SE - Hon R.B. Cole - Njoro - July 1907

Best - imported the stallion Bobrinski, a onetime Derby favourite. ........... owned Solio ranch at Naro Moru, the other side of the Aberdare mountains (to his brother Galbraith). One day he decided to ride over the mountains, no mean feat in itself to deliver a herd of cattle to Galbraith. He took with him a house guest, Eleanor Balfour - niece of A.J. Balfour - who was visiting Kenya to keep a pregnant cousin company. After she had been a few days at Lake Elmenteita, Galbraith Cole lent her a rifle and led her towards an impala to show him what she could do. She dropped it with a bullet straight through the heart. Which was just as well, because Galbraith had staked his future happiness on that shot - if she killed the impala, and only if, he would marry her. And he did.

Random - 'Berkeley Cole was a friend of Alison's [Milne]. He had one of the only motor cars in the country - a Napier - and he used to drive from his farm at Naro Moru, under the slopes of Mt. Kenya, to Nairobi, along a road deep either in dust or mud, according to the season. He always stayed at Alison's home when in Nairobi.' 'as a member of Legco, had worked hard to get the railway to come out through his farm and on to Nanyuki. He had visions of himself lying back in a first class carriage smoking a cigar, instead of toiling through deep red dust or mud in his car. His dream came true as far as the railway went, but he himself died before he could travel on it.' ............ John Cole, Galbraith's eldest brother (later the Earl of Enniskillen) brought out a design for a memorial to Berkeley, who was buried at his farm at Naro Moru. The design was of a small Irish round tower, and later, Eleanor copied it and built a duplicate at Kekopey for Galbraith.

KFA - In Western Kenya, Delamere's brother-in-law, Berkeley Cole, was one of the first to take up land. The little house he built in 1912 amid the cedar forest by the Naro Moru river still stands. He started a sawmill and bought sheep from the Masai, whose herds and flocks still grazed the Laikipia plains. The transport question ruled out any serious agriculture.

Foster - In 1919 the nearest Post Office to Nanyuki was on the Hon. Berkeley Cole's farm at Naro Moru. Two mail runners then carried the mail weekly on their heads along the route past Paice's farm to the Timau area where they slept the night at Kisima Farm before proceeding on to Isiolo or Meru - both Govt. Stations.

Markham - a friend of Denys Finch-Hatton; built the White Rhino Hotel at Nyeri.

Shadows - Karen Blixen - 'Berkeley, parched after his drive and revived by a glass or two, was in one of his sweet, dazzling moods and entertaining me with old Ireland memories of his .….

Cranworth - Timber - 'bought land 20 miles beyond Nyeri with Berkeley Cole. Cole was a natural mechanic and his presence restricted bad debts .......….'  

Cranworth - Muthaiga [Country Club] owed its initiation to Berkeley Cole, who in an unusual outburst of respectability said that he was sick of being treated like a pig and that he yearned for a club of a refined nature where, when you wanted a drink, you rang the  bell and it was brought you on a spotless tray. He received a considerable measure of support. The more so since the old Club buildings showed ominous signs of falling down. I do not think, however, that it would have been more than an airy aspiration had it not been for the practical initiative of Major Freddie Ward and the generous enterprise of Major J.A. Morrison. The latter found the money and the former did the work, and Muthaiga rose from its foundations. D. of course was the first president and Charles Bowring and I [Lord Cranworth] had the honour of being the first vice-presidents. The original clubhouse added to since over and over again, was very charming. It did not carry out all Cole's aspirations, in that a very attractive bar was one of its main features, nor did Berkeley show any particular disposition to avoid it; but admirable and spotlessly clean meals were a feature from the start. .... (more) ....... The introduction of regular polo and the establishment of a polo club was again due to Berkeley Cole. He had secured through Somali traders a considerable bunch of most indifferent ponies from the Abyssinian border. These purchases hung somewhat heavy on his hands, and he conceived the idea of shifting some at least on to his lukewarm customers by the introduction of the game. It was a happy conception and caught on at once, being fostered by Captains Murray and O'Brien, the Governor's ADC's, and strongly supported by the KAR with Col. LLewellyn, Captains Gepp and Soames, John Fraser, Loder Symonds and Geoffrey Phillips prominent. ......... practical joke of Berkeley putting banana in Lady Belfield's ear-trumpet - she took it in good part. .......... [WW1] - Berkeley Cole, formerly of the 9th Lancers ....... raised a force of Somali Scouts, with which he used to patrol the German border .... There they performed admirable work until, most regrettably a considerable portion of the rank and file mutinied. ......... I [Lord Cranworth] made the proposal that I should take over the loyal remnant of the Somalis, who would consist of M.I. and a machine gun section .......... the whole to be called Cole's Scouts. This proposal was accepted, and I joined up with my new unit. I had as fellow officers some rather remarkable characters ........ Berkeley Cole himself was one of the very earliest pioneers. For a short time he had, as I have said, served in the 9th Lancers, but his spirit was always an adventurous one which chafed unconsciously at discipline and indeed at civilization. In company with his elder brother Galbraith, then in the 10th Hussars, he decided to abandon his military profession and follow the fortunes of his brother-in-law, Lord Delamere .... Thenceforward the lives of the two brothers were devoted to the land of their adoption ........ Berkeley ..... preferred cattle to sheep, and horses to either. He first took up land in the Njoro district, but later changed to the slopes of Kenya where he owned  a particularly lovely farm on the Narro Meru river about 20 miles north of Nyeri. He had sundry other enterprises. I was associated with him in two: a hotel called the 'White Rhino' in Nyeri, and a timber concession and mill on Mt. Kenya. Both, I am glad to say, were financially successful. Berkeley was very far indeed from devoting his life to business. A fine horseman, he used to ride at one time at most of the Nairobi race meetings with considerable success. He it was who started polo as a regular institution .... He was a man of the greatest charm and natural wit. Indeed I have only met one person blessed with a greater share, his sister Florence .......... When the two of them were in Nairobi for a week or a night there could hardly be a dull moment. In addition to his occupations and pleasures he found time for public work, and represented his district on Legco for more than one session. Contrary, perhaps, to anticipation he proved a shrewd and moderate politician; ....... Thus Berkeley was one of the minority of the Council who at a later date protested most strongly against the iniquitous settlement over the rupee. His premature death in the spring of 1925 at the early age of 43 left a grievous gap for all those who, like myself, could recall many and many a day and night of pleasant memory spent in his company, both at home and in Kenya. It was said that he was offered medically a retention of life as a more or less permanent invalid if he would adopt a certain course of living, but he would have none of it, and met his death with a smile and a jest on his lips. A monument above his farm preserves his memory, which, moreover flourishes green in the hearts of all who knew him.

White Man - beginning of WW1 - 800 Somalis met in the tin village near Muthaiga and marched down to Nairobi house in a body to offer their services to the Government. They were organised into a troop of mounted scouts under Mr Berkeley Cole. KAD 1922 - Elected Member of Legco for Kenya Province.

KAD 1922 - Vice-President, Mount Kenya Association.

KAD 1922 - Committee Member, REAAA;

KAD 1922 - Steward, Jockey Club of Kenya

Tobina Cole writes - he was an excellent mechanic, building and designing his house himself. The panelling for the drawing room walls made by himself. He ran the first mechanical saw mill - Mr Kenyatta worked for him, digging the furrow across Cole's plains with a gang of contractors from Kavirondo. Certainly Mr Kenyatta admired him enormously and always had a new story to tell of his skill or wit. He nearly married my mother Rose Buxton but the doctors foretold an early death because of his bad heart and indeed he died from it at 42. He was either the first or an early elected European Member of Legco and was much admired for this. Pat Kenealy and Dudu O'Hagan who lived at Nyeri then, told me how able he was, with the wit matching the civil servants on the other side of the House. Ewart Grogan who was a marvellous speaker himself always said he went to Legco whenever Berkeley was speaking.

Hut - Partner with Lord Cranworth in the Londiani Hotel

Playne - Mr Cole came to BEA in 1904 from India, where he had been serving in the 9th Lancers. Previous to arriving in the country he had taken up 5000 acres of land at Laikipia. The present farm is at Njoro, and runs to 10000 acres. It was acquired in 1905, and later the homestead land of 1000 acres was bought. Mr Cole has also 15000 acres of land on the slopes of Mount Kenya, and intends to keep stock there. The Njoro farm is well watered and timbered, and from the house a splendid view of the whole of the Rift Valley is obtained. It is about 5 miles from Njoro Station, and on both sides of the railway line. ......... Wheat is grown on the plains at Njoro farm, and it is hoped to have some 5000 acres in shortly. (Since this work was planned Mr Cole has sold these plain lands to Mr W.G. Sewall). ............ Two Europeans are employed by Mr Cole ..… Land - R.B. Cole leased 7528 acres at West Kenya

Land - Lord Rocksavage leased 10030 acres at West Kenya, passed to R.B. Cole

Red 22 - Honorary Permit Issuer

Red 22 - Steward, The Jockey Club of Kenya

Land - 1908 - R.B. Cole - Grazing, 10,000 acres, Njoro, 8-8-05, Registered 18-2-08

Land - 1911 - Hon. R.B. Cole - Grazing and agricultural, 7528 acres - Nyeri District - 14/11/04 - Leasehold for 99 years from 1/9/11 - Registered 16/10/11

Gazette - 23/9/1914 - Appt. - To be Captain, East Africa Volunteer Forces - The Honourable R.B. Cole, late Lieutenant, 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers

Racing - Owner of 'Sugaroi' - Winner of the Produce Stakes in 1909

Mills - Like his brother Galbraith, Berkeley suffered from chronic arthritis and had a weak heart, a fragile condition he claimed that made it inadvisable for him to marry. However, although he remained a bachelor all his life, Berkeley Cole was rumoured to have a Somali mistress who conveniently resided at the Somali settlement at Mgara on the road to the Muthaiga Country Club. …………… On another occasion Lady Francis Scott describes a visit to Berkeley Cole's farm where Berkeley was dressed for dinner "in a pair of shrunken crepe drawers that failed to cover his naked legs, and a patched old jacket. A huge Russian bear-hound ate off our plates at will. Three sheep came in at luncheon and hens pecked around the dining table - Mr Cole was one of the most amusing men I have ever met!" Karen Blixen, who was a close friend and confidante of Berkeley Cole, described him as an "exceptionally amusing person, a very quick wit and completely without moral scruples of any kind." Hon Reginald Berkeley Cole, died of a heart attack on 21st April 1925, on the steps of his farmhouse, aged 43 and is buried, at his request, on the edge of the Naro Moru river beside the grave of a loyal servant. His eldest brother John Cole designed and built a monument in the form of a small Irish round tower in memory of his brother.

Red Book 1912 - B. Cole - Naivasha

Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kenya Area - Hon. Reginald Barkley Cole - Settler, Naro Moru, West Kenya

Red Book 1919 - District Committees - Nyeri - R.B. Cole

Red Book 1919 - Permit Issuer - Kenia Province - The Hon R.B. Cole, Narro Muru, West Kenia

HBEA 1912 - Steward of EA Turf Club

Gazette - 29/4/1925 - Obituary - His Excellency the Acting Governor announces with deep regret the death of Captain the Honourable Reginald Berkeley Cole, Member of Council for the Kenya Constituency, 1920-1925 at Narro Moru on April 27th.

Mr Cole took the greatest interest in the development of the Colony and gave freely of his time and wide experience to the services of the country. His death will be deeply regretted by all classes of the community.

Gazette - 23/12/1925 - Probate and Administration - Honourable Reginald Berkeley Cole late of Narro-Moru, West Kenya who died at Narro-Moru on 27 April 1925

Gazette - 18/11/1914 - Application for Liquor Licence by The Nyeri Development Syndicate Ltd (Applicant Mrs W C Hunter, secretary; Partners, Lord Cranworth, England, Hon R B Cole, Nyeri and Mr Alexander Herd, Nyeri) for a General Retail Liquor Licencefor the premises known as "White Rhino" Hotel in Nyeri Township

Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Kenya Province - Hon Reginald Berkeley Cole, Settler PO Naro Moru

Gazette - 5/8/1925 - Voters Register - Kenya - Delete - Hon Reginald Berkeley Cole, Settler PO Naro Moru