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Name: BARNES, Harold Charles Edward Black- 'Black' CBE (Col.)
Photo Source: (with tie) W.A. Kempe photo album
Nee: son of William Black Barnes
Birth Date: 11.5.1871 Binfield, Berks.
Death Date: 29.3.1940 Isle of Wight
Nationality: British
First Date: 1897
Last Date: 1923 - retired to England
Profession: Appointed Asst. Auditor EAP & Uganda Railway 1897-99, and local Auditor, Somaliland Protectorate in 1899. In 1904 he became Auditor in Chief, EA and in 1912 served on Nairobi Municipal Council
Area: Somaliland. Nairobi, EAHB 1905 - Local Auditor, Mombasa
Married: In Portsea Island, Portsmouth 1899 Anna Katherine Marwin b. 31 Mar 1874 Cowes, d. Feb 1919 Cuckfield, Sussex
Children: Harold Charles Vernon Black (11.4.1905 Nairobi-31 July 1962 Robertsbridge, Sussex)
Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Kenya Diary, EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 31, EAS, North, Playne, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, Red 22, Debrett, EAHB 1906, Gazette, EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Red Book 1912, LG, Red 19
School: Smythe's Naval Academy, Portsmouth
General Information:
Arrived in EA as Chief Auditor in the very early days and was in Mombasa in 1907. Founder of the Masonic Lodge Harmony, Nairobi.
Kenya Diary - June 1903 - Nairobi - the traffic manager of the railway is Eastwood, a quiet unassuming man. The auditor of the railway is a man called Barnes, known as Black Barnes, as he has a thick crop of black hair and is usually unshaved. I went down to the station to meet Eastwood. Barnes was on the platform and in a furious temper with Eastwood about something. He said to me: "Just you watch me meet the swine - he's not going to like it!" So I watched. On Eastwood alighting, Barnes went up to him and said: "Eastwood, you're a bastard, and if you don't know what that means it implies that your mother was a whore!" Barnes, having delivered himself, marched off. Eastwood said nothing.
EAHB 1905 - Somerset House 1894; Asst. Auditor, Sierra Leone and the Gambia Colonies, Jan. 26th 1895 to May 1897; Asst. Auditor, EAP and Uganda Railway, May 2nd 1897 to Feb. 13th 1899; Local Auditor, Somaliland Protectorate Feb. to Dec. 1899; Asst. Auditor, Uganda Railway, Dec. 9th 1899; Local Auditor, EAP, Nov. 1904.
KAD 1922 - Auditor, Audit Dept.
KAD 1922 - Committee - EA and Uganda Natural History Society.
KAD 1922 - Col. H.E. Barnes, Committee Member, REAAA
Red 31 has H.C.V.B. Barnes, Audit, Nairobi and also H.E. Barnes, Box 334, Nairobi
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa (Mr & Mrs H.C.E. Barnes)
North - "Black Barnes"; Appt. Asst. Auditor EAP 9-5-1897; arr. Mombasa May 1897; Visiting Taveta from Mombasa 1-10-1898; Acting Local Auditor Berbera 27-6-1898 to 4-1-1899; temporary appt. to Uganda Railway, listed in Uganda Railway Rolls under Accounts Dept., Asst. Auditor 30-6-1899; on leave in London Oct 1899; permanent appt. to Uganda Railway, Asst. Auditor 9-12-1899; arr. Mombasa from Europe with wife 27-12-1899; issued with Public Officers Game Licence at Nairobi 7-3-1901; dep. Mombasa for England on long leave 7-5-1902 and arrived back at Mombasa 17-10-1902; Asst. Auditor 1-4-1903. Railway Auditor 1903
Playne - Mr Barnes was educated at Smythes Naval Academy, Portsmouth, and entered Somerset House in 1894, but the year following he became Assistant Auditor, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1897 he went to EA as Assistant Auditor of the EAP and Uganda Railway. Mr Barnes has been Auditor of the Protectorate since November 1, 1904, and has lately returned from a Special Commission in the Straits Settlements (1909)
Drumkey 1909 - Audit Dept. - Local Auditor
Debrett - entered Colonial Audit Dept. 1894; was Asst. Auditor, Sierra Leone and Gambia 1895-7; British E. Africa and Uganda Railway 1897-9 and Auditor E. Africa, Somaliland and Zanzibar Protectorates 1904-23; Director of Mil. Audit, E.Africa Forces 1915-19 with rank of Lieut.-Col. (despatches)
EAS - 29/1/1903 - Nairobi Races - …….. Good old firm at the Totalisator Messrs Eastwood & Barnes, these popular, efficient and hardworking bookies as usual ran the official Tote and the Lotteries much to everyone's satisfaction. …. Mr Eastwood's unfortunate accident did not seem to impede his usual smart handling of the tickets and cash.
Gazette - 17/12/1902 - Plague compensation after bubonic plague in March 1902 - H. Barnes - Rs 100
North - Appt. Local Auditor EAP Nov 1904; Member of the Mombasa Section of the EAP Volunteer Reserve June 1905
EA Diary 1903 - Asst. Auditor, Sierra Leone and Gambia Jan 26 1895; Asst. Auditor, EA Protectorate and Uganda Railway May 2 1897; Local Auditor, Somali Coast Protectorae Feb 13 1899; Asst. Auditor, EA Protectorate and Uganda Railway Dec 9 1899
Red Book 1912 - H.C.E.B. Barnes - Nairobi - Local Auditor - EA Protectorate
London Gazette - 18 Nov 1918 - CBE for distinguished service in connection with the War - Harold C.E. Barnes Esq., Military Audit Dept., East Africa
Gazette - 15/1/1906 - arrived back from leave from England - H.B. Barnes - Auditor - 13/1/1906
Gazette - 12/11/1919 - Register of Voters - Nairobi, South Area - Harold Charles Edward Black Barnes - Auditor, EAP, Gymkhana Road
Red Book 1919 - H C E Barnes, CBE - Government Auditor, Nairobi
Gazette - 4/5/1921 - Presentation of Honours by Governor - Col H C E Barnes - CBE
Cuckoo - Also operated an excellent totalisator at the Races with Benjamin Eastwood. One of the cheeriest characters in Mombasa was H. Black-Barnes, the Chief Govt. Auditor. Formerly he served as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, but soon gave up the sea for a Colonial appointment. He possessed a keen sense of humour and many amusing stories were current about his ready wit.
Member of Harmony Lodge - Joined 1/5/05, Auditor, Uganda Railway, Harold Charles Edward Black-Barnes
Cuckoo - 1904 - Nairobi, involved in amateur theatricals with Benjamin Eastwood.
Gazette 19 Mar 1963 son's probate
Also served in Sierra Leone, Gambia and Somaliland
1914-1919 Director of Military Audit in the colony
Good after-dinner raconteur