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Name: WOTTON, Richard Wilfred

Birth Date: 1888 Bitton, Glos.

Death Date: 28 Feb 1954 Bridport

First Date: 1915

Profession: Education Officer European (Primary) Educ. in 1939, appointed 1931. Originally an Asst. Master 1914. On leave pending retirement in 1939.

Area: Nairobi

Married: In Yeovil 1919 Gladys Annie Turl Sharman b. 8 Dec 1890 Castle Cary, d. 19 Jan 1975 Ipswich

Children: Arthur Joseph (24 Sep 1920 Eldoret-1986); Vivian James (1923- Bomber Command killed in action 17 Dec 1942, buried Dinard, France)

Book Reference: Staff 39, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Pat Goldsmith, EA & Rhodesia, Red 22, Harmony, Nicholls, Dominion, Breckenridge, Childhood, Red 19

General Information:

Gazette, 6 Dec 1938 Nbi Voters List
Pat Goldsmith writes - grim Headmaster, called Dicky Wootton. If he saw a boy talking to a girl he would make them switch clothes and parade round the courtyard. Luckily he lost his job because he caned a girl called Betty Brown. There was a rumpus and he left.
East Africa & Rhodesia - 25/3/54 - Mr Richard Wilfred Wotton, who died suddenly at his home in Bridport at the age of 65, has been buried at Corfe near Taunton, to which he retired in 1914 [sic] after spending 27 years in the Education Department in Kenya. For some years before retirement he was headmaster of the European Primary School in Nairobi. When war broke out he joined the teaching staff of Huish's Grammar School, Taunton, and in the village in which he had settled he took an active part in community life. He became chairman of the parish council, vicar's warden of the parish church, secretary of the local branch of the Conservative Association, chairman of the management committee of the village hall, and a manager of the local Church of England school. He is survived by Mrs Wotton and a son who served in the Army in the East. Another son was killed while serving in the RAF.
Member of Lodge Harmony - Initiated 2/6/24, Schoolmaster, Nairobi, died 28/2/54
Dominion - Education Department - Senior Assistant Master - 1930
Breckenridge - Government School, Nairobi - " … The head of the junior school was Mr Wooton [sic], known as Dickey. My teacher was not satisfied with my hand writing and when Dickey came round on his inspection she pointed me out, and I had to show him my writing book. He immediately said this was bad and I had to put out my hand and have the cane. Wooton was the most abominable sadistic bully. After this incident I had to take my book round to his class after each writing lesson for inspection. It was always the same answer, 'not good enough' and I had to put out my hand in front of his class and be whacked. My fingers were swollen and of course I could not write. This treatment went on for at least one term by which time I was a mental wreck. I couldn't work and develped twitches in my face.
Childhood - Jean Tomes (née Mackinlay) - 1931 - Mr Dicky Wootten became Headmaster. He was keen on giving the cane and the boys would say "Dicky gives the Sticky". The parents of one boy took him out of the school because he was being caned so often - he obviously had pupils that he picked on and we regarded him as a 'Brute'.
Gazette 3/2/1915 - Arrived on 1st Appointment - Asst. Master Nairobi 'A' School - 2/1/1915
Red Book 1919 - Education Dept. - Nairobi - Master
KAD 1922 - Asst. Master, Nairobi.
Red 25 - Secretary, Kenya Boy Scouts Association
Gazette - 9/2/1921 - Appointment - Richard Wilfred Wotton to be Acting Headmaster Central School, Eldoret wef 1/5/1920

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