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Name: WATTS, Harry Edward

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Birth Date: 1880 ?Wantage

Death Date: 11 Dec 1949 Royal Masonic Hosp, London

First Date: 1904

Last Date: 1947

Profession: He trekked through many parts of the country and eventually established a crop and stock farm named 'Kipkelia' at Lumbwa. Especially interested in growing tobacco but this did not prove very successful.

Area: 1908 Kipkelia Estate Lumbwa, Molo, 1930 Kedowa, 1937 Kapchorua Nandi Hills

Married: ?In Chelsea 17 Dec 1912 Frances Lilian Buckle b. 21 Feb 1877 Gibraltar, d. 1944 Uckfield

Book Reference: Gillett, SE, HBEA, Over my Shoulder, KFA, Gethin, EAWL, Joelson, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Playne, Macmillan, EA & Rhodesia, Drumkey, Red 22, Land, EAHB 1906, Gazette, Racing, Harmony, Nicholls, Medals, North, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Red Book 1912, Red 19

War Service: Imperail Yeomanry- Boer War

General Information:

SE - H.E. Watt - July 1907
He started a Co-operative Dairy near Lumbwa Station from which subsequently grew the Kenya Co-operative Creameries.                      KFA - Flax was introduced by the Dept. of Agriculture in 1912 and it had been successfully grown before WW1 by Mr Harry Watts at Lumbwa.
Gethin - 1911 - during case between Powys Cobb and Drury and Hobson, at Mombasa - as a witness he unfortunately vomited in the witness box! (p. 27) ........... returning on the ship "Norman" to Kenya in 1924 - 'There were quite a crowd of East Africans I knew on this trip, including H.E. Watts, who one evening led a deputation before the Captain and presented him with a petition, with a request that as the ship was on her last voyage and as the trip was becoming a bit of a bore, would he allow the passengers to start breaking up the ship during the remainder of the voyage. Needless to say, the Captain was not amused, in fact he was rather hurt.  
Gethin diary 1911 - Molo - 'Watts arrives from Lumbwa. Mrs Mottoshaw from Keringet.'
Memoirs of Maurice Tennent - nearest neighbours Harry Watts, my neighbour at the back of 'Chepsioni' and Usher Jones next to him (Mr & Mrs, a girl and 3 boys).
Joelson - 1928 - Lumbwa - a leading figure in the progress of the district.
'East Africa' 1934 - Director of Boustead & Clarke Ltd. - H.E. Watts
Letter from Victor Kane - H.E. Watts, Harry to anyone and everyone particularly in the horse-racing game and Jockey Club of Kenya. He had a farm at Molo, two corrugated iron sheds, each perhaps 20 yards square formed his living quarters. He lived alone a rough tougher than an unpolished diamond he drank whisky and smoked 'King Stork' cigarettes both in excess. At a time he owned some very fine race horses and when their racing days were over he retired some of them to the farm. He was a farrier sergeant with the British Army in S. Africa during the Boer War and also their heavyweight boxing champion. He took his demob in S. Africa and walked from there to Kenya where he settled on the land at Molo somewhere around 1905. He told us he made considerably more money poaching ivory than he did working the farm, but following elephant was very time consuming he then found it much quicker and more profitable to ambush Somali camel caravans transporting ivory from Ethiopia to Nairobi. He shot the Somalis and took possession of the ivory for which he had a ready market. True or False? I must admit I believed him.
At one time he had been a man of 6 ft. but when I knew him he would not have been more than 5 ft. 8 ins. one leg being some 3 ins. shorter than the other, this being the result of numerous motor accidents and accidents with horses resulting in many operations on broken legs, which he refused to rest long enough for the bones to set properly. He took his first trip back to England in 1947 [he had travelled there in 1937] but was only there a couple of months when he died.
Hut - 1918 thief beaten, strangled - R1000 Fine - tried tobacco, failed
Playne - Kipkelia Farm - The growing of tobacco is likely to become one of the great industries of BEA. So thinks Mr H.E. Watts, who has obtained a tobacco of a good flavour, and intends to plant it largely at Kipkelia Farm with a view to export. ...... The farm, which comprises 5,000 acres, and is about 1 mile from Lumbwa Station is well watered, having a river running right through it, whilst there is enough timber for Mr Watts's own use, and the Forest Reserve adjoins Kipkelia. The dwelling-house is built of wood and iron, the dairy of stone, with a cement dairy table. On an average about 200 lbs. of butter are turned out per week. Mr Watts is thoroughly well satisfied with his future prospects. He came from South Africa in 1904, and before that he had farmed in England.
Macmillan - 1930 - The Nyanza Auctioneers, Estate, Insurance and Commission Agents, Live Stock Specialists and Government Valuators - business was established in 1920 and is the chief undertaking of its kind in the Nakuru district. …. The managing partner, Mr T.H. Chettle, is a well-known judge of livestock, having acted in this capacity at Nairobi and Nakuru Agricultural Shows on many occasions. The other partner, Mr H.E. Watts, has for many years taken an active part in the public life of the colony, more particularly in connection with co-operation among agriculturalists.
East Africa & Rhodesia - 16/11/50 - The Late Mr H.E. Watts of Molo, Kenya, left £1000 to the Coryndon Museum, Nairobi
Drumkey 1909 - Directory of Residents - H.E. Watts, Dairy Farm, Lumbwa
Land - 1906 - H.E. Watts - Grazing, 4990 acres, Lumbwa, 6-5-04, Registered 25-9-06, 793 acres within railway zone
Land 1909 - H.E. Watts - Buildings, 1 acre - Nakuru - 1/8/05 - Leasehold for 25 years from 1/5/09 - Registered 5/10/09 Land 1909 - H.E. Watts - Grazing and agricultural, 577.57 acres - Lumbwa-Kericho Road - 21/9/09 - Leasehold for 99 years from 1/11/09 - Registered 11/5/10
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Lumbwa
Racing - Owner of 'Threepence' - 1929
Racing - Owner of 'Tight' - 1930
Member of Lodge Harmony - Joined 1/2/09, age 29, Settler, Lumbwa, died 22/1/19
Nicholls - Nakuru Hotel - Every now and then Harry Watt [sic] would arrive from Fort Ternan with his drinking cronies and take over the hotel for a week. He was involved in at least two cases of alleged murder of Africans on his farm, but was acquitted both times.
Medals - East Africa Veterinary Corps - Henry E. Watts, No. 5001, Serjeant
Red Book 1912 - H.E. Watts - Kericho
Gazette 24/7/1918 - High Court Criminal case - Nakuru - Crown vs 1. H.E. Watts and 2. C.S.L. Betchart
Gazette - 3/12/1919 - Register of Voters - Lake Area - H.E. Watts - Farmer - Lumbwa
Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Lumbwa - H.E. Watts
Gazette 7 Feb 1950 probate

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