Phyllida Cockell papers: on leaving  school spent 4 years in a shipping office in Leith - John Warrack & Co. Then employed by Smith Mackenzie in E Africa. Joined Arab Rifles. Bought 2000 acres of land 20 miles from Gilgil. Rejoined Smith Mac. Spent a few years in Zanzibar under E.H. Denne. 1923 became a partner in Smith Mac. 1927 elected to Legislative Council. 1927 Taking overcharge of Smith Mackenzie's affairs was not easy. Too much credit had been allowed and strong opposition in most lines was increasing. The days of monopolies for the firm were at an end and lighterage earnings were steadily decreasing with the construction of deep water births. As new lines had to be thought out, the first that seemed obvious was marine engineering. The firm already had a small engineering workshop for their own use in order to be able to build and repair their lighterage craft and they also had a valuable plot of land with foreshore rights. The railway wanted this land but they had no powers to evict on account of the terms of the original grant which the firm had received from the government. Cumming approached the governor and after negotiations, in which the land was used as a lever, it was agreed that a lease at a nominal figure would be granted for a much larger acreage with foreshore rights and with room for expansion, in exchange for the small plot of land owned by the firm. Further, as there were really no facilities for ship repair work between Aden and Durban, Cumming went into the cost of the construction of a slipway, as it would be cheaper than a dry dock, that could lift at least 2,500 tons if necessary. Having prepared plans and received estimates as well as having worked out costs of upkeep prepared by Pauling and Co, the London partners who now consisted of WJW Nicol, J Wilson, J Buchanan and WAM Sim were approached. Others who assisted in advice were Sir Godfrey Rhodes, Mr Pollard, the chief of Pauling's engineering staff in East Africa, and Mr Mitchell, a partner in Coode, Fitzmorris and Mitchell, the Colonial Office's overseas consultants. After some delays London finally agreed to what had been put forward with the exception of the size of the slipway, which of course was the most important feature of the scheme. They suggested 500 tons as against Cumming's 2500. This started a battle between Africa and London. This rebuff however made Cumming more than ever determined to continue the fight for a larger slipway. He wrote to Lord Inchcape direct pointing out the advantages of such a slipway to the British India Company as it would save their ships so much time being off the coast when they were undergoing their annual dry docking, as to date they had to go to Bombay. Inchcape agreed and arranged to find the finance. The Marine and Engineering Company Ltd thus came into being and in a very few years proved a very good investment, but no thanks ever came to Cumming for what he did in the company's formation. In the hunt for further business the firm was made the secretary for the Bird & Co group of sisal estates covering 30,000 acres in Tanganika and Cumming was appointed chairman. At the same time he was given a seat on the board of the East African Power and Lighting Co. Other business was found by receiving and shipping of produce, such as coffee etc for upcountry export firms and planters. This helped considerably as Smith Mackenzie already handled at the port a good proportion of Uganda's cotton crop. Cumming was a member of the Port Advisory Board, the East African Shipping Board, the Town Planning Authority of Mombasa, and the Mombasa Chamber of Commerce of which he was chairman for two years Unfortunately differences increased between London and Africa over new policies and organization. Mistakes may have been made, but Cumming felt it was useless to continue to be in charge and so resigned his partnership in 1929. A year before he retired he had been made a member of the Tanganika Legislative Council.

Macmillan - 1930 - Senior Resident Partner of Smith, Mackenzie and Co.; Director of The African Marine and General Engineering Co. Ltd.

Red 22 - J. Cumming, c/o Smith Mackenzie, Zanzibar

Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Mombasa - I. Cumming - Smith Mackenzie & Co.

Dominion - 1930 - European Elected member of Legislative Council

Joelson - 1928 - Member of Legco - working hard in the interests of the coast.

Red 25 - Smith Mackenzie & Co.. President, Mombasa Chamber, Assoc. of EA Chambers of Commerce

London Gazette 1 Feb 1929 James Cumming as Consul of Norway at Mombasa for Zanzibar, Kenya & Uganda

James Cumming is listed as a member of the Magadi Defence Force in WW1.