Sybil and Mosely Bingham (Photo courtesy Westfield Athenaeum)
By Sarah Hunter, intern WSU ’20
The American Board of Foreign Missions sent twelve ships to the Hawaiian islands between the years of 1819 and 1847 as a part of a larger effort to colonize Hawaii. The first company was led by Hiram Bingham, whose wife, Sybil, came from Westfield.
Sybil Moseley Bingham was born in Westfield on September 14th, 1792. Her father was a trustee of the Westfield Academy, which Sybil attended. Both of her parents died by 1811, leaving her to take care of her three younger sisters. Sybil became a teacher and taught for nine years in Hartford, CT, and Canandaigua, NY.
In 1819, she met Hiram Bingham while visiting the family of Rev. S. Barlett in Windsor, CT. Hiram was a newly ordained priest and set to leave as a missionary to Hawaii. They married on October 11th of that year and embarked for the islands that same month. Hiram was chosen to lead the first group to the islands.
The journey to the islands was difficult. On board the Thaddeus were seven missionary couples, one of which had their five children with them, four Hawaiians, and twenty-three sailors. Each couple was only allowed a certain amount of space below deck. They were granted about a total of 6ft by 6ft by 5ft of space.
When arriving to the Hawaiian islands they landed on the island of O’ahu. They lived in a cottage in Manoa Valley granted to them by Queen Kaahumanu, which later became the location of the Punahou School, founded in 1841. With her husband, they established the first school on the island, and according to the Honolulu Advertiser, helped put the Hawaiian language into writing. Hiram Bingham founded the Kawaiaha’o Church, which still stands today. He also served as their first pastor, or kahu, for twenty years until 1840. The Bingham’s daughter, Sophia, was the first American missionary child born on O’ahu.
Hiram was recalled by the Board after they believed he was interfering too much in Hawaiian politics. The Binghams left the islands in 1840 and made their home in Easthampton, MA, where Sybil died of tuberculosis on February 27th, 1848. Their work established a presence for the United States on the islands. This would later turn into the US annexing Hawaii in 1898 after Queen Lili’uokalani’s rule was overthrown by a party of businessmen.
