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Name: GETHIN, Percy St. Lawrence 'Budge' MBE (Lieut.-Col.)
Nee: son of Percy Addison Hayward Gethin and Alberta Disney Gethin
Birth Date: 2 Oct 1889 Vryberg, S. Africa
Death Date: 1959 Namanga
First Date: 1912
Last Date: 1959
Profession: Big-game hunter and safari organiser; he started the Namanga Hotel and Namanga River Camp from where he conducted safaris to the Serengeti Plains
Area: Namanga River Hotel, Box 39, Nairobi, Red 31 has Box 38
Married: In S. Africa 24 May 1913 Margery Cleverly b. 1888, d. 26 Dec 1968 St Andrew, Jamaica (she arrived in EA in 1913)
Children: Patrick St. Lawrence Cleverly (22 Nov 1914 Nairobi-5 Oct 2004 Wantage), Sheelagh Grace (Lindsay) (8 July 1923)
Book Reference: Gillett, EAWL, Rhodora, KAD, Red 25, Hut, Legion, Burke, Leader14, Amboseli, Red 25, Red 31
War Service: In WW1 served in KAR (machine gun corps) from Kenya to Mocambique. WW2 EASC to Somalia & Ethiopia
School: St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, Natal, SA
General Information:
"Started" Amboseli and asked parks to take over to protect against poaching. Originally worked as a farm manager in Karen, then after WW1 started Motor Tours all over Africa. Instrumental in publicising Amboseli and getting it taken over as a National Park. Source: Pat Gethin
Red 25 - Motor Car Hirer Amboseli - Budge Gethin, who owned and ran the Namanga River Hotel, had also been bringing in visitors on photographic safaris since the early 1930s, and knew the area better than any other European. Budge, whose father was a native of Co. Sligo, Eire, had lived in Kenya since he was a young man. He came to Kenya to work for the Standard Bank, but after a year went to work for Karen von Blixen on her coffee estate at Kiambu. When war was declared in 1914, he served with the 'Volunteer Maxim-gun Company' during the East African Campaign. It was while he was stationed near Namanga during the battle of Longido that he first set eyes upon what was to become his future home. When he came out of the army in 1924 he was one of the first to set up a business taking visitors on photographic safaris. …….. [more]
Gazette 5/4/1938 - Honorary Game Warden
KAD 1922 - Lieut. 3rd KAR, Nairobi. Red 25 3rd KAR, Nbi
Gazette - Voters List 1936 - Nairobi South - Percy St Lawrence Gethin, Settler, Box 39, Nbi and Mrs Alberta Gethin, Ngong Road
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