By: Caroline Ulep
March 2, 2023
Robert Chrichton Wyllie grew up in a small town in Scotland. It was a humble and quiet town. He was raised by his father, Alexander Wyllie, and his mother, Janet Chrichton. Janet Chrichton is a descendant of, “The Admirable Crichton.” His real name was James Crichton, and the man was considered to be a child prodigy. It has been thought that Janet Crichton opted to keep her last name because of this relationship.
While growing up, Wyllie was described to be extremely intelligent for his age. His mother had boasted about his brilliance coming from her side of the family. Once Wyllie was of age to attend university, he moved directly into the nearby city of Glasgow, where he attended the University of Glasgow. By the time Wyllie was 20 years old, he had earned his medical degree.
After graduating from university, Wyllie decided to leave Scotland for the first time ever to set up a practice in Russia. He left with a sailing crew to achieve this goal and was their
on-deck physician while out at sea. However, he was only able to go as far as Chile before deciding to set up a practice there instead. After spending a few years practicing medicine in Chile, Wyllie decided that medicine was not for him. He ended up indulging in the trade business, and this is where he found the most success.
Ever since the success of his trade business, Wyllie had begun traveling to various parts of the world for business negotiations. For almost 20 years, he traveled between Chile, India, Hawaii, Mexico, and England. It was not until 1844 when he encountered his good friend General William Miller in Chile that he would decide to settle down in Hawaii. Miller had been recently appointed the British Consul for the Kingdom of Hawaii and he invited Wyllie to accompany him to Hawaii. While Miller left Hawaii to continue his duties as a British Consul, Wyllie opted to stay back. Due to Miller leaving Hawaii, Wyllie became the acting British Consul for the Kingdom of Hawaii until Miller returned.
During his first year in Hawaii as a British Consul, Wyllie was heavily invested in making sure that Hawaii had the power to remain a sovereign nation. Using his successful background in the trading business, he ensured that trades didn’t take a huge influence over the government. Once Miller returned to the islands, Wyllie resigned as the British Consul. However, King Kamehameha the Third was impressed by Wyllie’s dedication to Hawaii. Therefore, he appointed Wyllie as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Secretary of War, and he granted Wyllie a spot in the legislature as a member of the House of Nobles.
Wyllie did a lot for Hawaii to make certain that the people did not lose their independence. In 1850, France made an attempt for Hawaii due to disputes over trade and Catholicism. Denmark, England, and the United States made similar attempts to strip Hawaii of its independence. For all attacks on the Kingdom of Hawaii, Wyllie was able to construct treaties that demanded these countries take a step away from the islands. Even amongst his peers, Wyllie fought to keep Hawaii independent. Gerrit Judd was an American physician and a Protestant missionary who came to Hawaii due to a mission assignment. Later, Judd was designated as King Kamehameha the Thirds advisor and translator. Wyllie and Judd often countered each other when it came to Judds’ American influence over the islands.
One of Wyllies most notable accomplishments was keeping Hawaii out of the hands of the United States. He managed to keep Hawaii neutral during the American Civil War while also promoting trade to keep the Hawaiian economy prosperous. Wyllie continuously fought against American missionaries and colonization. When the annexation of Hawaii became a pressing issue and residents believed joining the United States would grant them protection, Wyllie stood his ground and did his best to prevent it. He accompanied King Kamehameha the Fourth on a visit to the United States. During their visit, Wyllie helped the king to see how prevalent racism was in America. After the reveal of this major issue, the King put a stop to all annexation efforts.
Wyllie also began the Archives of Hawaii. Over the course of his work in Hawaii, he collected various documents regarding trade and government. He also included his own writing regarding the islands and their history. Wyllie believed that these documents would be important to look back on should the government need to.
On October 19, 1865, Wyllie passed away. King Kamehameha the Fifth arranged for him to be buried in the Mauna ‘Ala, alongside sovereign chiefs.
Wyllie was a man dedicated to preserving the culture and history of the Hawaiian Islands. He understood the threat that large nations like the United States and England posed to the Kingdom of Hawaii. The time he spent in Hawaii was dedicated to building strong relationships with the people that called the islands home. He was trusted by the monarchy and had a deep friendship with Queen Emma and her family. Wyllie survived two kings. He saw first-hand what the Monarchy of Hawaii did to maintain its independence and culture, and he did his best to help with that cause in any way he could.
A man born and raised in a small town in Scotland managed to find his way to the Hawaiian Islands. He saw the beauty of the islands and desired to protect them from the hands of colonizing nations. He helped convince nations to keep their hands off Hawaii, believing that Hawaii did not need to be adopted by anyone. From 1844 to 1865, Wyllie spent the rest of his life dedicated to this cause. Robert Chrichton Wyllie was a truly honorable man.
References
Young, P. T., & says, R. C. (2022, January 10). Robert Crichton Wyllie. Images of Old Hawaiʻi.
Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/robert-crichton-wyllie/Wyllie, Robert Crichton, 1798-1865. Wyllie, Robert Crichton, 1798-1865 - Social Networks and Archival Context. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://snaccooperative.org/view/44221837