The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/all/20041205224708/http://www.princesstui.ws:80/html/history.html

QUEEN EMMA
1850- 1913

VAIALA BEACH 1893
click image to enlarge

JONAS COE
1823 - 1891
Father of Queen Emma

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1848 Princess Tui Inn
A place in history

The name 1848 Princess Tui Inn comes from our place on Vaiala Beach that was originally purchased in 1848 and owned by Jonas Coe. Coe was the first American Commercial Agent in Apia 1864-1874 and father of "Queen Emma". Queen Emma is well known in the South Pacific for establishing vast coconut plantations in Papua New Guinea in the 1880's. Pacific Publications, Sydney, published R. W. Robson's book "Queen Emma": "Emma was always Jonas' favourite.

She was born in 1850 and soon afterwards the Malietoa family, in solemn ceremony, named her Princess Tui Malietoa Coe, of the royal line. This gave her title to certain lands, and to status and privileges to which she clung all her life." "EMMA ELIZA COE, born in Samoa in 1850, inherited the warm blood of her highborn Polynesian mother and the Yankee shrewdness of her American father, Jonas M. Coe. In her early life and loves, her Polynesian traits prevailed; but in her mature years, when she became Queen Emma of New Guinea, Coe qualities generally shaped her extraordinary career."

Jonas Coe washed ashore in 1838. "an American whaler was caught in a tropical storm that was lashing the Navigators Island (now Samoa) and was smashed in the maze of coral reefs eastward of Savaii Island. Jonas Coe, cabin-boy, clinging to a broken spar, was thrown by giant waves across the reef into the quiet lagoon near Sapapali'i village, on Savaii's eastern coast. Samoans dragged him ashore and carried him to two Tongan missionaries, in the village." Sometime later, with a Malieatoa bride (Le'utu Joana Taleatale), Malieatoa goodwill, and little besides, the American became a trader, first at Mulinu'u, as a partner of John Wright, otherwise know as "Bigleg Johnny", because he had Mumu, and later at Matautu Point, at the other end of the Bay, where he built himself a big house."

Alesi and George are Samoan citizens. George came to Samoa in 1981 as the local bank manager, going back to Maui in Hawaii in 1985 after completing his work. He moved back home to Samoa in 1992 and operates a real estate development and hotel business. He has actively worked in tourism for many years as past President of the Samoa Visitor's Association, past Chairman of the Board of Polynesian Airlines, and is developing another beachfront hotel property at Falealili on Upolu. Please allow us to help your friends and family with any background material you may desire. If you would like, we could e-mail you photos of the inn.

Soifua,

Alesi & George Hadley
Innkeepers

 

 
 

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© Copyright 2002 1848 Princess Tui Inn. All rights reserved
Tel: +685 23342 • Fax: +685 22451 • PO Box 9590, Apia, SAMOA
E-mail: princesstui@samoa.ws • Internet: http://www.princesstui.ws

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