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Name: HOOK, Bryan

image of individual

Nee: father of the Hooks

Birth Date: 23 July 1856 Kensington

Death Date: 14 Mar 1925 King's Barton, Brixton

First Date: 1912

Profession: Artist

Area: Nyeri

Married: 1. In Farnborough 12.4.1887 Catherine Mosely Dewrance b.1861 Camberwell, d.17.5.1911Churt; 2. In Cosford, Suffolk 4.4.1914 Dorothea Mary Northcote b. 5.5.1882 Dodbrooke, Devon, d. 14.9.1964 Churt, Farnham (granddau of 1st Earl of Iddesleigh)

Children: 1. Logan (1888-1976); Una (1889 Churt-8 Mar 1979 Tilford, Waverley1979); Raymond (1893-1973); Oliver (1894); Valentine (1895 Farnham-1917 killed in action near Arras); Sylvia (Fazan) (1897-1996); Hereward (1899-1971); Christopher (1902-1978) 2. Ivan (1915-1991); Stafford (1916-1996); Hilary (1917-1990)

Book Reference: Hut, Mrs Catherine Hart, Debrett

War Service: Royal Academy Schools - won Turner prize forlandscape painting

General Information:

Catherine Hart - In 1912 Bryan Hook, a painter from Churt, Surrey visited Kenya with his daughter Una and son Raymond.
Letter from Mrs Anthea Venning - " ..... My grandfather Bryan Hook the artist, who painted many Kenya scenes, took 3 of his sons - Logan, Raymond and Valentine, to Kenya in 1913. They went on a walking safari (Bryan was quite old so he was on horseback) with ox wagons to carry their luggage. He (Bryan) promised to buy land for each of his sons but Valentine was killed in WW1. Logan was a Commander in submarines during that war. After that Logan and Raymond had their land in Nanyuki.
Nat Probate Calendar
Was a dedicated naturalist - 1st visits Kenya in 1912 with son Raymond and dau Una. Bought land in Nanyuki and Raymond remained to develop it. He came again in 1914; next and last visit was in 1920-21 with a family group incl oldest son Logan and youngest dau Sylvia. Logan founded Silverbeck Hotel in Nanyuki.
Una, his dau: Daughter of artist Bryan Hook and Catherine Moseley (née Dewrance) Hook. Occupation: artist (although on the 1939 register she lists herself as an osteopath. It is unknown if she gave up art and retrained, or continued painting.) Student at the Royal Academy School from 29 November 1910. Sometime between 1907 and early 1911, the family moved into the 22-room Silverbeck on Jumps Road in Churt, Farnham, Surrey - along with 5 servants - from Beefolds house close by.

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