RUGGLES, Samuel [1795-1871] -- American missionary, teacher and catechist

Born in Brookfield, CT, Ruggles studied at the mission school at Cornwall before sailing with the first company of American missionaries [to Hawaii] in 1819. He and his wife, Nancy Wells Ruggles (1791-1873), future mother of six children, helped to establish two missions in the Hawaiian Islands; one at Waimea, Kaua'i, with the Samuel WHITNEYs, and another, at Hilo, with the Joseph GOODRICHes. Ruggles, who was so beloved by the Hawaiians that they called him "Keiki" (child), struggled with ill health and finally returned to the United States with his family in 1834. Samuel's sister, Lucia Ruggles Holman [qv], and her husband [qv] were in the same party of missionaries. [Day, op cit, p.111]

On October 23, 1819, Samuel Ruggles and his wife joined the first missionary company sent out by the American Board to the Hawaiian islands, others in this company being Rev. Hiram Bingham, 1st; Rev. Asa Thurston, Dr. Thomas Holman, Rev. Samuel Whitney, Elisha Loomis, Daniel Chamberlain -- each accompanied by his wife -- and three Hawaiian youths from the mission school at Cornwall, CT. Samuel Ruggles and his wife remained at the Hawaiian Islands fifteen years and did valuable work as teachers. They returned in 1834. [Hawley, p.549]

1819 10 23

Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles were members of the Pioneer Company which sailed from Boston in the brig Thaddeus, Captain Blanchard,

1820 04 04

Arrived at Kailua, Hawaii, a voyage of 164 days.

1820-1823

Established the station at Waimea, Kauai, with the Whitneys

1824-1825

Established the station at Hilo, with the Goodriches

1825-1826

They returned to Waimea

1826-1828

Were again at Hilo

1828

Rev. Samuel takes cuttings from the coffee plants at Chief Boki's estate and brings them to Kona. The coffee Reverend Ruggles plants is a strain of the variety Coffee Arabica that originated in the high plateaus of Ethiopia. It becomes known in Hawaii as "Kanaka Koppe" (Hawaiian coffee). It is still cultivated in Kona today. [http://kona--coffee.com/cof-hist.html]

1828-1832

Kaawaloa

1830

Time briefly spent in Waimea, Hawaii, for his health

1833

Translated the Catechism on Genesis

1834 01 06

He struggled with poor health and finally returned to the United States with his family (ship Telegraph, Captain Sayre). They had lived in the Hawaiian Islands fourteen years. In their care on this voyage were the small daughters of the Whitneys and the Binghams, Emily Elizabeth Whitney, seven years of age, and Lucy Whiting Bingham, seven years and two months.

1834 06 19

They arrived at Saginaw Harbor, Long Island

1836 11 29

Were released from the ABCFM.

1819