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Name: NOON, John Henry Smalley 'Harry'

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Birth Date: 1882 Eastwood, Notts.

Death Date: 7.8.1946 Mombasa

First Date: 1908

Last Date: 1946

Profession: Served with BEA Police and later Transport Officer with PWD for about 36 years. They built the Salisbury Hotel, Nairobi, in 1919 and also built the first public swimming pool in the colony. Later owned Westwood Park Hotel & Nyali Beach Hotel

Area: Nairobi, Red 25 - PWD, Nairobi, 1930 Box 509, Nbi.

Married: In Kenya Dec 1913 Eva Maud Thomas b. 6 Aug 1881 Newport, Wales, d. 24 Oct 1959 Nairobi, went to EA with 1st husband Tom Begbie in 1912

Children: stepson: Alexander Mortimer Thomas Begbie Noon (1910-1982); Mollie Burnside Begbie Noon (1907-1984); Nona Winifred (Colpoys) (1922-1997)

Book Reference: Gillett, Kenya - A New Nation, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Red 22, Gazette, Dominion, Leader14, Barnes, Richardson, Red Book 1912, Red 19

General Information:

HBEA 1912 - Transport Assistant, Nairobi
Kenya - A New Nation - When, in 1912, Mr Harry Noon paid a £5 deposit on a plot of land in Nairobi the payment marked the beginning of a story of a group of hotels starting with the Salisbury, followed by Westwwod Park, and ending with the Nyali Beach Hotel at the Coast. Mr & Mrs Noon began their career with the wood and iron building of Salisbury Hotel which housed 14 guests. The venture was so successful that the property of 1 1/4 acres soon extended to 10 acres, new buildings and subsequently a £14,000 swimming pool. When the Baroness von Blixen decided to dispose of Westwood Park the Noons bought the property and converted the buildings into the popular Westwood Park Hotel. During WW2 both hotels were requisitioned; the Salisbury was used as an officer's mess and Kenton College moved to Westwood Park. As the war progressed Government promised assistance to anyone adventurous enough to start an hotel at the Coast for the use of Civil Servants who, for obvious reasons, could no longer take leave in Britain. The Noons sold their up-country hotels and putting all their eggs into one basket began a task of construction that was to take 3 years to complete. And so the Nyali Beach Hotel was built and now stands not only as a symbol of personal endeavour but as one of the finest hotels of its kind in Africa.
KAD 1922 - Animal Transport Officer, PWD, Nairobi
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Nairobi District - J.H. Noon, Transport Officer
Dominion - Public Works Department - Government Transport - Transport Officer - 1930
Barnes - Mombasa Cemetery - John Henry Noon, died 7 Aug 1946 age 64, Nyali Hotel, Bronchial Asthma
Richardson 1929 - passenger on Llandaff Castle to Mombasa
Red Book 1912 - J.H. Noon - Kyambu
Gazette - 12/11/1919 - Register of Voters - Nairobi, North Area - John Henry Smalley Noon - Government Transport Officer, Kabete Road
Red Book 1919 - Transport Dept. - Asst. Transport Officer - Nairobi - J.H. Noon
Gazette - Voters List 1936 - John Henry Smalley Noon, Govt. Transport Officer, Crooked Lane, Nbi

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