View entry
Name: LEAKEY, Harry (Rev. Canon)
Nee: 4th son of James Shirley Leakey of Reading, bro of Arundell and cousin of Ernest, frederick and Richard
Birth Date: 11.3.1868 Le Havre, France
Death Date: 23.6.1940 Limuru
Nationality: British
First Date: 1902 January
Profession: CMS Missionary
Area: Kikuyu, 1922 Kabete
Married: In Reading 21 Aug 1899 Mary Bazett (arrived 1892) b.18 Nov 1866 Reading, d. 11.2.1948 Limuru
Children: Julia Mary Bazett (Barham) (17 May 1900 New Cross, London-1985 Bromley); John George (1901 London-1901);Gladys Sybil Bazett (Beecher) (9 Aug 1901 Reading-10 Apr 1982 Nairobi); Louis Seymour Bazett (7 Aug 1903 Kabete-1 Oct 1972 Chelsea); Mary (1905 London-1905); Douglas Gray Bazett (10.10.1907 Kabete-17 Jan 1980 Bagtor, Devon)
Book Reference: EAHB 1905, KAD, Red 25, Hut, North, Pioneers, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, Red 22, EAHB 1906, CMS, Nicholls, Alumni, Foster, Medals, EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, SKP, Barnes, Kenya Past & Present
School: Reading School and Peterhouse, Cambridge
General Information:
SE - Rev. H. Leakey - Kikuyu - July 1907
Drumkey 1909 - CMS Kikuyu - Rev. H. & Mrs Leakey
Pioneers - Kabete - Canon and Mrs Leakey (he was then the Rev. Harry Leakey) arrived there in 1902 with their two baby daughters, travelling on foot and by hammock from Kikuyu Station, 6 miles away. Their first home was a mud and thatch hut, but a stone house was built in 1906. The late Dr. Louis Leakey, the anthropologist, was born there, and also his brother, Douglas, formerly of the Forest Dept.
In 1904 Canon Leakey took 12 boys into a Mission hut to be educated. One of them was to become Chief Josiah Njonjo, ………… Another was Paul Likimani, the first Maasai to seek education after working for Lord Delamere at Gilgil. He was the father of Dr. Jason Likimani, former Director of Medical Services. Canon Leakey planted strawberries at Kabete and put sticks to hold netting over them. Those sticks grew into large mugumu trees and can still be seen at the Mary Leakey Girl's School.
Pioneers - Sir John Hewett - On one occasion the first Mrs Leakey, Canon Leakey's wife, took a rickshaw from the Stanley Hotel. All the way the rickshaw men chanted their songs of the fat old cow they were pushing up-hill. On arrival they held out their hands for baksheesh. Alas, Mrs Leakey understood Kikuyu. In her turn she chanted: 'The fat old cow is dry.'
CMS - 1901 - Age 33. Of New Cross SE. Curate of St. James's Hatcham. Born at Le Havre, France. Reading School; St. Peters Coll. and Ridley Hall, Camb.; MA. Schoolmaster and Private Tutor. 1898 Deacon and 1899 Priest by Bp. Roch. 1896 offer withdrawn. 1900 re-offered; Dec 4 Accepted as Missionary CMS 1901 Dec 7 Depart for E. Africa Mission - Kikuyu. Cousin of Richard Herbert Leakey CMS Missionary to Uganda. Married 1899 Aug 21. M. Bazett
Nicholls - he listened to African grievances and vigorously opposed the soldier-settler scheme because it removed more land from Africans.
Medals - East African Political Department - H. Leakey, Honorary Captain
North - Appt. Visiting Justice Nairobi Prison 15-10-1903; At Nairobi - 'on verge …. of a complete nervous collapse' (W. McGregor-Ross, RH) 16-11-1904
Foster - served as nominated Member representing Native interests on Legco; served twice on the Executive Council; He purchased an estate at Limuru for his retirement and farmed pyrethrum.
SKP - 1938 - Society of Kenya Pioneers - over 30 years in Colony - arrived 1902
All Saints, Limuru cemetery - Harry Leakey, MA, Canon of Mombasa, 11 Mar 1868 - 23 Jun 1940
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kikuyu - Harry Leakey, Canon, Missionary, CMS, Kabete and Mary Leakey, Married, CMS, Kabete
Kenya Past & Present 7 - 1976 - Reflections of Early Kenya - Josiah Njonjo - 'Q - What did the people think about Canon Leakey? - A. They liked him more than any of the other missionaries. He was very clever. I would not call him cunning. He came with all his heart to teach the word of God not to grab land. He just used the land that Mr McGregor bought. He could have taken more land when it was being given out to Europeans but he did not. Q. - What did people call him - A. "Giteru" - big beard. We also speak of him as the "Light of Kikuyu" because he brought the shine, the light. He brought Christianity. He was perfect. He and his wife, Mary Leakey worked hard. They were and are loved by the Kikuyu. There is no question about how much they meant to us. Even now we have given our girls' school the name of Mary Leakey.'
Red 25 - Rev. Canon H. Leakey.
North - Kikuyu Mission Kabete; Appt. Visiting Justice Nairobi Prison 15/10/1903; Kikuyu 1904
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Kiambu Voters Roll
Cambridge Univ. Alumni Harry. LeakeyCollegePETERHOUSEEnteredMichs. 1888 Born Mar. 11, 1868 DiedJune 23, 1940 Adm./A pens. at PETERHOUSE, Oct. 21, 1888. [4th] s. of James Shirley, Esq., barrister, deceased. Of Reading. B. Mar. 11, 1868, at Havre, France. School, Reading. Matric./A Michs. 1888; B.A. 1891; M.A. 1895. Ord. deacon (Rochester) 1898; priest, 1899; C. of St James's, Hatcham, Kent, 1898-1900. C.M.S. Missionary at Kabete, Kenya, 1901-30; at Limoru, 1931-3. Secretary, C.M.S. Kenya Mission, 1929-30. Hon. Canon of Mombasa Cathedral. Translated St Matthew's and St Luke's Gospels, the Book of Common Prayer and parts of the Bible into the Kikuyu language, 1914-36. Died June 23, 1940, at Limoru, Kenya. Brother of Arundell (1877). (IT. A. Walker/I, 604; ICrockford; The Times/I, June 28, 1940.)