Scandal involving scuffle between him and a native policeman, the husband of one of his black mistresses

Passions - In Africa, where District Officers were, if anything, even more isolated from society and from each other than in the Raj, concubinage was quite usual. So common did it become, in fact, that in the end officialdom had to take notice of it and act. And the British view, in contrast to the French, held such practice to be 'injurious and dangerous'. The trigger was a scuffle in 1905 between a British official in Kenya called Hubert Silberrad, and the native policeman husband of one of his black mistresses. It might never have been noticed had it not been for the officious interference of a neighbour, a certain W.S. Routledge, who found Silberrad's general conduct so immoral (it was probably no more so than that of a hundred other British officials) that he took the matter to the Governor. From there it escalated out of all proportion, occasioning parliamentary debate and letters to the Times, and incidentally bringing poor Silberrad's career to a grinding halt. Its outcome was a Circular, reluctantly issued by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Crewe, containing guidelines for sexual conduct (or rather, the avoidance of it) for all colonial officials. The Crewe Circular was in force from 1909 to 1934, and was damaging in that it could be evoked to terminate the careers of otherwise excellent administrators who had done no more than give way to their natural sexual appetites. Oscar - in a letter home Oscar Watkins wrote - 'In the particular case brought to light, while I hold no brief for the culprit, it is only fair to say that he put his work as an officer before his private fears. Mr Routledge, the settler who brought up the case, wanted land in the district which the official in question controlled, and was refused on the report of the official. Out here, the whole thing is regarded as private spite, and not as a noble attempt to purify public service, which could have been done equally well without publishing individual names.'    

EAHB 1905 - Asst. Collector, EAP, May 8th 1903; Taveta Aug. 1st; Acting Collector of Teita, Feb. and March 1904. Advertiser - 16/7/1909 - Mr Silberrad has been promoted to a D.C. in Nyasaland. He left yesterday.

North - Appt. Asst. Collector EAP 9/5/1903; arr. Mombasa from Zanzibar 30/5/1903; appt. Asst Collector Taveta 30/6/1903; Acting Collector Teita Feb-March 1904; Public Officers Game Licence Mombasa 1/10/1904

EAHB 1907 - Sub-Collector - Fort Hall

Web - Love For Sale - A World History of Prostitution - p.243 - A series of public scandals and newspaper and parliamentary debates pushed their way to the center of the puritanical circles of British settlers. One characteristic affair started as a local fight between neighbours in Kenya in 1908. A settler named W.S. Routledge and his wife attempted to "rescue" an African woman from their British neighbour. Of course, the man in question was not "normal". Nor was his wife completely as she ought to have been according to Mr & Mrs Routledge. Their neighbour, Hubert Silberrad, openly lived in sin with 3 Maasai girls, Niambura, Wameisa and Nyakyena. When his neighbours first complained about this arrangement, Mr Silberrad smilingly explained that all his wives were honestly and honorably paid for with the number of goats appropriate for wives in that area. But "Massa" and "Missus" Routledge were opponents of polygamy and bride wealth and felt justified in their belief that the youngest girl seemed a little unhappy with the marriage that her parents had arranged. The Routledges rolled into action. Hubert Silberrad used neither power nor violence in his household but 3 women can create  their own internal dynamic. It seems that the youngest wife was not paid sufficiernt attention. The fact that all 3 girls were teenagers received no media attention whatsoever. The bride-price and polygamy were provocative enough in themselves.

The local civil servants in Kenya including the governor Sir James Hayes Sadler, wanted to play down the whole affair. Private investigators interviewed the girls and their relatives with soothing results. But the Routledges did not give up before the issue finally bulldozed its way up through various levels of the bureaucracy and reached both Parliament and world media: "British Colonial Office Discovers Fornication with Negresses - and Polygamy." The Parliament could not let such a matter lie. So ended the storyabout the last Brit who had contracted a decent African marriage.

When he was forced underground, Mr & Mrs Routledge became heroes in the eyes of the British media. ……. Things turned out rather differently for Hubert Silberrad. His case had created a scandal in the British press and he was a man of little standing and schooling. Almost all respectable British people of his time agreed that he should be dismissed from public service. For years afterwards the searchlights were out over Rhodesia and Kenya, looking for British public servants living with native women. At least 7 men lost their postings. However, nobody tried to prevent a British male from having sex with an African woman, nor to punish a man who fathered a child of mixed blood. What was considered outrageous was not the sex but the display of love or respect for a black woman or black children.

Gazette - 15/1/1906 - arrived back from leave from England - Asst. Collector - 9/1/1906

Gazette 1/3/1906 - Appointed Acting Collector at Lamu from 24/2/1906

EAHB 1905 - Asst. Collector, Taveta

1939 England and Wales Register living in Deben, Suffolk with wife

W.A. Kempe diary 5 Mar 1906 Got to Lamu at 9. Silberrad collector & the Doctor Walters met us & took me ashore. Former put me up; started to work at once. In afternoon M^cDougal subcommissioner came to see me at office and brought me from Silberrads to put up at his place. Went for walk with him along the shore. An old company’s man who has read nothing & picked up his education as he went along. I got on very well with him but in Lamu he is very fond of manning every show & won’t let anyone else have a look in. He talked about the king of Spain till I was sick of it.

Tom Lawrence: 1901 England Census He is Assistant Master at Cowbridge, Glamorgan
1903 (9^th May) He was appointed Asst. Collector for the East African Protectorate (According to the E.A. Handbook he was appointed Asst. Collector on 8^th May 1903)
1903 (13^th June)   There was a cricket match played at Mombasa Sports Club between Mr. Carter’s XI and Mr. Croall’s XI. Silberrad was playing for the latter, and as the last batsman was bowled by Ingram for 5 runs. He caught Carter off a bowl from Mehta for 23 runs. Carters team won having retired on 143 runs for seven wickets. Mr. Croall’s team were all out for 87 runs. There was another game on 20^th June which he did not play in (Gazette, 1^st July1903, p. 238).
1903 (30^th June) He is appointed Asst. Collector Taveta
1904 (Feb & Mar) He is Acting Collector in Teita
1905 (30^th May) He arrives in Mombasa from Zanzibar
1905 (12^th July) H. Silberrad, Asst. Collector, departs from B.E.A. (Gazette, 1^5th July1905, p. 212).
1905 In the 1905 edition of the East Africa Handbook he is reported to be an Asst. Collector in Taveta
1906 (15^th Jan) He arrives back from leave from England
1906 (9^th Jan) He is appointed an Asst. Collector
1906 (24^th Feb) In the Gazette of 31^st March 1906, he is reported as being appointed Acting Collector at Lamu from this date
1906 (31^st Mar) H.E. Silberrad reports on arms registered in Tanaland Province “in the absence of H.M. Sub-Commissioner” (Gazette, 15^th April 1906, p. 152).
1907 (25^th Jan) H. Silberrad registers a series of firearms for himself. At the time he gives his residence as Fort Hall. The firearms registered include: Single Hammerless cordite .303 Lee Enfield, a Double Barreled shotgun (12 bore), and a Double Barreled Express Cordite .500. This was issued by N.E.,F. Corbett, who was the collector for Fort Hall (Gazette, 1^st May 1907, p. 133).The assumption here is that N.E.F. Corbett was his boss.
1907 (15^th Feb)  A confirmation of the various positions held puts H. Silberrad as an Assistant Collector in Nyeri as at this date (Gazette, 15^th Feb 1907, p. 50).
1907 (31^st Mar) H. Silberrad reports on firearms registered at Nyeri Station [sic] for the first quarter of the year. His title is Acting Collector. Firearms registered include the following people Veljee Virji, H. Scott, J. MacDougall, C.W. Neligan, B.W. Neligan. J. de Vries, Suleiman bin Sayd and W.T. Hales (Gazette, 15^th April 1907, p. 131).
1907 (15^th July)    H. Silberrad registers a Double Barreled shotgun (12 bore). He gives his residence as Fort Hall at the time (Gazette, 15^th July 1907, p.249).
1907 (30^th Sept) H. Silberrad submits the report of firearms registered in Nyeri district in the quarter ending 30^th Sept. Two were issued -to Jumea Makame and to Chief Wambugu Mathagani (a Snider rifle and a Six-chambered pistol) (Gazette, 1^st Oct 1907, p. 396).
1907 The 1907 edition of the East African Handbook says he is a Sub-Collector at Fort Hall
1908 (31^st Mar) H. Silberrad reports on various licences and permits issued in Nyeri District for the first quarter of 1908where he is the Acting District Commissioner. These include Public Officer’s Game Licence, settler’s Game Licences, Bord Licences, and the Registration of Firearms (Gazette, 1^st May 1908, p. 288). H. Silberrad issues himself various firearms including an S. Hamml. Cordite 400/360, a .303 Le Enfield, a Double Barreled .500 Exp. Cordite, a Double Barreled shotgun -410, a Double Barreled shotgun -12 Bore and a .450 revolver. These are all due to expire on 6^th Jan 1909 (Gazette, 1^st May 1908, p. 288).
1908 (1^st April)      It is Gazette that H. Silberrad, amongst others (C.M. Dobbs, W.A.F. Platts, G.N. Crisford and W.F.G. Campbell) had passed his Law Examinations (Gazette, 1^st April 1908, p. 185).
1908 (28^th May)    H. Silberrad, an Asst. District Commissioner departs to go on six months’ leave. He is due to return on 28^th Nov 1908 (Gazette, 15^th June 1908, p. 346).
1908 (10th Sep) He married Lucy Bertha Priestland in Spondon (Newspapers.com) b. 21 Jan 1883 in Shardlow. She died in 1920 in Marylebone, London
1908 (4^th Nov) H. Silberrad is appointed to be Asst. District Commissioner, Kiambu with effect from this date (Gazette, 15^th Nov 1908, p. 632).
1909 (16^th July) According to ‘The Advertiser’ of this date, “Mr. Silberrad has been promoted to a D.C. in Nyasaland. He left yesterday”
1912 His daughter Betty Stella was born 11 Feb 1912 in Nyasaland (she married Colllingwood Duncan, the son of W.E.D. Knight) Betty S. Silberrad travelled from England to Mombasa 30 Oct 1933. She died 19 Aug 1992 at Ynys Mon, Wales
1915 Petronella Phyllis Silberrad b. 30 Aug 1915 in Nyasaland, dau of Herbert [sic] Silberrad and Lucy Bertha Priestland
1920 Wife Lucy Bertha died in Marylebone, London
1924 He married Ina Irene Margaret Whittuck in Lexden, Essex
1926 (11th Sep) Son Roger Edmund Michael  born in Colchester, d. 1998 Ludlow 
1939 In the England & Wales Register he is reported to be living in Deben, Suffolk with wife
1952 Hubert Edgar Silberrad dies in Berkhamsted, Herts.
1978  His wife Ina Margaret Silberrad dies in Dacorum