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Name: GARLAND, Benjamin Cooke 'Tumbo'

Birth Date: 1877 Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Death Date: 28.12.1944 Nakuru

First Date: 1908

Last Date: 1944

Profession: An early settler in the Nakuru district, he played a very important part in the development of Nakuru. Stephen Ellis's ledger shows Garland & Cundey - Sep. 1910

Area: 'Majani Mingi', Nakuru, 1930 Crater Stream, Nakuru, 1908 Crater Stream Nakuru

Married: Sarah Elizabeth Lismore b. 1870, d. 2.1.1940, a dress maker from Klerksdorp

Children: Nellie (Greig) (1904); Grace Benjamina (Simpson) (3 June 1906 S. Africa); Thomas Benjamin 'Mickey' (23.1.1914 Naivasha)

Book Reference: Gillett, SE, HBEA, KFA, Joelson, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Bob Simpson, Leader14, Seth-Smith, Rift Valley, Barnes, Hut, Land, Gazette

General Information:

Partner with Cundey
KFA - A Director of the BEA Farmers' Association formed in 1919. ......... partner of G.L. Cundy. ........ Towards the end of WW1, the Pig Breeders' Association decided to run their own factory on a co-operative basis and bought an existing plant at Londiani from Messrs Ben Garland and A.J. Simpson.
Red 22 - B. Garland, Nakuru
Bob Simpson - Ben 'Tumbo' Garland - a very colourful character. Ben was born in Derbyshire 1875. He was the son of a butcher in Yorkshire born a 12 lb baby, fell out of his cot and damaged his leg and suffered a small limp all his life. His father treated him so badly that at 18 he packed up and emigrated to SA. Then he got involved in the Boer War, siege of Ladysmith and the battle of Colenso. Joined the 1st Johannesburg Rifles and was promoted to a Sergeant. After the war a delegation of British envoys visited South Africa and were now looking for settlers to pioneer develop East Africa - Kenya. The country was opening as the railway from  Mombsa  to  Kisumu and vast areas of open land were available for development. Ben operated a horse & trap business. He packed this all up together with his mules, young wife and family and sailed for Mombasa. This was around 1908. ……... Ben bought land in the Kampi Ya Moto district - thorn country, his idea being to grow Ostrich as at that time their feathers were the fashion of the rich. Ben's mules all perished from Tetse Fly and a slump followed for Ostrich. Ben somehow survived, moved into Nakuru and went back to his horse & trap business. After the war, he became involved with a Colonel Grogan another well known Settler and he purchased a large farm 'Corn  lands' some 5,000 acres, here he started farming cattle and maize.  His young family 2 daughters Nellie & Grace were growing up and at the age of 12 were shipped off to U.K. for senior schooling. He also had a younger son "Mickey" born much later. Mickey also went to England came back and went into the R.A.F. flying hurricanes and lost his life over Malta. Ben also acquired another farm along side the Kamasia' Tugen border reserves that was named "Majani  Mingi " because of a big piece of swamp land on the one corner, here he established a sisal plantation plus a decorticator to mill the sisal leaves. Ben actually was farming in a poor rainfall area and his crops were never fat and bold, it was in 1937 that he bought another farm in the higher altitudes in the upper Solai district some 6,500 ft altitude. He slowly developed these farms and during the war years made use of Italian prisoners who were released to work on farms.
Ben died of a heart attack on December 29th 1944. His estate was passed on to Grace Simpson the only living survivor of his family. His full name was Benjiman Cooke Garland. Nellie married a Jack Greig and sadly died at an early age from Leukemia aged 38. His wife Serah had also recently passed away December 1940.
Diary of Martin Seth-Smith 1912 - " ..Stock sale in Nakuru ……… Nakuru hotel bar a wild orgy after the sale - one 'Garland' the leader of the riot said not to be drunk only excited. Would have been called very drunk in England …."
Rift Valley - Member of the Rift Valley Sports Club - Jan 1929 - Elected - 7 Oct 1911 - B.G. Garland ??
Gazette - 3/12/1919 - Register of Voters - Rift Valley Area - B. Garland - Farmer - Nakuru and Sarah Elizabeth Garland - Married - Nakuru
Barnes - Nakuru North Cemetery - Ben, beloved husband of Sarah Garland, died 28/12/1944 aged 68 - loved by all. Also Sarah, wife of Ben.
HBEA 1912 shows A. Garland at Nakuru
Gazette - 18/6/1924 - Dissolution of Partnership - between Ben Garland and Harold Walter Keen at Nakuru under the name and style of the Premier Butchery. Business will in future be carried on by Harold Walter Keen.
Land - B.C. Garland and G.L. Cundey leased 5064 acres at Molo River which passed to Standard Bank of S.A.
Land 1909 - B. Garland and G.L. Cudney [sic] - Grazing and agricultural, 5064.4 acres - Ravine - 2/8/04 - Leasehold for 99 years from 1/1/10 - Registered 13/6/10
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Ravine - B. Garland, Londiani
 

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