View entry
Name: JOHNSTON, Carruthers Melvill 'Monkey' CMG
Birth Date: 27 Aug 1909
Death Date: 1971 Surrey
First Date: 1924
Last Date: 1960
Profession: Appointed as a DO in 1933. Seconded to the Secretariat in 1939. Asst. Secretary, Secretariat, Kenya in 1939, Originally Admin Cadet 1933. PC Nakuru in 1953, PC Nyeri 1957
Area: Nairobi, Nakuru, Kericho, Kisii
Married: In Kenya 1936 Barbara Mary Bonnor b. 10 Mar 1910 Gloucester, d. 1999 Queensland, Australia
Children: Michael Carruthers (1939); Susan Mary (1937)
Book Reference: Staff 39, Staff 53, Colonial, Debrett, O&C, Dominion, Foster, RH
School: Shrewsbury School and Brasenose College Oxford 1928-32; BA (Oxon) (Rowing Blue)
General Information:
Colonial - PC 1951; Spec. Commissioner 1955; Minister for Community Development 1957; Chief Native Commissioner and Minister for African Affairs 1957-61
Dominion - Assistant Inspector of Police - 1930 - C.M. Johnston, MM
Foster - In 1958 the Minister for African Affairs. Previously he had served in the Administration
He was appointed Minister for African Affairs in 1957, having previously special commissioner for the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru, with responsibilities for rehabilitation and resettlement during the Mau Mau period. He was one of the officials whose resignation was demanded by Labour MPs after the Hola Camp incident.
Peter Fullerton (email): I worked for Monkey Johnston as his PA when he was PC in Nyeri in 1957. He later became Chief Native Commissioner and Head of the Provincial Admimistration in Kenya. An exceptionally able administrator during the Emergency. He lived up to his name "Carruthers”, though seldom known as such. I don’t know how he got the name Monkey. He was tall with a commanding personality , and much liked and respected in the Provincial Administration.