. Lewis paid me some time ago for my rights in this estate. J.G. Lewis and my self talked about the land on the Waititi side of the street, but we were not at all confident of its being awarded to the heirs of Polly.
[Award 4032; R.P. 3598; Fort St. Honolulu Kona; 2 ap.; .21 Ac.; See also Award 254 for documents; R.P. awardee is C. Brewer]