WESTERN RECORDED VISITOR 1: DE QUIROS' ISLAND (1606-1830's)
The first recording of any person reaching Olohega was Pedro Fernandez de Quiros. He was a Spanish explorer and landed there on March 1, 1606. The handsome and friendly inhabitants so charmed him. He named the island 'Isla de la Gente Hermosa' which means island of beautiful people on February 1, 1841. Archaeological evidence suggest that these inhabitants were eastern Polynesians.
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| Pedro Fernandez de Quiros |
For over two hundred years thereafter de Quiros Island, as the western world called it, remained unvisited by European navigators. During that period, according to legends which say the Tokelauans visited particularly from the nearest island, Fakaofo.
WESTERN RECORDED VISITOR 2: CAPT W C SWAINS
Captain W.C Swains from Massachusetts, skipper of a whaling ship visited the island sometime before 1840, and believed that he had reached the island with which European had never had any contact. This belief was passed through the United States system and on January 31, 1840, Captain Hudson found the island but the sea was too rough to permit landing. Hudson saw no people on the island. He found that the island wasn't in the same location as that described by de Quiros and concluded that, in all probability, Captain Swain was correct in his claim to be the first European to have come to this island.
After Hudson's visit, the Fakaofo people returned to the island, where they were joined by three Frenchmen, who engaged in making coconut oil. When the Frenchmen had accumulated a shipload, they sailed away and left the place to the place to the Fakaofo people. At about this time a British subject known as "Captain Turnbull" appeared in Apia, Upolu. He claimed that he had likewise been the first European to have come to Swains Island. Captain Turnbull met an American businessman, Eli Hutchinson Jennings Sr. who wanted to set-up business elsewhere. Thus Mr Jennings Sr. accepted an offer from capt. Turnbull to own Swains Island. With his Samoan wife, Maria, Mr Jennings Sr. set out for his new home and landed there on October 13, 1856, and raised an American flag to declare his nationality.
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| Captain Henry Hudson |
TITLEHOLDER 1: 1856-78: ELI HUTCHINSON JENNINGS SR
Mr Jennings Sr. with the aid of Fakaofo, began to produce copra and sell it in the market in Apia. the Jennings had six children, Eli Hutchinson Jr, Daniel, Fipe, Mere, Leta and Eleni, and adopted a adopted child Samisi. Mr Jennings Sr. made a will, which named Mrs Jennings Sr his sole beneficiary. He recorded the will the United States consul in Apia, and in 1878 at the age sixty-four Mr Jennings Sr. died.
Mrs Jennings Sr. continued in procession of Swains Island. In her will she bequeathed the island to Eli Hutchinson Jennings Jr. and other properties to the others. Mrs Jennings Sr. registered her will with the United States consul in Apia.
TITLEHOLDER 2: 1878-1920: ELI HUTCHINSON JENNINGS JR.
Mr Jennings took over the management of the estate before his mother's death on October 25, 1891.
Mr Jennings Jr's ownership came to be challenged by two parties, the government of Edward VII (1841-1910), King of the United Kingdom (1901-1910), and Mr Jennings Jr's relatives living in Apia.
There were many claims and counter-claims to ownership of the island during this period. However, the connection to the US and weak position of the United Kingdom maintained the island in Eli Jennings Jr's possession.
TITLEHOLDER 3: 1920-1940'S: ALEXANDER HUTCHINSON JENNINGS
Before he died in 1920, Mr Jennings Jr. wiled his real property to his surviving son, Alexander Hutchinson Jennings, and the residue of his estate to his daughter, Anna Eliza Jennings (Mrs Irving Hearthington) Carruthers of Apia. Attempts to settle the estate, opened the way for further litigation.
In short, the US Congress extended its US jurisdiction of American Samoa to include Swains- thus Swains Island is part of its territory. This enabled the estate to be settled and turned the estate's other assets over to Mrs Irving Heathington. It also allowed, in May 1925, for Lieutenant Commander C.D Edgar, U.S.N., to formally hoist the American flag, sixty-nine years after Eli Hutchinson Jennings Sr. had raised it.
