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Name: MEGSON, Forrest Loudon OBE, ED, JP

Birth Date: 16 May1894 Altrincham, Cheshire

Death Date: 3 Feb 1977 Mombasa

First Date: 1920

Profession: Farmer

Area: Box 1, Katalini Estate. Kitale

Married: In Cairo 10.12.1943 Mary Patricia Philomena Newport-Bowers b. 10.12.1905, d. 23.4.1999 Surrey (see her entry under Bowers)

Children: Penelope Ann Loudon (15.2.1945 Nairobi) (Deubel)

Book Reference: Golf, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Who's Who 63, Harmony, Masonic, Macmillan

General Information:

Who's Who 63 - Forrest Loudon Megson, ED, JP; b. 1894 in Cheshire; educated Belfield House Cheshire 1902-10; Lieut. Cameron Highlanders 1914-18 Egypt and France; Wing Commander Royal Air Force 1940-45 Middle East; Executive Officer European Agricultural Settlement Board Kenya 1945-61; unsuccessful candidate Kenya Coalition 1961 General Election; Executive Officer Kenya Coalition; Chairman Nairobi Primary School.  
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Trans Nzoia Voters List
President of Kenya Lawn Tennis Association.
Member of Lodge Harmony - Joined 5/8/47, age 52/3, Civil Servant, Nairobi
Masonic - PG St B  1967
Masonic - Princ. Of the District Board of General Purposes - 1969-72
Macmillan 1930 -  Megson and Pharazyn Limited - The business of Messrs Megson and Pharazyn Ltd was one of the first concerns started at Bahati Township in 1923 when that place was intended as the site upon and around which local commercial activities would revolve. A year later it was transferred  to where the town of Kitale now is and underwent very rapid development; so much so that there was difficulty in getting suitable and reliable assistants for the many departments into which the undertaking expanded. Accordingly in the early part of 1929 the shareholders of the limited liability company into which the firm had been formed on June 30th 1928 arranged to their mutual satisfaction and for the greater enhancement of their interests to divide the business into separate and distinct concerns.
Thus the printing department executing general jobbing and commercial work is now owned and operated by Mr E.L. Pharazyn and is the only enterprise of the kind in the town. Mr Pharazyn is the printer and publisher of 'The Trans Nzoia Post' which is an excellent advertising medium issued free every week and has a circulation of 700. It may be mentioned that the printing department was initiated by Mr P. Megson of Messrs A. Megson and Sons Ltd. The well-known printers of Manchester who went from that city to Kitale specially for the purpose and who is at the time of writing still supervising its affairs. Three of the share holders took over the department for hardware and implements and are running it under the title Associated Hardware. Mr F.L. Megson who founded the business with Mr Pharazyn and is cousin of Mr A. Megson already referred to holds the controlling interest in the remaining departments which are carried on under the name of Megson and Pharazyn Ltd.
Red 25 - Hon. Secretary & Treasurer, Trans Nzoia Farmers' Association
Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Plateau North - Forrest Loudon Megson, Secretary, PO Kitale
President of Kitale Club (Golf) in 1940. Presented a Cup which is regarded as the Club Championship. Captain of Kitale Golf Club in 1939.
Gazette 2 Feb 1979 - probate
Penelope Deubel: He was called “MOP” by family and intimate friends) intimate friends. after serving in WWI and de-mobilisation in mid 1919, embarked on the « SS.Prinzessin », a captured German ship, on the 28th February 1920.  Presumably arrived about three weeks later in Mombasa and made his way to Nairobi to take up his post as assistant manager to a certain Major Wetherall and another assistant, a Mr. Richmond, on Wetherall’s recently acquired property, « Blackbird Farm ».  About a year later (1921) Forrest bought his own farm called “Elgon Dacre" in the Trans Nzoia on the slopes of Mt Elgon near Endebess  and in 1922 he formed « Elgon Estates » with his father. Possibly also with his brother Douglas.  Later « Katalina Estates » also with his father .

Forrest started a printing business in 1923 (first in Bahati Township but later moved to what became Kitale) = the "Megson and Pharazyn Printing Press”   (Mr. Pharazyn was a friend and farming neighbour).  Their first publication was the « Trans Nzoia Post », a (very) local newspaper.  The business was extended to sell sportswear and ladies’ wear as well as the Kitale Butchery and a hardware shop .  

(Philip Megson, (son of Clarence Henry Megson, owner of the Megson family Printing business in Manchester, nephew of Edmund Victor and cousin to Forrest), made the journey out on the « SS Usaramo »in January 1928 to advise them and help establish the business. Philip stayed on 18 months to supervise the latter and seems to have at some time bought a farm (recorded Kenya Govt. Gazette) before returning to work for his father in England in October 1929). Forrest kept his controlling interest in the Press but turned his attention more to the Land Estate side as also being representative of various Government offices in this branch.

(Forrest also went into partnership with a Mr . Jenson (son in law to Adolph Helsburg from Norway), to open an Accountancy business in Kitale).  He became a JP (Justice of the Peace), Government  Land Valuer, Chairman of the Kitale School Committee, and was a founder member (and one time Chairman/Captain of the Golf team), of the Kitale Club, of several Scout troups and cub packs, and at least one Masonic Lodge - (the Mount Elgon Lodge?).  He was appointed representative of the:  Land Bank  (originally the TZ agricultural Advances Board), Lloyds Insurance Co, and the British Government Central Committee on Education.

In 1936 the British Government feared an invasion of Kenya by the Italians across the border of what was then called Abyssinia.  In preparation for such a possibility the Kenya Defence Force was formed and Forrest became District Commander until 1940. When WWII broke out Forrest joined the RAFVS (Royal Airforce Volunteer Special Operations) - rank of Wing Commander - stationed in Cairo where he married Mary Patricia Philomena Newport-Bowers (b. 10.12.1905 - d. 23.04.1999) in the Chapel of St.Thomas More, RAF  Kasr el Nil Barracks,  on 10.12 1943. 

After the war, in 1946, Forrest left Kitale and went to live in Nairobi where he was CEO of the European Settlement Board and adviser on agriculture to the Government.  When he retired he joined a political party led by Sir Ferdinand Cavendish Bentinck (later Duke of Portland), which advocated a slow process to prepare for the country’s Independence, and stood for Parliament but was defeated by 60 votes.  For many European settlers the period after Independence was a disaster as their lands were expropriated with minimum compensation if any.   Forrest and his great friend Sir Ferdinand Cavendish Bentinck, founded an Association « The Compassionate Fund » to come to their assistance. In 1967 Forrest was awarded the OBE which he received from the Queen.   In the same year he and his wife went to live permanently in Likoni where he died on 03.02.1977.

In 1946  he was demobilised and returned from Cairo…sold his farms and businesses in the Trans Nzoia to settle in Nairobi (Ngong area) where he took up office as CEO of the European Settlement Board….Mrs Megson joined the EAWL and was appointed Hon. Secretary of the Standing Committee on Education - post held for several years.   She was a keen gardener. When Forrest L Megson retired from all his activities in 1967  they moved to Likoni  where Forrest died on 03.02.1977.   Mrs. Megson decided to leave Kenya and did so in 1980 to live in a very pleasant retirement home in Surrey, England, where two of her friends, Mr. and Mrs. (Margo)  “Jack” Lipscomb were already residents.  She died there on 23.04.1999.
FindaGrave Forrest Loudon Megson BIRTH 16 May 1894 DEATH 3 Feb 1977 (aged 82) Mombasa, Kenya BURIAL Kisauni  Cemetery Mombasa. Inscription: Forrest Loudon / Megson / born 16.05.1894 / died 03.02.1977

 

 

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