SE - W.R. Foran - Inspector of Police, Nbi. - July 1907

Nanyuki cemetery - 'Soldier, Police Officer, Explorer, Hunter and Author. Founder of the Adventurers Club, Chicago, U.S.A.'

Ainsworth - Ainsworth's side of the story re. his removal from Nairobi and blocking the road whilst loading his kit onto the train.

Police - "On May 13th [1904] I was invited by Capt. McCaskill to join the Force under his command and to call at his office next morning to see him. It was explained that I had no previous experience of Police work, knew next to nothing about law, had only a smattering of Urdu acquired in India, and a little Kiswahili learned during a 3 month shooting safari. I was a Commissioned Officer of the Regular Army, had seen a good deal of active service, and was now on leave from my regiment in SA. I much liked the country and was strongly tempted to accept Capt. McCaskill's invitation, the more so as he stressed the fact that the Force was a semi-military one, often on active service with the KAR, and innumerable safaris would afford opportunities for big-game hunting. Police work, law and the language must be learned the hard way. There existed no course of training. Capt. McCaskill offered me an appointment as Inspector until the Foreign Office sanctioned promotion to Asst. District Superintendent - possibly in about 3 months' time. The offer was promptly accepted. He undertook to arrange for my secondment from the Army for a period of 5 years. On May 16th I was informed that my appointment had been approved, and I had been posted to take charge of the Police Station at Nairobi." ...…

On October 15th 1904 Foran was promoted to Asst. District Superintendent and posted to Kisumu to relieve J.P. Moore. .............

Police - In 1905 two Battalions (3rd and 2nd) of the KAR under the command of Major J.D. Mackay and Lieut.-Col. H.A. Walker, were despatched against the Nandi. For a time I [Major Foran] commanded a Police column which was attached to the Expedition, but in October I was transferred to Mombasa, and Rayne took over the command of the Police column. Rayne was mentioned in despatches for his excellent service with the Sotik and Nandi Punitive Forces, receiving the EA General Service Medal with two bars (Sotik, 1905, and Nandi 1905/6) ........…..

In 1907 a small body of the Kisumu Police, under my [Major Foran] command, was despatched to deal with the truculent Kitosh and shortly afterwards with the Kabaras tribe. No military were engaged in these minor operations, which achieved all that was desired. ........... (story of Kisii rebellion and spearing of the DC G.A.S. Northcote pp. 27/28)

Kill - 'When I first arrived in Nairobi, very early in 1904, there were 7 graves of Europeans in the little cemetery, all of whom had died as the result of encounters with lions; and only one of a man killed by any other beast, a rhinoceros. ....... Lions were very plentiful in Nairobi, especially in the papyrus swamp extending from where now is the Norfolk Hotel to the hill above Ainsworth Bridge, and even as far as the present suburb of Parklands. ......... I killed my first lion - or rather, lioness - in the then main street of Nairobi. This was early in 1904, and just outside the town's wood-and-iron Post Office. Noble, the postmaster was very annoyed with me for waking him up.  

Who's Who - Waziri Campaign, NW Frontier India 1902-03; Somaliland 1903; Kisii Rebellion 1904, Sotik 1905, Nandi 1905-06, Kisii 1908, WW1 1914-18 France, Mesopotamia & Persia; Afghan War in India 1909, WW2 on staff at War Office & Private Surrey Home Guard.

EAHB 1905 - Asst. Dist. Supdt. of Police, Nairobi

EAHB 1906 - Medical Student; Served in Somerset Light Infantry, Imperial Yeomanry, and on Transport Staff during South African War 1899-1902; resigned June 1903; Transvaal Civil Service 1903-04; Inspector of Police, EAP 16th May 1904; Asst. District Superintendent of Police, EAP, 15th October 1904. South African Medals, Queen's and King's, 5 bars.

Who's Who 1956 - Major, Regular Army, Royal Berks. Regt. (Ret); Boer War 1899-1902; Waziri Campaign, NW Frontier, India 1902-03; Somaliland 1903; Kisii Rebellion 1904; Sotik 1905; Nandi 1905-06; Zulu Rebellion 1906; Kisii 1908; World War 1 1914-18 France, Mesopot. and Persia; Afghan War in India 1909; WW2 1939-45, on staff at War Office and Private, Surrey Home Guard.

North - arr. Mombasa from Delagoa Bay 19-3-1904; Land Grant application Nairobi Hill 30-3-1904

Nanyuki cemetery - Plot J16 - Reserved by Major Foran

Chandler - In 1909 he left the police and Nairobi (he didn't return to Kenya's capital until 1929) to go elephant hunting in the Lado Enclave, at which he was extremely successful. His best elephant had tusks of 159 and 155 pounds, and he took another that carried 148 and 146. He also covered the Roosevelt safari as a correspondent for the Associated press. Moving to America in the 1910s he founded Chicago's Adventurer's Club.

A Sandhurst graduate, Foran fought in WW1 and was badly wounded in the face, leaving him permanently disfigured. After the war he owned a farm in Mashonaland for several years in the 1920s, then served a spell as editor of the 'Straits Times' newspaper in Singapore. He then returned to England, where he lived from 1933-47.

In WW2 he served in the War Office and with the Home Guard.

He spent his last years back in Nairobi, one of the last great figures from Kenya's colonial days. In his old age he befriended the noted hunter Tony Sanchez-Arino.

Gazette 20 Feb 1962 wife's probate

He lived in retirement in Nanyuki. 

1939 England and Wales Register living with wife Audrey in Leatherhead as 'author and journalist'