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Name: McCLURE, Herbert Reginald 'Reggie'
Birth Date: 23.3.1883 Guernsey
Death Date: 31.12.1925 Sydney, Australia
Nationality: British
First Date: 1903
Profession: Asst Collector EAP, later DC
Area: Particularly well known at Kiambu and Nyeri, HBEA 1912 DC Nyeri, 1930 Nyeri, 1909 Narok
Married: 1907 Dorothy Florence Lawson b. 1883 England, d. Limuru 19.7.1964. Widow resident of Nyeri for many years
Author: Land-Travel and Seafaring, 1924
Book Reference: North, Gillett, HBEA, Cuckoo, Permanent Way, Golf, Kill, Kenya Diary, Red 31, Hut, North, Drumkey, Red 22, Cashmore, EAHB 1906, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Beck, Red Book 1912, Red 19
War Service: Formerly in British Navy, China Medal 1900; relief of Pekin clasp
School: Eastman's Royal Naval Academy & H.M.S. Britannia
General Information:
Cuckoo - 1906 - ADC at Kiambu. 1906 - McClure married the sister of Mrs Marcel Van de Velde. They fell in love at first sight and within 48 hours were engaged.
Cuckoo - A nicer man it would have been difficult to meet. Died in harness as Commissioner of a group of islands in the Pacific. He had served as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, also during the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900), and was a clever artist and cartoonist. He did not suffer from a superiority complex.
Permanent Way - 'It is well known that Mr A.J.M. Collyer and Mr H.R. McClure, the only two officials of the Administration who could speak Masai, were very critical of the manner in which the negotiations and the move [of the Masai] were conducted. During the move neither of them was employed. "The former," wrote Sir Frederick Jackson, "was sent to the Amala River to receive the immigrants, and when they never arrived he was transferred to Nyeri, presumably to make quite certain that he would be completely out of touch with them. It was indeed a sorry show."'
Golf - In 1910, the District Commissioner, Mr Reggie McClure, and the Forest Officer, Mr G. Sandbach Baker, laid out the first golf course at Nyeri. In the very early days Mr McClure and Mr Sandbach Baker were the only two golfers on their course. The same was true at Meru where E.B. Horne laid out a course in 1910 and played with his ADC.
Kenya Diary - Aug. 1903 - Nyeri - ..... a youngster called H.R. McClure, who has just left the Navy. He is quite a boy and a friend of Tate. He is not yet in the Administration but hopes to get appointed shortly. .......... McClure has a Great Dane - a dog of great size ...... McClure's dog is a huge overgrown puppy and most friendly. McClure lives with me in my grass hut. ...... May 1904 - Kisumu - has come up to build a bridge over the Nzoia river near Mumias ....... I am happy to say that McClure, who finds that the material for his bridge is not ready, has come up here [Kabwuren] to join me. He is a cheery lad, and I shall not feel a bit bored with him in camp.
Cashmore - McClure, in Nyeri prior to the First World War, was the first DC there to own a motor car; it was his boast that he had 150 miles of motorable road constructed in the Nyeri District.
EAHB 1906 - Sub-Collector, Kisumu
EAHB 1907 - Collector (Acting) - Kyambu
Beck - District Commissioner H.R. McClure compiled a history of Kenya Province beginning in 1901 and described the "latent hostility" to missions in general in the Fort Hall District. However, he added, medical missions were the only ones that were welcomed. …….
Red Book 1912 - H.R. McClure - Nyeri - Kenya Province - Asst. DC at Nyeri [wrong - he had been promoted to full DC in 1910]
North - Nyeri, Aug. 1903, waiting to join EAP administration
Barnes Langata cem, Nairobi :to the / memory of / Dorothy / Florence / widow of / Herbert / Reginald McClure / late of Nyeri / died 19th July 1964
Gazette 25 Aug 1964 wife's probate
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