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Name: LANE, Charles Robert William

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Birth Date: 27.12.1871 Dalgety, Fife

Death Date: 21.9.1936 Worthing

Nationality: British

First Date: 1894

Profession: Served with IBEA Co., Asst Collector EAP 1895, PC Nyanza. When Govt. took over in 1895 he continued as Asst. District Officer at Machakos under Ainsworth. 1898 promoted D.O. at Machakos.

Area: HBEA 1912 PC Kenya, 1894 Machakos, 1919 PC Nyanza, 1922 Naivasha. Red 25 - left Provincial Administration 1923

Married: In Portsmouth 1899 Mabel Eveline Dickinson b. 1873 Birkenhead, d. 12.12.1957 Southsea

Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Cuckoo, Ainsworth, Watt, Crossroads, Fitzgerald, EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 25, EAS, Hut, North, Curtis, Playne, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, Red 22, Web, EAHB 1906, EA Diary 1902, EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Chandler, Red Book 1912, Red 19

War Service: Mentioned in despatches in connection with Uganda Mutiny

General Information:

Red Book 1912 - A. Lane - Naivasha
Ainsworth - 1917 - took over from Ainsworth at Kisumu as Provincial Commissioner.  
Crossroads - 1915 - 'On the eve of the launching of the invasion a sore disappointment befell. Hobley's appointment as Chief Political Officer was cancelled and another PC, C. Lane, under whom I had served in Nyeri took his place.'   
EAHB 1905 - IBEA Co. General Africa Staff - appointed 1894. Assist. Dist. Superintendent, Oct. 1894; Assist. Collector, EAP, July 1st 1895; Kenya District 1897; Collector, Sept. 16th 1897; kitui, Dec. 1897; Teita District, Nov. 1899, Machakos District, Oct. 1900.   
KAD 1922 - Senior Commissioner and Senior Resident Magistrate, Naivasha
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa (Mr & Mrs C.R.W. Lane)
North - At Machakos working with John Ainsworth, March 1895; Appt. direct to EAP 1/7/1895, Asst. Collector Ukamba Dist.; Machakos 18/7/1895, Dec 1895; Fort Smith end of 1896, Aug 1897; Dep Machakos to take charge of new station at Kitui 14/12/1897; mentioned in despatches during Sudanese mutiny in Uganda; DO Machakos prior to Administrations move to Nairobi Aug 1899; Listed as Collector Ndi Dec 1899; arr. Mombasa from leave 23/2/1900 with wife, dep. upcountry same day to Ndi; transferred to Machakos Sept. 1900; District Officer Machakos; Sent to Kitui May 1902; dep Mombasa for England 6/11/1903 - "an overbearing figure and a heavy drinker" (Hall)
Curtis - p. 37 - Life at Fort Smith - '....... [1896 letter from Francis Hall to his father]] .. Martin and his wife came up and stayed here about 12 days. I gave them my quarters and we had a very jolly time. She is Portuguese but very nice; and plays, and sings in several languages, and as old Dugmore (in charge of the troops) has the American organ (that I brought out for him) up here, we had some musical evenings, Russell on the 1st whistle, Lane banjo and Mrs M. on the organ, while I occasionally had to warble as my share, and another fellow here, Trefusis, plays the autoharp very well. By-the-bye I shall be mentioning names you don't know, so I must tell you that two Mombasa firms have agents up here, living about 1000 yards from the Fort. Trefusis, a very good sort who has travelled the world, is one, and a man named Walsh with his wife for the other. Then we have one coffee planter, Kitchen, and Dr. Wallace's party just coming. Mr Wallace (brother) and his wife arrived about 10 days ago and Dr Boedecker and wife, and a Mr McQueen and wife are to arrive tomorrow. We shall then have 10 Europeans resident in Kikuyu.
Playne - Fort Hall is the station of Mr Lane, who was appointed a Provincial Commissioner of the EAP on July 1, 1904. Previous to that he had had 11 years official experience in EA. He began as  Assistant District Superintendent of the IBEA Co. in October, 1894, and Assistant Collector in the Protectorate service on July 1, 1895. Appointed Collector on September 16, 1897, he served in various districts until he was promoted to be Sub-Commissioner.
Web - British Perspectives on Aulihan Somali Unrest in the East Africa Protectorate, 1915-18 by George L. Simpson Jr. - 1917 - Charles Lane, the Jubaland PC
IBEA - General Africa Staff - Appointed 4th October 1894
EA Diary 1902 - Listed as District Officer
EA Diary 1903 - Imperial British East Africa Co., Asst District Superintendent Oct 1894; Asst. Collector, EA Protectorate 1895; Kenya District 1897; District Collector Kitui Dec 1897; Teita District, Nov 1899; Machakos District, Oct 1900
EAHB 1907 - Sub-Commissioner - Seyidie
Chandler - Lane was an administrative officer in Kenya 1894-1923, including sub-commissioner in Kenya 1904-07 and provincial commissioner Naivasha 1907-1923. Lane was of the old school, somewhat rough and ready and handy with a bottle. The governor of Kenya in 1910, Sir Percy Girouard, described him in an official communication to London as "self-satisfied, pig-headed and highly unpopular." A short while later Girouard was complaining that Lane had said disloyal things while drunk in a bar. Though he didn't exactly stick up for Lane, it is only fair to state that the "second wave" of colonial officials tended to view themselves as professionals and their predecessors as drunken bums who happened to be available when the position was created. Like all stereotypes, there is some truth at the core of this one - the first district commissioners and collectors often were pioneer and outdoor types, while later officials were sent from London and had been trained specifically for the job.
Red Book 1912 - C.R.W. Lane - Fort Hall - Kenya Province - PC at Fort Hall
Gazette - 12/11/1919 - Register of Voters - Lake Area - Charles Robert William Lane - Government Official - Kisumu
EAHB 1905 - Sub-Commissioner, Mombasa. 1909 Fort Hall

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