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Name: COOK, John
Death Date: Dec 1931 Scotland
First Date: 1907 after many years service in the Scottish Mission at Blantyre
Profession: Went to the Church of Scotland Mission at Kikuyu in Dec. 1907. Mr Cook, a master builder and carpenter took over all the artisan work of the Mission. Under his supervision the building of the Church was continued and 3 stained glass windows were installed
Area: Kikuyu, Ngong Rd. (built own house) - retired to Scotland
Married: Yes
Book Reference: Gillett, Scotland, Kenyatta, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Playne, Drumkey, Land, Gazette, Leader14
General Information:
Mrs Cook did valuable work with the women and girls. Retiring from Mission work some years later, he built his own house on the Ngong Road, Nairobi, and lived there with his family for several years before returning to Scotland. An Elder of St. Andrew's Church in Nairobi.
Kenyatta - Thogoto Mission - There was someone to whom the Thogoto young men could always turn. This was John Cook. Cook was an engineer who came out to EA in Dec. 1907 as one of Henry Scott's party to take charge of the new building programme. His most notable work was to construct the Mission's own fresh water supply, which was opened at the beginning of 1910. For a brief period he was the first apprentice instructor at Thogoto before leaving the Mission staff to take up the management of an engineering firm in Nairobi and he was still at the Mission when Kenyatta first arrived. Left handed, a spectacular shot, with a large bushy moustache and somewhat broody eyes, Cook was a popular figure among the mission boys. Cook's firm went bankrupt and he had to struggle to keep himself in business on his own account. Arthur described him as "too honest for this business world." In 1916 he was working as the manager of a sisal company at Thika ....... In 1916 Kenyatta joined Cook at Thika. ..... 1922 - John Cook appointed as Nairobi Water Superintendent, and Cook at once recruited Kenyatta to be his stores clerk and meter reader. 18 months later John Cook resigned and returned to England where he met Kenyatta again.
KAD 1922 - Superintendent of Water Works, Nairobi Municipal Council
Drumkey 1909 - Church of Scotland Mission - Mr John Cook, Industrial Agent and Mrs Cook
Land - 1912 - John Cook - Buildings, 6.84 acres and 5.15 acres - Nairobi Hill - 14/3/04 - Freehold - Original grantee R. Meinertzhagen [sic] for 10 acres - re-acquired for road purposes - and new conveyances granted in exchange for land relinquished to Crown - Registered 22/5/12
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Fort Hall - John Cook, Chania Bridge
https://www.presidentiallibrary.go.ke/life-after-school After leaving school Kenyatta approached John Cook, an engineer who came to East Africa in December 1907 as one of Henry Scott’s party to take charge of a new building programme. In 1916, he was working as the manager of a sisal company in Thika and it was then that Kenyatta joined him there. Cook liked him and entrusted him with the job of fetching the company wages from the bank in Nairobi, 25 miles away.