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Name: TATE, Harry Russell 'Kongoni'

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Nee: son of Rev. C.R. Tate of Sherborne

Birth Date: 1 Sep 1870 Send, Surrey

Death Date: 22 Jan 1957 Shillingstone, Dorset

Nationality: British

First Date: 1898

Profession: Asst. Collector, EAP in 1900 and later Superintendent of Govt. Transport. Later transferred to Administration Service and became DC and then PC. Retired in 1923 after 26 years and settled in Dorset

Area: 1903 Nyeri; HBEA 1912 DC Malindi, Kibwezi, 1922 Kisumu. 1919 Nyeri

Married: In Childe Okeford, Dorset 28 Dec 1907 Eveline Syndercombe Bower b. 7 Dec 1879 Fontmell Parva, Dorset, d. 15 Oct 1976 Bladford Forum

Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Ainsworth, Police, Gethin, Kenya Diary, Tignor, EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 25, EAS, Hut, North, EA & Rhodesia, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, Red 22, Pioneers, EAHB 1906, EA Diary 1902, EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Foster, Red Book 1912, Web, Gazette

School: Sherborne School

General Information:

Gethin - PC Nyanza in 1921.
Ainsworth - During 1898 a sub-station was opened at Kibwezi for the administration of Kikumbuliu and H.R. Tate was put in charge.
Police - DC Nairobi in about 1904/5  
Kenya Diary - 1902 - Fort Hall - ....Soon after starting I met Tate on the road. He is the DO at Fort Hall and is on a tour through the district. ......…
Nov. 1904 - Nyeri ... I shall probably not see Nyeri again and am sorry to leave Tate, whom I like. He is a conscientious administrator and gets on well with the Kikuyu who respect him. He is a well-educated man of the right type for an undeveloped country and undeveloped peoples. My only quarrel with him is his secretiveness. He tells me nothing about his work and seldom enlightens me regarding Kikuyu reactions to the administration. This is a pity, for I am more or less responsible for security and a closer liaison with me might have been helpful. But I like him, for he is always cheerful and has a welcome sense of humour.  
Tignor - DC Kiambu in 1910, handing over. PC Kenya Province 1917-19  
EAHB 1905 - Collector Fort Hall. Asst. Collector, EAP, Dec. 16th 1897; Superintendent of Government Transport, March 1900; Officer in charge, East Africa Transport, Ashanti Field Force, Aug. 1900; Transport Officer, Ogaden Punitive Force, Jan. 1901; Collector April 6th 1901; Acting Sub-Commissioner, Kenya Province, April to Sept. 1902 and Nov. 1904; Ashanti medal, 1900; Jubaland medal 1901.  
KAD 1922 - Senior Commissioner and Senior Resident Magistrate, Kisumu  
Red 25 - Chairman, Municipal Committee, Nairobi 1906
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa North - Red hair and a long face; Appt. Asst. Collector EAP 5/1/1898; in charge of Substation at Kibwezi 1898; asst. to John Ainsworth at Machakos early 1899; Mombasa Dec 1899; appt. Acting Supt. of Government Transport 1/3/1900; arr. Mombasa from West Africa with 1200 porters who had served in Ashanti Field Forces 11/1/1901; dep. Mombasa for Kismayu 25/1/1901 & arr. 26/1/1901, Transport Officer with Ogaden Punitive Force; Appt. District Officer EAP 8/5/1901; District Officer, Fort Hall 1902; 'Tate seems not a bad fellow, but a little sanctimonious' (Meinertzhagen, RH)
East Africa & Rhodesia - 7/2/57 - Mr Harry Russell Tate, who has died at his home in Shillingstone, Dorset, at the age of 86 was one of the pioneer officials of Kenya. He had retained his interest in that country, and had been chairman of the Kenya Civil Service Pensioners Association. ……… arrived in the East Africa Protectorate early in 1898 to take up an appointment as assistant collector under the Foreign Office. He served in the country for 26 years, latterly as a provincial commissioner, and throughout the rest of his life retained his interest in African affairs. He was for many years secretary of the Kenya Church Aid Association in Great Britain. In Kenya he had been a churchwarden.
Drumkey 1909 - DC Ukamba, Kiambu
Pioneers - Nyeri - Soon after Meinertzhagen's expedition [1902], H.R. Tate started the first administrative post at Nyeri.
EA Diary 1902 - Listed as District Officer
EA Diary 1903 - Asst. Collector 1897, 1898-1900; Ndii, Kibwezi, Machakos, Nairobi, Mombasa; Superintendent Government Transport, March 1900; Officer Commanding East Africa Transport; Ashanti Field Force (mentioned in despatches) Aug 1900 to Jan 1901, Transport Officer Ogaden Punitive Force (mentioned in despatches) Jan to June 1901; Collector May 1901; Acting Sub-Commissioner Kenya April 1902
Red Book 1912 - H.R. Tate - Voi - Seyidie Province - DC at Malindi
Gazette - 15/1/1906 - Chairman Nairobi Township Committee - 1906
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kenya Area - Harry Russel Tate - Civil Servant, Nyeri and Eveline Syndercombe Tate - Married woman, Nyeri
Gazette - 20/7/1921 - Register of Voters - Lake Area - Harry Russell Tate - Civil Servant - Kisumu and Mrs Eveline Syndercombe Tate - Married woman - Kisumu
Red 25 - Left Provincial Administration 1923
1939 England and Wales Register living with wife in Sturminster

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