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Name: YONGE, Norman Cave

Nee: bro-in-law of William George Dawson

Birth Date: 29 June 1896 Natal, S. Africa

Death Date: 23 Aug 1972 Nairobi

First Date: 1919

Last Date: 1972

Profession: BEADOC at Kericho. Lost a leg on St. George's Day 1917 while flying as an observer gunner with the RFC. Coffee Farmer. Later Secretary of Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

Area: Kericho, Maji Mazuri, Sotik, Lower Kabete, Nairobi, 1930 Sotik partner with Dawson Kapkemoro Sotik

Married: In Nakuru 1924 Cecily Mary Dawson b. 1896, d. 1991 Nairobi (sister of William George Dawson)

Children: Norman Cave William (18.8.1925); Christopher John (1931)

Book Reference: EAWL, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Richardson, Gazette

War Service: WW1 with South Wales Borderers, RFC. Lost leg in combat 1917

School: Grammar School, Porthcawl. Engineering Works, Bridgend.

General Information:

After the collapse of the BEADOC venture at Nakuru (believed to have been caused by the British Government buying flax at cut rates from Russia in the early 20's instead of supporting their own people) he was employed for several years by the well-known pioneer, Col. E.S. Grogan, as manager of his Maji Mazuri saw mills where he put in a creosoting plant for telegraph poles. Shortly afterwards, he entered into a partnership with his brother-in-law, W.G. Dawson, growing coffee at Kimoro Estate, Sotik.
In 1928, the estate won cups for the best coffee in Kenya. ... During the depression in the early 30's when prices slumped everywhere, my father went prospecting for gold around Lolgorien, south of Sotik and in Uganda for another old pioneer in Kampala, Michael Moses. He also found traces of gold on Kimoro and several trenches and a shaft were dug (known as Bolts' hole after a Govt. geologist) and his name is mentioned in some of the Govt. geological reports in Nairobi. Tailings of gold were collected after panning and put into an aspirin bottle. Shortly afterwards, one of the servants washed it out, thinking the bottle was merely dirty, and so ended his venture into gold mining!
In 1936, he left Kimoro and managed for 10 years another coffee estate, Kitisuru Estate, Lower Kabete, which later became a housing estate. During the 1939-45 war he took on management of a further four neighbouring coffee farms whose owners had been called up. This put a great strain on his health & he had to give up in 1946 when he left for Britain. However, not liking immediately post-war Britain, and having made a remarkable recovery, he returned to EA in 1948 and became Secretary of the Royal Nairobi Golf Club until finally retiring about 10 years later. Source:- Norman Yonge Richardson 1929 - passenger on Llandaff Castle to Mombasa
Gazette - 20/7/1921 - Register of Voters - Lake Area - Norman Cane [sic] Yonge - Farmer - Dambilli Farm - Kericho
Hut has N.G. Yonge 1937 Kitisuru Estate
Gazette 15 Sep 1972 probate

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