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Name: SIMPSON, Alfred James 'Archie'

Birth Date: 22 Sep 1882 Thirlby, Yorkshire

Death Date: 10 Nov 1971 Mombasa

First Date: 1912

Last Date: 1971

Profession: Farmed at Ol Punyata in the Nakuru district. Transport business

Area: Fair View, Nakuru, 1930 Olobonaita, 1919 Londiani, 1930 Rongai partner with Dawson, 1930 Benmore Estate Solai

Married: 1927 Grace Benjamina Garland b., 3 June 1906 S. Africa (dau of Benjamin Cooke Garland, another early settler in Nakuru)

Children: George Wilson; Neville Dudley; Robert James (1930 Nakuru-2012); Sam

Book Reference: Gillett, KFA, Eldoret, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, EAMR, Red 22, Bob Simpson, Leader14, Rift Valley, Barnes, Red 19

War Service: Served with EAMR in WW1 - C Sqdn. 7/8/14 - 17/11/14 - Sergt. 10/8/14

General Information:

Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Rift Valley Voters List
KFA - Towards the end of WW1, the Pig Breeders' Association decided to run their own factory on a co-operative basis and bought an existing plant at Londiani from Messrs Ben Garland and A.J. Simpson.
Eldoret - Notes on the Old Days in Eldoret - p. 31/32 - "I arrived in Eldoret on my third birthday, having travelled by ox wagon from Londiani with my parents. I believe the man who took us up was A.J. Simpson who still lives at Subukia. He certainly drove us up on many occasions, and once it took us three weeks to do the 60 miles from Londiani owing to the terrible state of the roads. The mud was so deep that the span of oxen could only travel a few miles at a time, and then when things got so bad that they had to light fires under their noses to get them to rise.
Bob Simpson - "Dad arrived in Kenya 1912. He started an ox-wagon transport business from Londiani which was the end of the rail head to Eldoret. Londiani {Londianna as he called it}. That was 64 miles. Hence the coined name of Eldoret being called "64". A.J. also became very friendly with Archie Shaw - the bank manager who told him that a nice property in Nakuru was for sale going for a song! A.J. bought it and as you may know this building was called 'Speke's'. He rebuilt it in 1937 when he had some money. The architect was a Mrs J.J. Hughes of Hughes' fame Ford Motor Co.
The war came and A.J. joined up in the East African Mounted Rifles, fought on Kilimanjaro against Von Lettow Vorbeck in that campaign. After the war, by chance he buys a farm "Elbonwala" from a Mr Edmondson [vet officer]. This farm adjoins Ben Garland's "Comlands". Eventually this is where A.J. meets his future wife Grace Garland. They marry in 1927, and despite a 21 year age gap between them it was a long and loving relationship.
A.J. was full of energy and drive. In 1928 to 1932 he leased land from the Kamasia and with some 40 spans of oxen grew some 1500 acres of maize - had 2 good years and 2 bad ones in the form of locusts swarms and drought. He had some 40 spans of oxen working - can you imagine the logistics of this enterprise?  A.J. sure was born with a whip in his hand. At one point he was harvesting shelling and loading on rail 750 bags of maize a day. The railway siding was on his leased land. Because of adverse conditions in his area he also moved up to higher altitude and bought "Crater Stream" again alongside Ben Garland. Here he made a name for himself as a top maize grower. Ben Garland died in 1944 and he took over using a manager to run the farm.
We, the next generation were growing up and in 1952 A.J. gave me the job of running Ben's farm now renamed 'Benmore'. As you know I did really well here - coffee - maize - wheat - dairy and won the Bellingham Bowl for my efforts. It was a terrible shattering day to have to give this lovely farm up to Blacks who carved it up into 4 acre squares.
Rift Valley - Member of the Rift Valley Sports Club - Jan 1929 - Elected - 4 Nov 1919 - A.J. Simpson
Gazette - 3/12/1919 - Register of Voters - Rift Valley Area - A.J. Simpson - Farmer - Londiani
Barnes - Nakuru North Cemetery - Alfred James Simpson, "A.J.", a dearly beloved husband and father, died 10/11/1971 aged 89
Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Ravine - A.J. Simpson
Hut - 1919 Forwarding Agent, Londiani
Gazette 9 June 1972 probate

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