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Name: FELTON, Jean Shirley, Mrs
Nee: dau of John Russell McQueen
Birth Date: 3 Aug 1930 Kabete
Death Date: 8 June 2009 Cornwall
First Date: 1930
Last Date: 1962
Profession: Secretarial
Area: Kabete
Married: In Nairobi 4 Oct 1947 James Thomas Royle Felton b. 8 June 1926 Gendia, Kenya, d. 21 May 1989 Tavistock (son of Henry James Felton)
Children: two sons; three dau.
Book Reference: EAWL
School: Parklands School, Nairobi; Kenya High School for Girls
General Information:
Letter from Jean Felton 20 Apr 1995 I was born at Kabete on 3 August 1930 and lived with my parents and brother in a small community of people who all worked at the veterinary laboratories. My childhood was very ordinary and quite lonely at times since there were not many children of my own age living there. My brother and I had to make our own amusements most of the time but looked forward tovisits to my grandparents' farm at Ngong. I started school at the age of six and had to be driven either by my father or one of the other parents as the schools were in Nairobi, a distance of about 16 miles. I left school at the age of 15 and took a short secretarial of course in Nairobi. I then started work as a civilian clerk attached to the Army Ordinance Depot which was based at Kabete. I worked there until I met my late husband who was serving with the King's African Rifles but seconded to this depot after his return from the victory parade in the UK. We were married at the cathedral of the Highlands in Nairobi in October 1947 and when my husband was discharged from the services later that year we moved to Mombasa where he took a position with the East African Customs and Excise Department. Five children were born in Mombasa and the two eldest girls began their schooling at the government school on the island. In 1962 we were told that Kenya was to get full independence in 1963. My husband, like many others, was offered early retirement since there was no guarantee that this job would remain permanent once independence was granted. We thought long and hard about leaving Kenya but realised that we had to consider our children's education and also future job opportunities. Very reluctantly we decided to leave and come to England to take up residence and this we did on 12th August 1962.