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Name: LESLIE, William John

Birth Date: 13 Sep 1859 Natal

Death Date: 7 Apr 1933 Eldoret

First Date: 1911

Last Date: 1933

Profession: Farmer, Red 25 - Honorary Permit Issuer

Area: Eldoret, 1922 Farm 40, Uasin Gishu, 1930 'Lyndock', Eldoret

Married: In Bulwer church, Natal 7 June 1891 Mary Isabella Whitridge b. 16 Feb 1866 Clay Farm, Natal, 1888, d. 8 Feb 1942 Eldoret

Children: Dorothy (Mousley) (17 June 1992 Natal); Eileen Mabel (Williams) (17 Apr 1894 Weenan, S. Africa-28 Dec 1970 Pietermaritzburg)

Book Reference: Eldoret, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Pioneers, Gazette, Red 19, Barnes

General Information:

Eldoret - Mrs Eileen Williams who lives with her son, Roddy, at Lessos, has told me the following interesting story - "My parents, Mr & Mrs Lesllie, decided to make Kenya their home as they had come up in 1910 on a safari and had fallen in love with the country. They waited a year as my sister and I were still at college. In 1911 my Dad came here and bought two farms, so in 1912 he chartered a small German vessel to bring up some of his stock - 100 merino sheep, 20 pure bred cows and bull, 17 horses, 7 dogs, 10 young chickens, 2 kittens, his two daughters and a nephew and his wife. Also two other young men to help him feed and water the stock on the boat daily. This was a big job, as the two young men were too seasick to help, and the heavy work fell on my Dad and cousin.
He also brought two wagons, two traps and harness, saddlery, etc. As you can imagine, it was a very big undertaking. Well, at last we arrived at Londiani station. Fortunately there was a nice new hotel there for us to stay in, built of cedar. I can remember to this day the smell of lovely new cedar wood. I believe we had to wait there three weeks before our wagons arrived by goods train from Mombasa. My sister became engaged the very evening our boat left Durban and she was then only 18. The following year she was married to Bennet Mousley. This was in December 1913, and I think it was the  Rev Cobham who officiated at the wedding; he must have come up from Nairobi to do this as there was no Padre on the Plateau in those days. ........ (more)
Red 22 - Honorary Permit Issuer - J.W. Leslie, Farm No. 40, Uasin Gishu
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Plateau South - William John Lesley, Farmer, PO 40
Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Uasin Gishu - W.J. Leslie
Red Book 1919 - Permit Issuer - Naivasha - J.W. Leslie, Farm No. 40, Uasin Gishu
Eldoret cemetery in loving memory of / my beloved husband / William John Leslie / died April 7th 1933 aged 74. Notes: Kenya Gazette gives date of death as 6th April. In same cem is: in ever loving memory / darling mother / Mary Isabelle Leslie / born 1868 / died 8-12-1942

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