Curtis - p.111 - 'Leighton Farm, Turbo' by Mavis Birdsey - ' The Birdseys were a Bedfordshire family. Percy Birdsey, returning to England after 7 years in Australia, where he learned something of sheep and cattle, was unable to settle down. So in 1894 he left home again, this time for South Africa, where he worked on the mines. In 1896 he married Johanna Rivers, a young widow with a small daughter, Agnes. Not long afterwards Percy was injured in the mine by a dynamite explosion, and after his recovery he and Johanna decided to farm. On their 400 acres near Alexandria in Cape Province they started to raise a family of their own - a daughter, Rena, and two boys, Albert and Cecil. After the Boer War their youngest child, Mavis, was born. They also took into their home two orphans, Kate and Peter, making, together with Johanna's Agnes, a family of 7 children. After service in the Boer War Percy moved to the Orange Free State and managed his father-in-law's farm for some years. However, the wanderlust was still strong and in December 1909 he visited BEA. After looking round and talking to the Governor, Lord Delamere and others he decided to buy land on the Plateau and to bring his family up from SA. ........ 'Father's plan was to manage a farm at Lumbwa whose owner, a retired Army officer called Major Carr had been called to England on business. This gave him the opportunity to learn about conditions and the stock which he hoped to take up to Farm 123, which he had already applied for and which was at the back of beyond, over 80 miles from the railhead. .......... When Major Carr realized we were such a big family he was most kind and considerate. He put his large stone house, one of the few permanent houses in those parts, at our disposal, whilst he shifted to the usual rondavel ... which most of the settlers lived in. After his return from England Major Carr had asked my father to remain for a further period; therefore the best arrangement was to instal a manager on our farm, as our boundaries had already been verified with the Land Office. The manager was to build a house and clear the land of bush and stumps, making it ready for cultivation. ' ........ At last we arrived at "64" and camped on the outskirts of the little village, at the edge where the game still grazed. There was only one European shop. We camped overnight to replenish stores, so many things had to be bought, but Smith, Mundell and Stredling seemed to have all our needs. How they kept up their supplies in the little shop was a miracle, for the paraffin oil, the flour and the tinned foods were all there. ....... we arrived at Mr Wreford Smith's farm, one of the partners in the little shop in Eldoret. We knew him well as he had been a neighbour in South Africa. When the wagons pulled up Wreford came out to see who the travellers were. How surprised he was to see Mother, with her 5 children in this wagon. "We have come to take up our farm next door," she said, "and we hoped it would be all right to stay the night." ......... a worried expression passed over Mr Smith's face. "But there is no house on your farm," he said, "The manager certainly built himself a grass hut down in the valley, but you and your children can never live there, and as for improvements, nothing has been done." ........ Wreford suggested we make use of his house until ours could be built. How kind he was! A woman with 5 children suddenly arriving out of the blue and finding nowhere to stay! He put aside his own comfort to move into a small rondavel and place his large banda at our disposal. ............. "we can't always call it Farm 123, so out with some suggestions." ...... "I think we had better call it 'Leighton' after the place in England where I come from," Father said. ...... [more]

Nicholls - Rift Valley Academy - Young Hermann Klaprott went there in 1910 as a boarder and with him were the Hoddinotts (children of Kiambu farmers) ……… Irene and Agnes Birdsey from the Uasin Gishu