Both went to Kenya, separately, on 6 month visits which ended up being over 50 years. Robert, born and educated in Ireland, qualified as a civil engineer, worked in Brazil and Malaya, then 5 years in the Army in France. In 1920 he went to Kenya to visit his brother, who was District Engineer in Nairobi, with what was then the Uganda Railway (later K.U.R. & H. & finally E.A.R. & H.).

While in Kenya, heard that he was eligible for a soldier-settler farm, and was allocated one at Cherangani. He went by train to Londiani, which was then the end of the line, bought a wagon and oxen, joined a couple called Colsell, and then walked 100 miles to Cherangani. Hazards en route were no roads, pouring rain and lions who ate the oxen at regular intervals, despite building a boma at every night stop. Having finally found his farm, he built a house, and like his many neighbours, knew nothing about farming and did not speak Swahili.

In 1922 he went back to Ireland on a short visit to see his father, and on the return voyage, met Norah on the ship.. They were married in 1923 in the Scots Mission Church at Tumu Tumu (Nr. Nyeri). After the wedding they travelled in a hired car, with a driver, to Fort Hall, but en route, while crossing the Saba Saba swamp, the bridge collapsed and they spent the night huddled on the back seat, with the doors open so that the water could rush through.

Next day they paddled ashore and walked to Fort Hall.

Kitale in 1922 comprised two rondavels and a tin shanty in the centre. The rondavels accommodated the Bank and Post Office, the shanty was the General Store, mules were tied to the verandah rail. Robert's only transport was a Canadian buggy, his two horses had died, so it was pulled by two very unwilling oxen, who refused to walk uphill, unless the passengers got out, the journey took 5 hours, each way! There was no church in those days, so, a service once a month was held in someone's house. There were no organs, so a gramophone and hymns on records were provided by the Vicar who lived in Eldoret. He was very absent-minded, and invariably forgot to bring the records or gramophone, or both! At one service, held in the drawing room of a retired Naval Officer, the sermon was interrupted by the arrival of the Captain's very rude parrot who treated the congregation to some obscene words taught to him by the sailors on his master's ship. The parrot had been shut in the kitchen during the afternoons service, but escaped when the houseboy arrived to make tea.

At a service in the dining room of an Admiral's house, Rosemary, then a toddler, stood on a bench at the back of the room, lost her balance and fell backwards into a china cupboard, with a loud clatter. At a service somewhere in the Burnt Forest area, a cat and kittens came crashing through the hessian ceiling and landed with a thump on the grand piano, during a hymn! The natives called Robert 'Bwana Macaroon', which was the closest they could get to McClelland.   Source: Mrs M.S. McLoughlin.  More in letter file

Soldier Settlement Scheme after WW1 - Class B - Capt. R.M. McClelland, Grammar School, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland - Farm 42

Gazette - 24/1/1933 - Brand registered in quarter ending 31/12/1933 - Robert McClelland, PO Cherangani, 1M

Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Plateau North - Capt. Robert McClelland, Farmer, PO Hoey's Bridge