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Name: KNIGHT, William Edward Duncan 'Wednesday'
Nee: eldest son of William Duncan Knight JP of Slinfold Sussex
Birth Date: 30 July 1872 Camden Town, London
Death Date: 24 Apr 1957 Durban
First Date: 1911
Profession: Purchased land at Limuru, developed coffee plantation. Chapel built on his farm in memory of his eldest son Duncan. Strong religious principles, pioneer of British Israelites
Area: HBEA 1912 - P.O. Box 5, Nairobi, Limuru, 1937 Kwetu Estate Limuru
Married: In Slinfold, Sussex 19.6.1895 Edith Charlotte Worsfold b. 3 Nov 1869 Feltham, d. 8 July 1969 Durban She arrived with her family 1912
Children: Edith Mary Duncan 'Molly (Abrams) (18 June 1896 London-1 Jan 1982 Durban); Jean Elspeth Duncan (Duirs) (1897 London-19 Apr 1953 Nairobi); William Henry Duncan (26 July 1899 London-2 May 1918 Somme, killed in action); Kathleen Duncan 'Kitty' (Priestland and Cooper) (25 June 1902 London-1996 Berkhampstead); John Duncan (14 Apr 1906 Whitfield, Kent-5 Jan 1993 Ware, Herts.); Collingwood Duncan (22 Nov 1907 Whitfield, Kent-28 Mar 1992 Hucclecote)
Book Reference: Gillett, Seventy, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, EA & Rhodesia, Red 22, Pioneers, Gazette, Harmony, Nicholls, Foster, Red 19
General Information:
Seventy - Rosemary Knight is the grand daughter-in-law of "Wednesday " Knight who grew coffee on "D" route (The now main road from Nairobi to Nakuru). He was of a fiery religious nature and was wont to read parts of the Bible in a thundering tone - one of his favourite texts was said to be "the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns under a pot".
East Africa & Rhodesia - 15/9/55 - Mr & Mrs W.E.D. Knight, who settled in Kenya in 1911, recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. After 42 years in the Limuru district Mr Knight was compelled for health reasons to retire to sea level. They are now living in Kelso, on the south coast of Natal.
Pioneers - In June 1914, at the age of 19 years, I came to British East Africa as a pupil on the farm of W.E.D. Knight, always known as Wednesday Knight. I shared a grass hut in the garden with another pupil and was woken at 5 a.m. by Wed and led to the dairy by an African, to supervise the milking. The cows were milked into a variety of old tins, four-gallon paraffin debes taking pride of place. I understood not one word of the language and the milkers thought this a great joke, drinking most of the milk and getting me a ticking-off from Wed when we got back to the house. ……………. The Knights' farm was then about 2400 acres.
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Dagoretti - W.E.D. Knight
Member of Lodge Harmony - Joined 7/4/13, age 40
Nicholls - In 1911, financed by the farmer W.E.D. (Wednesday) Knight, May [Bent] transferred the Stanley to the corner of 6th Avenue and Hardinge Street and it became the New Stanley Hotel.
Nicholls - East African Conservatoire of Music - owed its existence to the Revd W.E.D. Knight, a farmer and the vicar of the church of St Cuthbert in Limuru and a keen arranger of musical evenings over many years.
Foster - 1927-1953 Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer of St Cuthbert's Church, Limuru
Gazette 11/1/1922 - Dissolution of Partnership between William Edward Duncan Knight and Joseph Charles John Packer trading as Transport Agents under the style of Northern Frontier Transport and Trading Company, dissolved by mutual consent.
Considine - Wednesday Knight - Born in London, 1871, he purchased land at Limuru. His wife Edith née Worsfield and family arriving in 1912. He developed a coffee plantation and essential oils industry and was at one time Secretary of Limuru Farmers' Association. Of strong religious principles and a pioneer of the British Israelite Movement in Kenya he built a chapel on his farm as a memorial to his eldest son Jock [no] who was killed on active service in WW1. His health suffered considerably during the Mau Mau rebellion and he went to Rhodesia for a holiday and died there in 1956 aged 85. His son John Duncan, born in 1906, was an engineer and his son Collingwood Duncan born in 1907 was Senior Agricultural Officer in East Africa and Zanzibar (Pemba). He also had 3 daughters.
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kikuyu - William Edward Duncan Knight, Planter, Limoru and Edith Charlotte Knight, Married, Limoru and Edith Mary Duncan Knight, Limoru and Jean Elspeth Duncan Knight, Limoru
Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Kyambu - W.E.D. Knight
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Kiambu Voters Roll
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