Kenya Diary - Jan 1906 - Nandi - There is a sturdy young fellow called Ulick Burke who has been attached to my company for duty. But he is not fit enough to travel at the pace I go, neither would he be of much assistance, as he is ignorant of the rudiments of survey work, cannot talk to natives and has little or no knowledge of soldiering ........... to my astonishment, from behind the safe crept a most unkempt figure of an unattractive white woman dressed in men's clothes. "And who the devil are you?" I asked, to which the reply came "I want my husband." So I said "I'm not your husband. Who do you want?" She then said she was Mrs Burke and that she had smuggled herself up to Nandi. Not wishing to have this desperate woman in my house, I had a tent pitched for her and sent the following helio message to Burke: "A woman in man's clothes who says she is your wife has emerged from behind my office safe. Come here at once and identify her or deny her allegation by helio message." Burke arrived late this evening, identified his wife and then asked me what to do. I told him I would send her back under his escort to Kibigori tomorrow. Apparently poor Burke is terrified of the woman and she leads him a dog's life. She had the effrontery to tell me in front of her husband that if she was sent away she would go off with the first man who would take her. I told her she ought to be ashamed of herself for making such a statement to her husband, when she knew perfectly well that he was on active service. I also told her that her conduct in following her husband to Nandi was most unfair to all of us, but that her future plans were no real concern of mine. I then told Burke in front of his wife that he would be well advised to get rid of such a pestilential woman, and the sooner the better. Poor Burke is very upset and annoyed about the whole thing and I am extremely sorry for him. What a curse it must be to be tied to such a woman. (Burke took his wife to Kibigori and sent her back to Nairobi to await the end of the expedition. But the woman went as far as Naivasha, where she misbehaved herself with a local innkeeper. Burke died very shortly afterwards of kidney trouble.)

Eton (1889) - Ulick Roland Burke - Only son of B. of Broxhead Warren, Hants; has studied farming and estate management

North - Hubert E. Ulick Burke - 1st Volunteer Batt. Northamptonshire Regt. (Territorials); Honorary Lieut in Army 26-7-1902; Appt. Lieut. 3rd Batt KAR 1-9-1905; arr. Mombasa from Europe with wife 22-9-1905; Nandi Field Force, in charge of Nandi Fort Dec 1905; 1906 resident at Nairobi

Drumkey 1909 - Subaltern, 3rd K.A. Rifles - Lieut. Hubert E. U. Burke

EAHB 1906 - H.E.U. Burke, Nairobi

Barnes - EAMR has Alick H. Bourke, Private No. 449