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Name: DEACON, Thomas 'Tom'

Birth Date: 1858 Australia

Death Date: 31.7.1922 Nairobi

Nationality: Australian

First Date: 1896 from Australia

Last Date: 1922

Profession: Farmed coffee near Nairobi. He was also a prospector and discovered the soda in Lake Natron in the Southern part of the Great Rift Valley

Area: Nairobi, 1909 Athi River, 1925 Chania Bridge, 1920 Matuu Estate Donyo Sabuk

Children: Florence Grant (1891-28 May 1952 at sea) (Clay)

Book Reference: Gillett, SE, HBEA, Ainsworth, Elephant Stone, Land 1903, EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 25, Hut, North, Drumkey, Red 22, Land, Advertiser, Gazette, Harmony, Barnes, Globe, Leader14, Red Book 1912, Barnes

General Information:

 A man of great personality, and a tremendous wit.
SE - J. Deacon - Athi River - July 1907
Gravestone in Nairobi, Forest Rd. says - 'South Africa - Kenya - Pioneer'.
Ainsworth - Before 1902 an Australian named Tom Deacon had come across an area in the southern part of the Great Rift where there existed an apparently inexhaustible supply of soda natron, known locally as "magadi". Deacon put in an application for the area which was duly registered. He subsequently sold his rights to the EA Syndicate. The result was the Magadi Soda Company. In 1913-15 a railway was constructed connecting Magadi with the Uganda Railway. Tom Deacon was a typical pioneer, a rough diamond and one who enjoyed life in his own way. He was good company at all times and a well-known resident for many years.
Elephant Stone - 'Tom Deacon, an Australian, and Sam Clarke, a South African, sold a baby rhino to Mr Selly of Hagenbecks for £500. But the baby rhino had a bullet wound which they hid. They were paid and cashed the cheque, but the rhino died. Tom and Sam each had farms of 5,000 acres, and they obtained the rights to Lake Magadi, because it was cheap. Yet once possessed it they did not know what to do with it, and there came a day when they offered it to me for £5, and I smiled and said I did not want it thank you. That it would be today the million pound property of a great chemical company they could not have guessed at that time. Nor did I, else I would not be smiling now as I recall that I in turn could have owned it for a mere hundred shillings.
Land Grant 1903 - Thomas Deacon - 1,000 acres - On the plains north-west of Nairobi stream - May 29 - Freehold
North - Kikuyu 1896; Business partner of John Walsh; Land Grant application 29/5/1903 Nairobi
Land - 1909 - Thos. Deacon - Agricultural and grazing, 1507 acres, Athi River, 2-10-06, Registered 25-3-09
Land - 1906 - T. Deacon - Grazing, 3000 acres, Athi River, 1-2-05, Registered 29-11-06
Land - 1907 - T. Deacon - Grazing, 600 acres, Stony Athi River, 7-6-06, Registered 24-10-07
Land - 1907 - T. Deacon - Grazing, 300 acres, Stony Athi River, 26-7-06, Registered 24-10-07
Land - 1910 - Thomas Deacon - Agricultural and grazing, 336.6 acres - Athi - 10/9/08 - Leasehold for 99 years from 1/7/10 - Registered 14/10/10
Land - 1912 - Thos. Deacon - Grazing and agricultural, 3530.54 acres - Donyo Sabuk - 20/11/11 - Under Occupation Licence for 2 to 99 years from 1/12/11 - Registered 26/3/12
Advertiser - 10/7/1908 - Tom Deacon of Traction Engine and Alikhan mare fame has sold his farm of about 3000 acres to Mr Werner for £325
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Machakos - T. Deacon, Athi River
Member of Lodge Harmony - Initiated 2/3/08, age 50, Settler, Nairobi
Nairobi Forest Road Cemetery - Thomas Deacon, British, age 64, died 31/7/22
The Globe Trotter - 6th March 1907 - Advertisement - Tom Deacon's famous Athi River Lime - Sole Agents, Gailey and Roberts, Nairobi
North - 'A rough diamond … at all times he was good company' (Ainsworth, RH)
Red Book 1912 - T. Deacon - Kyambu
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Ukamba Area - Thomas Deacon - Farmer, Chania Bridge and Florence Deacon - Housekeeper, Chania Bridge
Gazette - 1/11/1922 - Probate and Administration - Thomas Deacon late of Matuu Estate, Machakos who died at Nairobi on 31 July 1922. Applied for by Florence Grant Deacon and Donald Grant of Matuu Estate, Machakos  
Gazette 1 Feb 1908 Thomas Deacon, Athi River, Registration of Ostrich Farmers

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