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Name: CAMPBELL, Walter Francis Glencairn

Birth Date: 11 Sep 1876 London, with a twin sister

Death Date: 5 Sep 1935 Frankfurt-on-Main

First Date: 1907

Last Date: 1931

Profession: Joined the Administration as Asst. DC, becoming PC in 1926. Served as Private Secretary and ADC to HE the Governor in 1909, and in 1929 was an Official Member of LegCo. He retired in 1931

Area: HBEA 1912 ADC, Fort Hall, 1922 - Kiambu, 1930 Machakos, 1919 Kisii, 1909 Embu, 1912 Naivasha

Married: In Hanover, Jamaica 30 Dec 1919 Noel Agnes Hubbard b. Buckingham 15 Dec 1892, d. 1980 Uckfield. She was one of the founders of the Kenya Arts & Crafts Society

Children: Muriel Agnes (stillborn 22 Sep 1926 Nairobi); K. Hugh Glencairn (d. 22 Aug 1920, 2 days old, Nairobi)

Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, RH, Gethin, Dunkley, Tignor, Roosevelt, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Curtis, Red 22, Dominion, Leader14, Red Book 1912, Gazette, Red 19

General Information:

He was a man of striking personality and imposing presence.  
Gethin - 1912 - DC Naivasha who employed Richard Gethin on the Masai Move ...........it was decided Kisii wanted cleaning up. Campbell, a noted character, took over for a few months and it didn't take him long to break Kisuku [a local chief] and relieve him of a large number of his cattle. It was a free for all when the Chiefs and others found Kisuku was out of favour. There were numerous claims for the return of cattle and sheep which were said to have been taken by force. Unfortunately, Campbell did not remain long in S. Kavirondo. When he was transferred Kisuku worked his way back as interpreter, much to the consternation of the Chiefs and all concerned. It was a case of the devil you know. As long as he doesn't take my property, why worry. ........... Took over from Long Horne at Kisii in 1914. He was sent to clean up the district. Campbell had been in India or Malaya when the Boer War broke out. He went over to SA as a private in some Corps, and at the end of the war joined the Pretoria Police as a constable. He joined a few of his pals and came to BEA and started farming - went broke and joined the Government, getting a job as ADC to the Governor - got thrown out of this for being rude to the Governor's wife but was pardoned and given a job as ADC in the Administration, retiring as PC. He is still well remembered in this District [Kisii] for his harsh but fair treatment of the natives, who had the very greatest respect for him. He frequently wore Chief's robes and dancing pumps in the office, and if he thought a native was not speaking the truth he would remove one of his pumps and beat the prisoner on the head. He was a great gambler and is reputed to have made £40,000 on the Stock Exchange before he died. I believe in his will he left a large sum of money to the Wakamba local native council.. .......... During Dec. 1914 I was ordered to proceed on a long safari with Campbell, for the purpose of collecting cattle from the Jaluo. A fine of 10,000 [sic] head of cattle had been put on the Jaluo and Kisii for the damage they had done during the German occupation to Dukas, Missions and Schools. We had a large force of Police and Campbell, as usual, did himself well. We had a mule each to ride. Campbell would arrive in the morning from his tent, dressed in a bright coloured Chief's robe, a pair of dancing pumps and sometimes a red fez on his head, and proceeded to inspect the Guard of Honour which would be drawn up outside his tent. I would act as his ADC and take mental notes of Campbell's displeasure at anything he noticed on parade. We would then return to our tents for breakfast and meet again later when the safari was ready to move off. ................ During the latter part of 1924 Crampton was relieved by Campbell, who now came on a second tour to Kisii. We all felt Campbell was again sent to clean up the District, as everything had got very slack, and it was rumoured the hut tax was down by thousands of pounds as Crampton just couldn't be bothered collecting it. ........ During 1914 Campbell had plated trees along the main roads as shade and woe betide anyone whose goats or cattle damaged these trees. The road to Kendu was planted with gums, also the road to Karungu and to this day the planting is still in evidence. On Campbell's return in 1924, he found a large number of these trees had been damaged by fire or eaten by goats and required re-planting. For every tree missing a goat or sheep had to be produced. These were sold and the money put into what was called the Goat Bag. This system was frowned upon by higher authority, but all the same it was a sound system, as for any small improvements that were required in Kisii the money from the Goat Bag came in handy. In Campbell's time the township was kept clean and was not the rubbish heap it is now and has been for many years. These fines very soon made the native more careful in his herding methods, at least during Campbell's tour in Kisii.
Dunkley - Memoirs of K.L. Hunter - Kisii - " ...... One of the early DCs at Karungu was Campbell, named by the Africans "Kombo Kichwa" the perverse or difficult one. He disliked travelling long distances on foot in the blazing sun - there were no motor cars in those days and he issued orders that all the roads and paths he frequently travelled should be planted with avenues of gum trees. When I arrived in 1936, these were mature and very attractive."
Tignor - DC Machakos in 1923 & 1926. PC Ukamba in 1929. 1921 DC Kiambu. PC Kikuyu 1930
Roosevelt - ADC to Jackson when he was acting Governor in 1909
KAD 1922 - District and Resident Commissioner and Resident Magistrate, Kiambu.
KAD 1922 - President, Kiambu Sports Club
Curtis - p. 66 - The Maasai Move of 1911-12 - Gethin's description of the move when Campbell was DC at Naivasha and asked Gethin to help
Dominion - Senior Provincial Commissioner, 2nd Class - 1930
Red Book 1912 - W.F.G. Campbell - Fort Hall - Kenya Province - Asst. DC at Fort Hall
Gazette 1/7/1907 - Arrival on 1st Appointment - ADC - 19/6/1907
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kikuyu - Walter Francis Glencairn Campbell - District Commissioner - Kiambu Red Book 1919 - W F G Campbell - District Commissioner - Kisii
RH s.1277 has 'Campbell' as DC/ADC Kisii in 1914

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