Abraham Fornander

Abraham Fornander (November 4, 1812 – November 1, 1887) was a Swedish-born emigrant who became an important journalist, judge, and ethnologist in Hawaii.

Early life and education Fornander was born in Öland, Sweden on November 4, 1812, to Anders (1778–1828) and Karin Fornander (1788–1872). His education was under his father, a local clergyman, except for the years 1822–1823 when he studied Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at gymnasium in Kalmar. His mother's surname was spelled Foenander, so his surname is sometimes spelled that way. of whom only Mrs. J. H. Brown (Catherine) survived to adulthood (b. 1849, d. 1905). His wife died on 20 January 1857 of puerperal fever, four days after giving birth to their son Charles.

The work brought Fornander attention from abroad. He was invited to become a corresponding member of the California Academy of Sciences in 1878, and in the following year the Hawaiian King made him a Knight Companion of the Royal Order of Kalākaua.

Impact and influence The obituaries marking Fornander's death praised his contribution to Hawaii as both a jurist and a scholar. The Hawaiian royal family participated in his funeral, and a memorial in his honour was erected in Honolulu, where it still stands today (near Pensacola Street).

His estate left his papers and library to his daughter, who sold them to Charles Reed Bishop. This included over 300 books, in addition to scores of journals, bulletins, and scientific yearbooks. In time the collection passed into the control of the Hawaiian Historical Society, where they still reside.