Statewide County HI Archives Biographies.....Brash, William George 1842 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Jessica Orr orr@hawaii.com January 27, 2010, 1:32 pm

Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Published by the Honolulu Star Bulletin, 1925
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist

WILLIAM GEORGE BRASH, Veteran Printer and Capitalist. Typesetter of the first 
English-Hawaiian dictionary, known as “Andrew’s Dictionary” and published in 
the late 60’s, and the only living man who saw the first copy of the 
old “Pacific Commercial Advertiser” taken off the press on July 2, 1856, 
William G. Brash has witnessed the making of much history in Hawaii. Four 
kings and a queen ruled the Hawaiian Islands during his residence here, a 
monarchy was overthrown, a new form of government established and a great city 
developed from the tiny village he first knew as Honolulu.
  Mr. Brash was born in Wellington, N.Z., in 1842, the son of William and Mary 
Brash. Shortly after his birth his parents went to South America, and in 1844 
they arrived in Honolulu from Valparaiso on the American whaler “Fame of New 
London.” He attended the Honolulu Free School, and in 1854 took a fancy to sea 
life and obtained a position on the “Akamai,” plying between Honolulu and 
Hanamaulu and Hanalei, Kauai. He worked as an oiler for a time and after 
several years of service quit the sea to enter the “Advertiser” office as an 
apprentice. At the end of his apprenticeship in 1859, Mr. Brash went to San 
Francisco and for two years worked for the Francis-Valentine Co., printers.
  In 1862 Mr. Brash returned to Honolulu and was employed by “The Polynesian,” 
a government paper owned by the Monarchy. He then worked for the “Advertiser” 
until 1877, when the late S. G. Wilder bought the steamer “Likelike” from the 
Hawaiian government and appointed Mr. Brash purser. He soon was in charge of 
the freight department of the Wilder Steamship Co., and remained in that 
position for thirty years, until the amalgamation of the company with the 
present Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. Mr. Brash is now retired and 
cares for his sugar and other private business interests. He is a director of 
the Honomu Sugar Co., Ltd., and has extensive realty holdings.
  In 1889 he married Mary Cockett of Maui, and they have six children, Mrs. 
John Anderson, wife of Representative John Anderson; William G. Brash, 
California rancher; Adrian Brash, student in the University of California; 
Winifred Brash, Lionel Brash, chemist and physical instructor at Palama 
Settlement and Mrs. Irmgard Perkins. Mr. Brash is a charter member of Mystic 
Lodge No. 2, Knights of Pythias.


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