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Name: NOTLEY, Frank Brian
Nee: son of Noel Motley
Birth Date: 24 July 1905 Aston, Birmingham
Death Date: 10 May 1969 Hove, E. Sussex
First Date: 1930
Last Date: 1962
Profession: Entomologist, Kenya 1932-36, Tanganyika, Senior Entomologist 1936-50; Coffee Farmer, Ngorongoro 1950-61
Area: Kabete, Moshi, Oldeani
Married: In Mombasa 24 Jan 1932 Violet Emily Williams b. 26 July 1904 Bunbury, Cheshire, d. 8 May 1990 Hove, research scientist, Kabete Labs 1940-49
Children: Ann Margaret (Burton) (21 Jan 1933 Nairobi); Pauline Elizabeth (Tait) (26 Sep 1935 Nairobi-17 Aug 2012 Glastonbury)
Book Reference: EAWL, Colonial
War Service: Joined up with RAMC (Major, Madagascar, Somalia, Ethiopia). Wife at Kabete Labs under Mr Beckley
School: King Edward School Birmingham, Birmingham University, Roy. Coll. Science London & ICTA; MSc, AICTA, FRES
General Information:
During the War he went to Madagascar to deal with mosquitoes there and finally to Mogadishu to cope with locusts there. Mrs Notley did work at Kabete Labs into drying foods to send to our troops. Their children tried most, and revolting they were too! He did most of his work on coffee but he had a new variety of mosquito named after him 'Anopholes Notlei'. Source: Mrs A. Burton & Mrs P. Tait
Gazette 16 Nov 1936 Voters List 1936 - Nairobi South - Frank Brian Notley, Civil Servant, Box 338, Nbi and Violet Emily Notley, Sclaters Rd, Box 338, Nbi
Ann Burton: Father came out to East Africa as an entomologist. He did most of his work on coffee but during the war concentrated on eliminating mosquitoes and locusts. He was in Madagascar for part of the war on mosquito control and had a new variety named after him an author - Anopheles Notlei - by the scientific world in England. He then was seconded to locust control particularly in Somalia and Ethiopia during the North African campaign. He then continued with locust control in Tabora, Tanganyika, for a while after the war. He then went back to Moshi Laboratories. He had a chance to buy a coffee farm in Oldeani and he farmed there until he returned to England in 1962.
Mother was one of those brave ladies who, never having put a foot outside of England (except to be an au pair in France) still caught a boat out to Africa to marry Father. They were married off the boat and Mother's bouquet was the flowers from a butcher's shop window. Shee had no idea of life in Africa but would have followed Father anywhere. During the war there she went back to her biochemistry degree and did research with Mr Beckley at Kabete laboratory in Nairobi. The research consisted of ways to dry vegetables to send out to troops - potatoes were the most successful. They also experimented with making gin not, I think, for the troops. After the war she helped Father run the coffee farm by looking after the labour force.
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