SE - G.W.W. Evans - Nbi. - July 1907

KFA - In 1903 Mr G.W. Evans was urging the members of the Planters' and Farmers' Association to take up wheat growing; already, he wrote, it had been cropped successfully by Dr. Ruffelle Scott and by Messrs. Paterson, McLellan Wilson, Krieger and J.R. Wood (who was Delamere's manager). "I hope in the course of a month or two," he added "to erect in Nairobi steam flour mills (the machinery is in Nairobi at present)". .......... This was the first mention made of a flour mill, but no more was heard of it; what happened to the machinery already in Nairobi none can say. ...... Came to Kenya in 1898 as a minor employee of the railway. After its completion he took up farming in partnership with a Mr P.E. Watcham, who obtained a lease of land in 1899, and must therefore have been one of the earliest settlers. Later, he bought from the Crown the lease of what is now the residential suburb of Spring Valley, which he named. This he sold, and then worked for 6 months in the Agricultural Dept., from which he resigned in December, 1906. About 2 years later he rejoined the Dept. and, on his first overseas leave, went on his own iniative to Cambridge and persuaded Professor Rowland Biffen to teach him something of the science of plant genetics and the practice of plant breeding. Returning to EA with his wife, 3 children and nearly 300 varieties of wheat, he began experiments at the Govt. Farm at Kabete to breed rust-resistant strains. .........…

In 1913 the Agricultural Dept. promoted Mr Evans to become Inspector of Coffee Plantations. He resigned, and Delamere engaged him to carry on his research at Njoro. Then war came. Like many others, Mr Evans immediately abandoned the work for which he was best fitted, in order to wear a uniform. After a period in charge of mules, he was put to growing vegetables at Kajiado, presumably a discouraging pursuit, and then allowed to return for a while to his first profession, that of optician. In 1916 he became Curator of Military Graves and, later on, Deputy Director of the Imperial War Graves Commission responsible for the Commission's work in EA, with the rank of Lieut.-Col. Unfortunately he never returned to plant breeding and he died in 1921, at the age of 46, in Nairobi. "Untrained, but brilliant" was the verdict passed on him by a colleague, and it was indeed a tragedy that a man of such talent should have been permitted to devote his energies to keeping tidy the graves of the dead, rather than to increasing the food supplies of the living.

White Man - Delamere - 1906? - with rust attacking wheat he engaged a young man Mr G.W.Evans who had been a pupil of the famous plant-breeder Professor Rowland Biffen of Cambridge to do hybridising at a rough laboratory erected at Njoro.

Land Grant 1903 - Geo. W. Evans - Building plot and agricultural, about 10 acres - Nairobi - Mar. 12 - Leasehold 25 years. Further Grant 1903 - G.W. Evans - Building and erecting a flour-mill, 4 acres - Nairobi - Dec 29 - 10 years lease

North - In charge of Govt. farm, Kabete; Hon Sec Nairobi Sports Club at Dec 1901; Land Grant application, Nairobi & separate application to build flourmill, 12-3-1903

Playne - Kabete Experimental Farm - In the beginning of 1908 work was commenced on the Kabete Farm, and Mr G.W. Evans was appointed by the Director of Agriculture to undertake the duties of superintending its development. ..…

Drumkey 1909 - Agricultural Dept. - Nairobi Experimental Farm - Station Assistant - G.W. Evans, Nairobi

Advertiser - 21/5/1909 - Birth - Mr & Mrs G. Evans of Kabete Govt. Farm - daughter

Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Nairobi District - G.W. Evans, Cearns Buildings

Member of Lodge Harmony - Initiated 2/12/07, age 32, Assistant, Agricultural Dept., Nairobi

The Globe Trotter 6/3/07 - Programme of Variety Entertainment - Sunday 7th July 1900 - Song - Mr G.W. Evans

Medals - East Africa Veterinary Corps - G.W.W. Evans, EA Motor Transport Corps

EAHB 1904 - Nairobi Residents - Evans, G.W. - Loco Dept. Uganda Railway

Nairobi South cemetery - Lt. Colonel George W W Evans, buried 10 Sep 1921 and Margaret Amelia Evans / his wife, a pioneer / arrived in Kenya 1902 / died 27th Aug 1951 / aged 70

Leader14 - Beekeepers Association (Nairobi) - Secretary

Red Book 1912 - G.W.W. Evans - Kyambu

Gazette 28/12/1921 - Probate and Administration in respect of the estate of George Windham Wright Evans late of Nairobi who died at Nairobi on 10/9/1921. Applied for by Margaret Amelia Evans (born Cole) of Nairobi

HBEA 1912 - has G.W. Evans, Agricultural Instructor for Natives, Agric. Dept. Gravestone says - 'Pioneer scientist, soldier. Arrived Kenya 1898'