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Name: BENNETT, Henry Alexander
Birth Date: 9 Jan 1863 St Albans
Death Date: 30 June 1934 Ruaraka
First Date: 1904
Profession: Gunsmith; inventor of the fountain pen
Area: Nairobi
Married: In Chichester 26 Oct 1889 Elizabeth Frances Winslade b. 7 Aug 1870 Farlington, Hants., d. 7 Apr 1947 Nairobi
Children: Alexander William H. (4 Aug 1890 New Brompton); Friederick J. Archibald (1892-16 Mar 1907 Nairobi); Elizabeth Carmelia (20 May 1893 Penzance); Ralph Michael (1894 Penzance-1895 Penzance); Walter Samuel (12 July 1895 Penzance-1907 Nairobi); Melita Mabel (Marquordt) (3 Aug 1902 Johannesburg-8 Feb1986 Durban); Rosetta F. (Balson) (24 Sep 1904 Nairobi-8 Feb 1986 Durban); Dorothy E. (1905 Nairobi); Agnes Winifred (1906 Nairobi-13 Aug 1908 Nairobi); Edith Lillian (9 Aug 1908 Nairobi-1980 Rhuddlan, Wales)
Book Reference: Red 25, Gazette, : Gillett, SE, Klondyke, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Drumkey, Red 22, Land, Advertiser, Gazette, Barnes, EAHB 1907, Red Book 1912, Red 19
War Service: RN
General Information:
EAS 2 July 1934 His firm took over his patent for the fountain pen in 1890. Then he had a number of improvements, many of them to guns, adopted by the famous shipbuilding firm of Armstrong's. He obtained the basis of his ideas while serving in the Royal Navy as a torpedo artificer. He arrived in Mombasa after having spent 11 years in South Africa, on 1 April 1904. He journeyed up to Nairobi soon after his arrival, and opened a gunsmith shop in the old bazaar which he carried on until 1912. Then he interested himself in the coffee business until three or four years ago. During his last few years he took up poultry farming at his residence in Ruaraka. He was invalided from the Royal Navy without completing pensionable service. A Freemason, he was present at the opening of Lodge Scotia in Nairobi as First Tyler, his mother Lodge being the Golden Thistle Lodge of Johannesburg. He was also an Oddfellow. He died in Ruaraka after a short illness and leaves a wife, five children and 15 grandchildren. He was a native of Birmingham and would have been 70 on 9th January.
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Nairobi District - A. Bennett, Gun Repairer
Ancestry 5 Apr 1891 • Portsea Island, Hampshire, England.
1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census: Archive reference: RG12; Folio 84; Page 19; Piece Number 866. Head, Occupation: Armourer H M Navy Elizabeth Bennett, Wife, b. 1871 Waterlooville.
He had considerable service with Royal Navy. A keen Freemason and a Founder of Lodge Scotia in EA. Stephen Ellis's ledger shows him as Gunsmith, Nairobi.
SE - H.A. Bennett - Gunsmith, Nbi. - Jul 1907
Drumkey 1909 - Public Works Dept. - Motor Lorry Driver, Nairobi - H.A. Bennett
Land - 1906 - H.A. Bennett - Building, 3,750 sq.ft. No. 56 - Nairobi Township - 25 years lease from 1/3/1906 - Registered 21/5/1906
Land 1909 - H.A. Bennatt - Agricultural and residential, 7.41 acres - Katisura River - 13/12/05 - Freehold - Registered 2/8/09
Land 1909 - H.A. Bennett - Agricultural and residential, 10 acres - Near Nairobi - 6/10/09 - Leasehold under Occupation Licence for 3 to 99 years if conditions are complied with, from 6/5/10 - Registered 8/6/10
Advertiser -18/9/1908 - Letter from H.A. Bennett, Katisura River, Nairobi re stock theft
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Nairobi District - H.A. Bennett, Farmer
Nairobi Forest Road cemetery - Henry Alexander Bennett, British, age 69, died 29/6/34 - died at Ruaraka
Red Book 1912 - H.A. Bennett - Kyambu
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kikuyu - Henry Alexander Bennett, Coffee Manufacturer, PO Box 188, Nairobi
Red Book 1919 - H A Bennett - Settler - Nairobi
Klondyke - old Bennett, the gunsmith in Nairobi
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