Can SKS tell me if the surname "TAHUI" or "TEHUI" is a familiar or common one for the Tahitian area.

Our 'oral' family history says "a young man was shipwrecked on the island of Savaii."

That first sentence alone is the first "brick" [one of many] to my familys' "wall".

Where is 'the young man' from? Tahiti? Tonga? Fiji? Southeast Asia? South America? Now, do you understand the gist of my "brick wall"?

The 'young man' remained on Savaii; married a woman from the island Manu'a; given a matai title, "SAVEA"; has 3 daughters, all having big families.

Why do I bother with asking you?

A family clue that may be a connection. The 'young man' had one son [past away as a child, but his name continues on to this day]
- Ta'iti = Tahiti. Samoan word for Tahiti = Ta'iti.

The 'young man' -TAHUI- is my GGG-Grandfather, c.1830. No, I have no knowledge of the name of the ship - there's a thought, I've never tried immigration records.

Can 'some kind soul' help?

--manaia
(USA)
__
==

OMG....tell me that you know a lot on my family history?
All I know is that, my great grandfather Tehui/Tahui was a fisherman from Tahiti....settled in the island of Manu'a. My grandfather is Mata'utia Savea married to Levaaia....has 12 children, I believe only one was named a Tahitian name PESA. And that name carries on along with Tehui....we have a little Tehuiari'i. We are proud to be samoan/tahitian. I wish to find more family in Tahiti.

Thank you

Hello...Well I am one of the Tehui descendants from Manu'a...I grew up there in Manu'a and actually that is where Tehui settled...As I was told Tehui had a daughter from one other lady in Ofu..the daughter's name is Tagatavale...He then later married Lagi which is my great great grandmother who had the rest of his kids...4 girls and 3 boys...the girls were Silauniu, Ana, Sevi, and Elepe...the boys were Manu, Ta'elega, and Pesa...

I am Sevi's great grand daughter...My grandfather is Upega...And actually our family is staying at our family land in Manu'a where the old man and the old lady is buried...

I know some of the family...
Tagatavale's kids were Leui and Fa'ava'a-The Poumele's...in Manu'a as well

The Mata'utia's...Ta'elega's kids who later took his brother's name Pesa when he passed..The same one that was
mentioned earlier that was married to Leva'aia...they are also in Manu'a

Silauniu had only one son..Tamaese Umaleava some of his kids are in Manu'a and Amanave(Tutuila)

and there's Ana who married Tupuola Tauiliili...thats like one other big side of the family in Upolu and New Zealand...

Ana has a son named Pati who is married to my grandmother's niece and was living in Manu'a but he is currently in Texas
Then there's Ana's daughter named Uila who's kids are Lafaele, Luisa, Rasela, Malia, and Kelesia...those are some of them that I know..

Anyways, Lafaele was married to one Manukan Lady and is currently still living in Manu'a...

As for my side...Sevi's Kids...
=Faioa* had two kids they are Taulelei* and Hosea* Matavao
=Sosene* has three kids- Faioa, Temukisa, Sosene Leau-Misa
=and there's my grampz:Maneta Upega Misa*
Tauinaola, Sili'a, Pati, Aofia, Uila, Fa'amatua, Feagaiga, Maneta Jr...UPEGA
=Aukuso Tuiveta* kids were-Pogisa, Ma'a, Aukuso,Limogi,Faifaimalie, Tautala, Makapi, Taulelei Fa'aatuatu, Savali, Sevi, Foma'i...Misa
=Lagi Lagai*- Hosea, Toeaso, Maneta, Moana, Aleipata, Tumu, Siaki, Sile, Fesui...Lagai
=Manu Misa*--Fa'alua, Siaga'e, Fa'ata'a, Taulagi, Fogava'a, Lema, Mataese, Tala'i, Lotoa...Misa
=Tahiti Misa*-sadly I only know one of his kids--Kome Misa
=Tala'i Ma'afala- I only know one too--Ana Ma'afala

*Deceased

Anyways that's pretty much all that I remember but if you know that we are related please email me...i would love to know everyone...and jus a thought...i Think we really need to have a REUNION...anyways God bless...

SJUPEGA
puremanukanchick03@yahoo.com

OH I ALMOST FORGOT...I WAS TOLD THAT TEHUI IS FROM TAHITI..THE MOOREA ISLAND TO BE EXACT...

O LE TAFEAGA MUAMUA NA TAU MAI AI I OFU LEA NA MAUA AI IA TAGATAVALE AE MULIMULI AI LOA O'O MAI I FITIUTA..O LEA NA NONOFO AI IA MA LAGI..O LANA TAUTUA IA SAVEA NA MAFUA AI ONA MAUA E IA O LE IGOA MATAI LEA O "SAVEA"...SA FA'APEA AI LE TALA A LE TOEAINA IA TEHUI...E PULE LAVA OE I LE IGOA..PE FA'AIGOA AI SOU ATALII PE FA'AIGOA AI FO'I SAU TA'IFAU...

PRETTY AWESOME HUH...ANYWHO'S YA'LL TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS...

Talofa/Hello:

Thank you for your kind response. All info received is data we also know re TAHUI & LAGI.

What we don't know is how and when TAHUI/TEHUI arrived and on which island he arrived on - do you know? Do you know 'name of ship' he made his journey on? was he with other travelers? do you know any Moorea history? parent names? do you know if TAHUI/TEHUI is his first or last name?

The surname "SAVEA" is the matai title given to TAHUI/TEHUI because of his union with LAGI. Do you know LAGI's birth surname? Do you know who was the last SAVEA title-holder in this family? and how many different SAVEA titles there are in American Samoa, Savai'i, and Upolu?

Asfaras his first borne - Tagatavale - do you know her mother's name? heard tell her mother re-married? were there divorces on Ofu back in the 1800s? or was it common to have more than one spouse (living) at the same time?

I had seen the data re POUMELE & TAGATAVALE(familysearch.org) but discounted it as the years are too coincidental for both father and daughter being born and married within six years of each other - don't you think?

Below is message posted to a descendant of POUMELE with a child by the same name - LEUI - and hope to receive a reply soon - this is exciting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POUMELE & TAGATAVALE
their children: LE'UI and FA'AVA'A (as was told to me recently)

Would you happen to know the names of Tagatavale's parents?

(We) also have a "TAGATAVALE" on our tree born on Ofu, Manua, Samoa and I was wondering if both ladies - Tagatavale - are one and the same.

(Our) Tagatavale's father's name: TAHUI or TEHUI from Moorea.

Manuia/Regards,
--Manaia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And because I do not know the Samoan language, could you translate in English what you so kindly said in Samoan?


Fa'afetai/Thanks, Soifua,
--Manaia

~=~=~=~

"O LE TAFEAGA MUAMUA NA TAU MAI AI I OFU LEA NA MAUA AI IA TAGATAVALE AE MULIMULI AI LOA O'O MAI I FITIUTA..O LEA NA NONOFO AI IA MA LAGI..O LANA TAUTUA IA SAVEA NA MAFUA AI ONA MAUA E IA O LE IGOA MATAI LEA O "SAVEA"...SA FA'APEA AI LE TALA A LE TOEAINA IA TEHUI...E PULE LAVA OE I LE IGOA..PE FA'AIGOA AI SOU ATALII PE FA'AIGOA AI FO'I SAU TA'IFAU..."


"The first flood had reached Ofu it is where they found TAGATAVALE and at last had reached Fitiuta.. It is here that he had settled and lived with Lagi.. His true service to SAVEA was the result of him receiving the title name of "SAVEA"... This is what the old man said to Tehui...You are the ruler or the one incharge of the title name. You can give the name.. to your son or to your dog..."


So... Tagatavale arrived on Ofu as a passenger on board a ship that sank in Fitiuta? Was her parents also on that ship? What became of her mother?

Why would they leave Moorea for Manua? Did they - TAHUI/TEHUI Family - already have Samoan rellies/ties?

'Oral history' in our aiga/family is: "There was no more male SAVEA descendants left, TAHUI/TEHUI was handed down the title because SAVEA came with Lagi because the name SAVEA already was in her Family." Of course, after much discussion and deliberation by SAVEA carriers/title-holders, TAHUI/TEHUI was then given the honours of a matai title of SAVEA.

I don't know if last part of what you are saying is intentional, comedic, or in error. Can you send your version, we'd like to know.

Fa'atefai/Thanks,
--
Manaia

OMG IT IS SO GREAT TO FINALLY SEE SOMETHING ABOUT MY FAMILY..I AM THE DAUGHTER OF LIMONI, SON OF TUIVETA MISA... I AM SO AMAZED AT WHAT I HAVE JUST READ.. I AM INTERESTED IN GETTING TO KNOW MORE AND ALSO I AM VERY ANXIOUS TO MEET EVERYONE... THE IDAE OF HAVING A FAMILY REUNION IS THE MOST AMAZING THOUGHT EVER... PLEASE REPLY BACK AND I WOULD LOVE TO KEEP IN CONTACT... TAKE CARE AND LOVE YOU ALWAYS....

Manaia, is that date- 1830- the year of his birth or the year he arrived in Samoa?

If he arrived in Samoa abt 1830 he was probably crew on an American whaling ship, having gone on board in Tahiti.

There is a book Where the Whalers Went by Robert Langdon, which lists all the American whaling ships and the ports they went to with dates. If you checked the entries for Samoa or its sub-entries Manua, Tutuila, Swains Island etc
for a ship at the right period then check for the same ship previously being in Tahiti, you might have found the ship.

Then you could check the New England Whaling project films of whaling ship log books held in museums on the East coast of North America. These log books tell the story of each voyage. This procedure would take a long time, but you might find mention of him.
Christine

Manaia, is that date- 1830- the year of his birth or the year he arrived in Samoa?

If he arrived in Samoa abt 1830 he was probably crew on an American whaling ship, having gone on board in Tahiti.

There is a book Where the Whalers Went by Robert Langdon, which lists all the American whaling ships and the ports they went to with dates. If you checked the entries for Samoa or its sub-entries Manua, Tutuila, Swains Island etc
for a ship at the right period then check for the same ship previously being in Tahiti, you might have found the ship.

Then you could check the New England Whaling project films of whaling ship log books held in museums on the East coast of North America. These log books tell the story of each voyage. This procedure would take a long time, but you might find mention of him.
Christine

Gratitudes! Christine:

I don't know how I could have missed your kind response. As I haven't been neglecting my family lineages, but I've just been busy on other peoples' lines.

My ancestor - TAHUI/TEHUI - dwelled from Moorea, Iles Du Vent(Windward Islands), Pacific Islands c.1864.

"Where the Whalers Went" by Robert Langdon. I will, right now! Thanks.

It may be a loong process, but I'll let others do some of the hunting also.
....

Regards,
--Manaia