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Name: BELFIELD, Henry Conway KCMG, Sir

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Birth Date: 29 Nov 1855 Primley Hill, Paignton, Devon

Death Date: 8 Jan 1923 Kensington, London

First Date: 1912

Last Date: 1917

Profession: Governor of EAP from 1912-17, he had previously served exclusively in the Federated Malay States in Selangor and Negri Sembilam from the year 1896. He was a man of wide culture and strong intellect.

Area: Nairobi, Mombasa

Married: In Westminster 18 Mar 1884 Florence Rathbone b. 14 Nov 1861 Paignton, d. 27 May 1940 Jersey

Children: Violet Enid Jane (Ward) (1894 Taiping, Malaysia); Beatrice Monica Evelyn Vere (23 May 1896 Taiping); 1 son

Book Reference: Gillett, Nellie, Permanent Way, Oscar, Army Diary, Meikle, Cranworth, Debrett, Kelly, Cara, White Man, Hut

School: Rugby, Oriel College Oxford BA Oxon

General Information:

He was Governor of EAP during one of the most difficult periods, but with great wisdom and courage he overcame difficulties caused by the military situation and by the changing political climate. Nellie - 'The Governor, Sir Henry Belfield, was an impressive sight at parades in a straw boater and eye-glass, attended by his bulky ADC, Keith Caldwell, in shorts and a cloth cap.'
Oscar - [Note] - A career administrator, he earned the wrath of the settlers who referred to him as 'a telephone girl'.
Army Diary - 1915 - 'The following will illustrate the character of our Governor Sir Conway Belfield. Since the outbreak of war many warships have entered Mombasa harbour, and during the first 6 months of the war, the Governor was usually in residence at Mombasa. There he was able to indulge in his sea-fishing and at the same time avoid all the worries and responsibilities of a war he refused to recognise. Whenever one of H.M. ships arrived, all the officers at once called on him, but he never had the courtesy to return a single one or acknowledge what was, during the war, an arduous act of politeness. But only the other day a warship arrived, commanded by one Viscount Kelburn. The Governor's snobbery could not even wait until Kelburn had called on him, but an ADC was sent off in hot haste as soon as the ship was anchored, inviting Kelburn to breakfast and to journey with him to Nairobi. I saw Kelburn afterwards and he told me nobody was more astonished than himself, for he had never heard of Belfield before. Having got Kelburn to Nairobi the Governor engages him a special train and sends him off on a shooting trip on the Kapiti plains. The climax is now reached when GHQ get a bill from the Uganda Railway for the special train with a personal request from the Governor that it shall be a military charge, as the game shot by Kelburn was used as meat for the troops. I understand that a few carcases of hartebeest and gazelle were thrown out to one or two posts guarding the line. I'm glad to say that Tighe has refused to pay. When snobbery and jobbery are wedded they make an ugly mixture which one does not expect to find steeping the character of the Governor of a British Colony. Even Portuguese Colonial Governors are not as bad as Belfield. .... 2nd Sept. 1915 - Governor Belfield surpassed himself today. Two days ago he was induced to express a desire to see the Nairobi Defence Force, a newly raised volunteer corps of some merit. He suggested that they might come up to Government House. Immensely flattered at this they held a big parade today with flags flying and bands playing they marched to Govt. House. As they passed up the long drive they were met by the Governor in his large car. Without slackening speed he scattered the volunteers in a cloud of dust. Nothing daunted the force drew up in front of Govt. House and waited for the Governor's return, but it then transpired that he had taken train for the coast. So all the Nairobi Defence Force got for their trouble was a good lungful of dust. Nairobi is furious and can talk of nothing else. Buit it is typical of the Governor's attitude towards all things military. ..'  
Cranworth - Sir Henry Belfield succeeded Sir Percy Girouard as Governor in 1912. The holding of this appointment constituted his last tour of duty in a long and distinguished career. He was a very different character and personality to his predecessor, and was described by Lord Delamere, who didn't like him, as a "typically loyal servant of the Crown". While it was easy to see what D. meant, such a description, and it was a true one, was very far from being without its meed of praise. With Sir Henry came Lady Belfield and their two good-looking daughters, who all three at once achieved the greatest popularity with all those with whom they came in contact. The elder daughter, Violet, later married Major H.F. Ward, and settled down as a hundred per cent settler, and lives in and still loves the country of her adoption. It cannot be denied that the pleasant relations between the Administration and the resident white population were somewhat strained during the next two years. Sir Henry was not a good mixer, though his family played up nobly on his behalf and to be a good mixer as Governor of Kenya is one of the first essentials of the post. Moreover, he had little experience of the peculiar problems with which he was now faced ....... (D.) there were considerable differences of opinion, to put it mildly, during this period. These culminated in the dismissal from Council of a Mr Bailey and of Delamere himself, an extreme step which might, I think, have been avoided .......... Lady Belfield, on the other hand, found it easy to be personal friends with everyone. She suffered from deafness, and at a dinner party had to make use of an ear-trumpet. This affliction in no way impaired her enjoyment of life or sense of humour, and she was always ready to receive chaff and invariably gave as good as she got. Nothing disturbed her, and I can remember her perfect equanimity when Berkeley Cole inserted a banana in the trumpet ..... (more)
Kelly 1903 - Barrister, Inner Temple 1880; commr. of lands and mines, Federated Malay States 1896; actg. British res. Selangor at various periods from March 1897 to Sept. 1901, Selangor Aug. 1902.
Cara - 1916 - Kericho ....... Have also got a big girl, Monica Belfield, the Governor's daughter, a very cheery girl, I do enjoy having her ..…..  
White Man - end of 1912 - Sir Henry Belfield arrives .....….. 1917 He retired

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