Skip to content ↓

View entry

Back to search results

Name: SNEYD, Robert Thomas Stuart 'Robin'

image of individual

Nee: brother of George Stuart Sneyd

Birth Date: 25 June 1886 Liskeard

Death Date: 22 Dec 1954 Bath

First Date: 1919

Profession: Farmer, civil engineer

Area: Kericho

Married: In Menheniot, Cornwall 1 Feb 1923 Marjorie Lilian Trelawney Rooke b. 25 Feb 1900 Wolverton, Bucks., d. 2 Nov 1991 Hinton, Bath

Children: Richard Humphrey (19 Sep 1930-2016); Henry Nigel (2 Feb 1925-2007)

Book Reference: KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Mountains, Web

General Information:

Gazette 19 Apr 1955 - date of death
Red 22 - R.T. Sneyd, Kericho Mountains - '…. Ron Buchanan, who became a close friend {of H.W. Tilman}, was another soldier settler; he had worked in Nairobi before the War, and having served in the KAR he knew something of the native languages. His cousin Robin Sneyd and a man names McWalter made up the small group of ex-service settlers in the immediate neighbourhood, within a couple of miles of one another. .{near Kericho}
Hut - Soldier Settler but not BEADOC - partner with brother George and 3 others; came from India - Fridcoat Sappers
Hut - letter from JGS Norman - " Henry Nigel Sneyd who left Kenya as a child ………. Henry's father was Robin C.S. Sneyd. He was employed in the Indian PWD, and at the start of WW1 joined the Fidcoat Sappers and Miners, who were recruited in the state of Fidcoat in India, and served in E. Africa helping to chase Lettow-Vorbeck around tanganyika. RCS ended the war as Captain, MC. RCS developed Kaptien from scratch, Henry thinks this was under BEADOC auspices ……….. RCS was commercially more successful than my parents and eventually retired to Downderry in Cornwall, never being able to move into Colrenick near Liskeard which his wife Marjorie Trelawney stood to inherit after her brother was killed in France. He died in about 1948 having cut his hand on a plough and contracted Weil's disease or tetanus.
Web - Incoming passenger lists - 11 April 1931 - Robert Thomas Stuart Sneyd, age 44, arrived from Beira
Hut - from Richard Sneyd - In May 1920 Robin Sneyd started his long leave. He sailed from India to Kenya where he visited his brother George at Blackscythe and went up to Chapswarata. He sailed in June in the SS Neuralia from Mombasa to England. In July 1920 Robin Sneyd arrived in England and met his sister Gwen's great Marjorie Trelawney of Coldrenick in East Cornwall. Gwen was a frequent visitor to the Sneyd family at Bray in the parish of Coldrenick. Robin Sneyd was in England on an 8 month leave from the Indian PWD, partly to recover his health. Robin was not planning to return to India but to settle with his brother George in British East Africa. Robin visited Hereford to orderflax scotching machinery as it had been decided that 100 acres of flax should be grown at Chapswarata, and that enough flax would be grown by the neighbours to justify a co-operative flax factory. Robin employed on 1 Jan 1922 a flax scutching expert, Eric Weatherhead as the flax factory manager. The new house was nearly finished, except for the doors and windows. McWatters, Tilman and Robin hoped to sleep there on Christmas Eve. Bessie Sneyd, George Sneyd, Elaine Ram, Gwen Evans and Marjorie Trelawney took 2 days to travel from Blackscythe to Chapswarata. They arrived on 22 Jan 1922. Gwen George and Elaine left on 29 Jan 1922.
Red 25 has R.T. Sneyd.
Red 31 has R.T.S. Sneyd, Kaptalil, Kericho.
Hut - Robin T.S. Sneyd 1922 Kaptilil Kaptien Kericho married to Margery
1939 England and Wales Register living with wife in Frome, as civil engineer

Back to search results