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Name: WATTS, George Kempthorne

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Birth Date: 13 Feb 1852 St John's Wood, London

Death Date: 22 Jan 1919 Dehra Dun

First Date: 1907 - after Indian Public Works Dept 1875-1907

Profession: Appointed Commissioner of Public Works EA, and at one time was a member of the Legislative Council

Area: Nairobi

Married: 1. In Amraoti, India 29 Mar 1884 Ethel Grace Bell b.11 Dec 1859 East Berar, Tamil Nadu, d. 8 Jan 1901 Montreux, Switzerland 2. In Naini Tal, India 28 Nov 1903 Jessie Elizabeth Elder Rait b. 1870 Blaby, Leic., d. 17 May 1953 Kennford, Exeter

Children: George Borlase (3 Aug 1886 Beckenham-1 July 1887 India); Ethel Dorothy (Bowring) (29 Aug 1888 Bolarum, India-20 July 1973); Charlotte Muriel (25 July 1890 Bolarum, India-1987); Marjorie Eleanor (12 Feb 1898 Shillong, India-1988)

Book Reference: Gillett, SE, HBEA, KFA, Golf, Tignor, Playne, Drumkey, Land, Advertiser, Harmony, Leader14, Red Book 1912, Gazette, Web

School: Cheltenham College, AMICE

General Information:

A keen cricketer, he was a committee member of Nbi. Club and Nbi. Golf Club.
SE - G.K. Watts - Commissioner of Works - Sept 1907
KFA - 'In 1910 the then Commissioner of Public Works, Mr G.K. Watts, reported that Captain Paul Chapman had established in the Cherangani Hills, and "on a large scale", and orchard, market garden and poultry farm which could be reached "only by crossing the river by means of the overhanging branches of trees". To produce eggs that could be conveyed to market only by imitators of Tarzan swinging from branch to branch seems optimistic even for those days..…..  
Golf - Chairman at the first recorded committee meeting of Nairobi, later Royal Nairobi, Golf Club in 1908 and at the first general meeting in 1910.
Tignor - 1909 - studied water condition of new Masai Reserve
Playne - Mr Watts, the Chief of the Public Works Dept. of the EAP, was born at Hamilton Terrace, St. John's Wood, London, on Feb. 13, 1852, and educated at Cheltenham College, and the RIE College, Cooper's Hill, being in the cricket XI at both places. He has a long career of Indian service behind him. He was in the Indian Public Works Dept. from October 1875 to Feb., 1907, when he retired. He served in Berar, Hyderabad (Deccan), Assam, the United Provinces, and the Central Provinces and Berar, and rose through the various grades to be Chief Engineer and Secretary, Public Works Dept., in the Central Provinces and Berar in 1905. On Sept. 11, 1907, he was appointed Commissioner of Public Works in the EAP, and he is also a member of Legco. Mr Watts is on the Committee of the Nairobi Club. He played for the Gentlemen of Devon at cricket from 1870-75.
Playne - Committee member of Nairobi Golf Club
Playne - In 1907 the Hon. Mr G.K. Watts, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. who had lately retired from India after over 30 years service in the Public Works Dept. there, was appointed Commissioner of Public Works, and assumed his duties on Sept. 11, 1907.
Drumkey 1909 - Member of Municipal Committee, Nairobi
Drumkey 1909 - Public Works Dept. - Commissioner of Public Works
Drumkey 1909 - Lodge Scotia, No. 1008 S.C. - W. Senior Warden
Land - 1911 - G.K. Watts - Grazing and agricultural, 3070 acres (Farm No. 166) and 3120 acres (Farm No. 167) - Uasin Gishu - 13/9/10 - Leasehold under Occupation Licence for 5 to 99 years from 9/9/10 - Registered 13/9/11
Advertiser - 16/10/1908 - Nairobi Golf Club - Bowring Monthly Handicap - Hon. G.K. Watts, handicap 11
Member of Lodge Harmony - Joined 4/11/07
Red Book 1912 - J.K. Watts [sic] - Nairobi
Gazette 15/9/1907 - Arrived on 1st Appointment - Commissioner of Works - 11/9/1907
Gazette 28/7/1920 - Probate and Administration in respect of the estate of George Kempthorne Watts, late of Dehra Dun in India who died on 22/1/1919. Letters of Administration granted to Bertram Gray Allen of Nairobi.

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