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Name: LE BRETON, Francis Hemery MC 'Frank' (Lieut. Col.)

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Nee: bro of John Glossop Bythesea Le Breton

Birth Date: 27 Dec 1889 Torquay, Devon

Death Date: 2 Feb 1973 Fulham, London

First Date: 1921

Last Date: 1969

Profession: Farmer.

Area: 1921 'Kitani Estate', Soy, 1932 'Kimwondo', Endebess, Kitale

Married: In Petersfield 27 Sep 1927 Elisabeth Christel Rochfort 'Peter' Trevor-Battye b. 22 Sep 1904 Chilbolton, d. 28 Jan 1994 Winchester

Children: David Francis Battye (2 Mar 1931 Kensington-2023); Elisabeth Daffodil (6 Apr 1934, m. in 1956 Harry W. Richmond); Robin John Graham (26 June 1941)

Author: 'Up Country Swahili'

Book Reference: EAWL, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Who's Who 63, Nicholls, Burke, SS, Richardson, Childhood

War Service: WW1 - Royal Field Artillery, France - wounded twice. WW2 EA Coast Defence Battery, Pioneer Corps, Labour Corps

School: Charterhouse School and Switzerland, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich

General Information:

Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Trans Nzoia Voters List
Frank Le Breton went to Kenya under 1921 Soldier/Settler scheme and established a farm near Soy/Hoey's Bridge called 'Kitani'. His partner was F.A. Waldock but he left Kenya in about 1925 to take over a tea planting company in Ceylon.
Frank Le Breton took part in the Kakamega gold rush, 1929/30. He wrote and published in 1936 "Up Country Swahili" which over the next 30 years sold nearly 100, 000 copies. In 1932 he and his wife moved to Mt. Elgon above Endebess where they lived until they left Kenya in 1969. In 1950s he was for a short while acting Member of Legco for Trans Nzoia;
Chairman for many years of the Trans Nzoia Association; Member of the Colony's Land Control Board.
His wife "Peter" Le Breton was District Vice President for Trans Nzoia of EAWL in 1950s. She had been born in Chilbolton, Hants on 27/9/04. She married him in 1927 and went to Kenya that year. Source - David F.B. Le Breton
Soldier Settlement Scheme after WW1 - Class B - Major F.H. Le Breton, MC, Loders Court, Bridport, Dorset - Farm 1115
Richardson 1925 - Nairobi station - " … Major le Breton who is going touring with us …."
Richardson 1929 - Soy - "From here we went 13 miles to Major Le Breton's house on the Kitani Estate 3 miles beyond the Nzoia river……… dine with them …. He seems to have made a success of his planting. We had quite a cheery evening with singing and vingt-un, for Mrs Le Breton has an exceptionally good piano. "
Red 25 - Honorary Permit Issuer
Elisabeth Le Breton - wrote 'The Up-Country Child' - hints on health, education and other matters of interest to those bringing up their children in East Africa. Her son David says (2014) - "My mother wished that she had never written this booklet and let my father print it as a companion to his 'Up-Country Swahili' which was an undoubted success. There were bits that were out-dated and inappropriate in the 1950s.
Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Plateau North - Major Francis Hemery Le Breton, Farmer PO Soy

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