Emily Kania [5199]

  General Notes:

Contributed by Geri Bal Richardson

Best information available says that Emily was born, raised and lived her life in Wailuku, Maui. She married Edward Bailey Jr., son of missionaries, Edward and Caroline Hubbard Bailey. Emily and Edward were parents of three children. Their children were Mary Kaulaloa, Ella Aulani and William K, Bailey. Mary Kaulalao was my paternal grandmother.

According to his last will and testament, Edward Bailey Jr. raised a child named Pauline. His will states that Pauline was the child of Annie Minor. My parents and I often visited Pauline and her husband at their home in Kalihi. Pauline's husband is Jack Swift. He is a police officer. They had one child, adopted.

Apparently little documentation exists regarding the life of Emily Kania Bailey. Mary Bailey Bal's death certificate shows her mother's name as Emily Ulumalani. The information on my grandmother's death certificate was provided by her husband William E. Bal Sr. Emily Ulumealani is the name of Emily Jania Bailey's grand daughter who was also mu aunt, and grandmother of Dom Garcia, family researcher. The identical repetition of names leads me to believe that Emily Ulumealani was the true name of my great grandmother. It is interesting that my father referred to his sister, not as Emily, but as Susan. My mother says that this use of the name Susan was my father's invention but mother does not recall the reason for this.

Duvachelle family history says that Meeau's mother was Susanna, perhaps the use of the name Susan was related to this. Nore: The names Emily and Susan are both likely references to Emily Bal Garcia's grandmothers . . .possible explanation for the use of the name Susan by my father.

Emily Kania Bailey's death certificate shows her father's name as Kania Bailey and her mother as Naelei. We know that her father was not a Bailey, so drop the name and her father's name was possibly Kania. In August 2000, I visited the Bailey House Museum and discussed family history with some of the staff. A staff person conjectured that Kania may have been no more than a reference to her male parent as the word Kane means male or man. As with other vital records there is often something lost in the translation. I think this is a primary example. Personal information on Emily Kania Bailey's death certificate was provided by someone whose signature appears as Arthur C. Rothrock. This is also the name of her physician. On the certificate, her name appears as Emily Bailey with an arrow between the name Emily and Bailey. Above the arrow, the name Herbert is written. I have never seen anything to substantiate that Herbert was a part of her name. I believe somehow this name was taken out of context as her brother in law was, William Hervey Bailey . . . that is the closest connection to a name similar to Herbert.

In several publications I have read, Emily Kania Bailey was believed to be of royal lineage. Years ago I read that Emily was the Hanai daughter of a local chief and this seems more likely to me. Although I did not keep the book, in the early 1980's there was a chapter in a book about old Hawaii. The chapter was about a woman named Emily who was married to the son of a missionary. Obviously this story is about my ancestors. The story goes on to say that Emily husband disregarded the kapu against killing sharks, and that after killing sharks his Hawaiian wife, distraught by the act, committed suicide by drowning.

Emily outlived Edward by seven years so the story could be nothing more than fiction. I discussed this story with Cathy Riley and Linda Decker and they told me there was a legend around involving Edward Bailey, Emily and the sharks. Apparently refuse had blocked the mouth of a waterway and in order to clear it, E. Bailey set dynamite to clear the blockage. In doing so he lost his right hand. However he lost it, he did lose it. But Emily did not commit suicide over this or anything else.

Although there is no marker for her, a Maui News item provided by her great grandson Don Garcia, says that she is buried with her husband at the old Wailuku Cemetery at the top of Vineyard St. I have been there and it is obvious there are two graves right beneath where my grandmother and their daughter rests.

Emily married Edward Hubbard Bailey [5198] [MRIN: 1808], son of Edward Alden Bailey [5184] and Caroline Hubbard [5185], in 1858. (Edward Hubbard Bailey [5198] was born on 28 Feb 1838 in Kohala, Hawaii and died on 5 Nov 1910 in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii.)