Background
Charles Bishop was born on January 25, 1822, in Glens Falls, New York, United States, being the elder of two sons of Samuel and Maria (Reed) Bishop. Orphaned in early childhood, he lived with his grandparents.
Charles Bishop was born on January 25, 1822, in Glens Falls, New York, United States, being the elder of two sons of Samuel and Maria (Reed) Bishop. Orphaned in early childhood, he lived with his grandparents.
Charles was educated in district and select schools. From fifteen years of age until he was twenty-four he received a practical training in nearby village stores.
While employed in Sandy Hill, Washington County, Bishop met William L. Lee, to whom he became deeply attached and with whom he set out in 1846 for the promised land of Oregon. On the voyage thither they were detained in Honolulu, found employment, and decided to remain in Hawaii. Bishop worked first as copyist in a government office, then as clerk in the American consulate, and from 1849 to 1853 was collector of customs of the port of Honolulu. In the latter year he became a partner in a general merchandise firm, but he withdrew in 1858 and then associated his former partner with him in the bank of Bishop & Company. For thirty-seven profitable years he was principal or sole owner of the Bishop bank in Honolulu, and in the later years of his life was a stockholder, director, and vice-president of the Bank of California in San Francisco. In addition, for many years he had investments in real estate and in the Hawaiian sugar industry.
In 1850, Bishop was married to the Hawaiian high chiefess Bernice Pauahi Paki, nearly related to the reigning Kamehameha family. In the seventies they traveled extensively in Europe and America. Mrs. Bishop inherited not only the property of her parents but also the vast landed estate of the Kamehamehas. At her death in 1884, practically all of this was left in a trust fund to build and endow the Kamehameha Schools for boys and girls. Bishop was one of the trustees named in his wife's will and devoted much time and thought to the schools and to the management of the estate. In 1895 he sold his interest in the Bishop bank for $800, 000 and placed the entire sum in the Charles R. Bishop Trust to be administered mainly for educational and charitable objects.
Although not interested in politics as such, Bishop took an active part in affairs of government. He was for many years a member of the privy council and the legislature, was minister of foreign affairs during the reign of Lunalilo (1873 - 1874), member of the board of immigration and of several other boards for short periods. His most important public service was as a member and president of the board of education for about twenty years (1869-1883, 1887 - 1894). Bishop tried to prevent the catastrophe that destroyed the Hawaiian monarchy but after the revolution of January 1893 was a firm supporter of the provisional government and Republic of Hawaii. Still, the revolution and the bitter feelings engendered by it made his position uncomfortable and in 1894 he moved to California where he resided during the remainder of his life.
Charles Bishop founded Hawaii's first successful bank, Bishop & Company (now known as First Hawaiian Bank), which had a monopoly of the banking field in Hawaii for a quarter of a century. Banking was the tool with which Bishop built up his large fortune. His benefactions, amounting to several million dollars, were given largely to educational institutions, principal recipients being the Kamehameha Schools and Punahou School (Oahu College). Bishop also founded and endowed the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, an important scientific institution, as a memorial to his wife.
On June 4, 1850, Bishop was married to the Hawaiian high chiefess Bernice Pauahi Paki, nearly related to the reigning Kamehameha family, a woman of much personal charm, intelligence, strength of character, and good education.
