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Name: FORRESTER, William John 'Jack'
Nee: son of Henry George Forrester, bro of Calvert Alle, Alton Clyde, Percy Cromwell, Harry Clement and Richard 'Ray' Forrester
Birth Date: 30 May 1896 Peddie, Eastern Cape, S. Africa
Death Date: 6 Feb 1975 Kalamunda, Perth, W. Australia
First Date: 1922
Profession: Took over the duka at Rumuruti from the Grimbecks
Area: 1921 European Store, Transport Rumuruti
Married: 1932 Earna May Ogilvy b. 1 Mar 1909 Fossaway, Kinross-shire, d. 29 Nov 1999 Perth, W. Australia (twin sister of Hilda, wife of Frederick Bamber)
Children: David Alton (1933); Hilda Thelma (1934)
Book Reference: Mrs Mary Hoey, Hoey, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Baptism, Red 22, Medals, David Forrester
General Information:
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Aberdare Voters List
When Jack married Erna this caused a big family upset as the Ogilvies were a very good family and they considered she had married well beneath her. However they seemed to get along alright and had two children, a boy and a girl. When they eventually sold the shop they moved to Australia and lived in Perth where Jack died sometime later.
Pioneers - Rumuruti - … in 1922 Jack and Ray Forrester started the European store with a combined Post Office and transport service from Gilgil. There were two ox-wagons, each with its team of 16 oxen and in fine weather Ray Forrester made the round trip in about a week. The mail was brought by runner from Nakuru and took three days. The area was thick bush, and game of all sorts abounded - a leopard took Jack Forrester's terrier off the verandah of his banda.
Medals - East Africa Veterinary Corps - No. 5057, Lance Corporal
David Forrester - 24/1/2002 - In 1920 they [the Grimbecks] had built a store on their land. This was a failure, so that let in my father and Ray to start their business in 1922. For a couple of years Forrester Bros. also ran the Post Office, but they relinquished that part of the business back to the Grimbecks. The mail came once a week from Gilgil, by a runner who had to brave the threat of any wild animals he disturbed on the way." The last years before the 1939-45 war were more relaxing for my parents with the depression slowly receding. Socially the community could now enjoy wider horizons with better roads and improved designs for cars. There were Sunday picnics with the Grimbecks or the Bambers.
Occasionally we walked down to the Grimbecks for one of Mrs G's delightful teas. Then, while the adults talked, Thelma and I cautiously threaded our way past the hissing geese and the turkeys strutting in the yard, to a derelict Model T Ford. There we could pretend to drive to somewhere exciting, or as far as I was concerned at a speed to match Dick Jennings roadsters.
Hut has W.J.J. Forrester 'Jack'
Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Kenya Province - William John Forrester, Storekeeper PO Rumuruti