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Name: MUIRHEAD, Robert Craig 'Daddy'

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Birth Date: 1855 Pietermaritzburg

Death Date: 22.7.1933 Kitale

Nationality: British

First Date: 1900

Last Date: 1933

Profession: Crossed Nzoia River to start farming before 1914

Area: 1905 Nairobi, Kitale, Hoey's Bridge, 1925 Kitale, Kamiti River

Book Reference: Genesis, KFA, Dunkley, Land 1903, EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, North, Drumkey, Red 22, Trans Nzoia Scrapbook, Land, EAHB 1906, Gazette, Nicholls, Red Book 1912, Barnes

War Service: Matabele wars 1893-1897

General Information:

Genesis - 'My acquaintance with the hyena was of an even more intimate nature and, but for the timely intervention of Mr Muirhead, who was with me, might have ended my mortal span more rapidly than I had bargained for. Mr Muirhead (one of the pioneer settlers from South Africa, who was then comfortably settled under the shadow of Mount Elgon) suggested an early morning shoot one day. ............... Muirhead called my attention to a dark, brown object lying on the veldt and thought it might be a sleeping lion. My glasses revealed it to be a sleeping Hyena. Instead of taking a long shot I determined to stalk it. Unfortunately, however, when I was still some distance off it appeared to wake up and get my wind and, in a flash, was on its feet and trotting off. I promptly fired and dropped it and then signalled to Muirhead to fetch my camera as I was eager to get a good snap of it. I wanted to alter its position to get a better picture, but somehow suspected that it was not dead owing to the position in which it was lying. However, although warned by Muirhead of the cunning of the brute and the possibility that it was simply shamming dead, I determined to move it and, after satisfying myself that it was not breathing, stepped forward and caught it by the ear. Like a flash the brute's head swung round and in a trice he had my foot between his teeth like a vice. Thoughts flashed quickly through my brain. These filthy brutes, the scavengers of nature, are not over particular as to what they eat. Offal and the kills of other animals satisfy them and thoughts of blood poisoning at the very least passed through my mind. My gunbearer, seeing my predicament, promptly jammed his gun against the brute's head in such a way as would have undoubtedly blown its head to smithereens - and incidentally, my foot. Muirhead seized his arm in the nick of time, and I called on him to put a steady shot into the brain. He, however, wisely selected a heart shot as he said that the brute's teeth would only lock in rigor mortis in the event of the shot going into the brain, whereas a heart shot would probably cause him to relax his hold. He fired and immediately the vice-like pressure on my foot relaxed and I was able to withdraw it. The horribly decayed state of the hyena's teeth was chiefly responsible, I think, for my getting off without a scratch. Its teeth, with the exception of the four large canines, were decayed almost flush with the gums and the top canine tooth that had been driven through the top of my boot and partly buried itself in the sole below, fortunately passed harmlessly between my big and second toe - damaging neither!
Dunkley - Memoirs of K.L. Hunter - 1919 - " ...... Daddy Muirhead, one of the voters from the slopes of Mount Elgon, declared he had never seen a motor-car and was most interested in the T Model Ford I was using. ......"  
Land Grant - 1903 - 'R.C. Muirhead - Homestead and cultivation, about 160 acres - Near Nairobi - Feb. 11th - Leasehold.' Further Grant 1903 - R. Muirhead - (In addition), 1 miles in railway zone - Near Nairobi - June 16 - Leasehold, 99 years
Trans Nzoia Scrapbook - Photos of Karamoja Farmhouse on the old Karamoja Track in 1913 and 1923, built by G. Manley and "Daddy" Muirhead
Land - 1907 - R.C. Muirhead - Building, 3.67 acres, Parklands, 26-4-06, Registered 15-8-07
Land - 1911 - R.C. Muirhead - Grazing and agricultural, 2600 acres (Farm No. 214) - Uasin Gishu - 2/5/11 - Occupation Licence for 2 to 99 years from 1/7/11 - Registered 7/10/11
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Uasin Gishu Plateau - R. Muirhead, Elgon
Nicholls - Robert Craig Muirhead who had gone to Nairobi in 1903. He was so very tall that when he died Wreford Smith had to get into his grave at Kitale and lengthen it to enable the coffin to reach the bottom.
Nicholls - Eldoret - Robert ('Daddy') Muirhead, who lived alone and far from the others, had a good library and would lend out his books, except perhaps to Mrs Ortlepp with whom he had a running feud because she said his dogs chased her water donkeys.
Red Book 1912 - R.C. Muirhead - Kericho
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Plateau North - Robert Craig Muirhead - Planter and Farmer, Farm 3, Trans Nzoia
Barnes - Kitale Cemetery - Robert Craig Muirhead - died 22 Jul 1933
Red 25 - A.C. Muirhead, Vice-President, Elgon Club.
North - Issued with Traders Game Licence at Mombasa between 1/4/1900 & 30/6/1900
Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Plateau North - Robert Craig Muirhead, Farmer, Farm 3, Trans Nzoia

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