Papers of the Njoro Settlers' Association

Farm records (1915-1922), minute books (1921-1966), correspondence (1929-1961).

On the 30 October 1921 a General Meeting was held in the Club House at Njoro, Kenya. The object of this meeting, which was chaired by Lord Francis Scott, was to form an association that would enable the residents "to do something concrete to help themselves and their country" and to afford more tangible support to their Representative on the Legislative Council. The new association was named the Njoro European Association; in April 1928 the name was changed to the Njoro Settlers' Association. Lord Francis Scott was elected President and Captain L.A. Spiers became Honorary Secretary.

The Rules stated that the Association was founded "to advance and protect the general interests of European Residents in the Njoro District of Kenya Colony". These interests were in the main agricultural; they included such matters as control of land and water resources, postal and telephone services, town and road planning, and local government and constitutional development.

Lord Francis Scott retired from the Presidency in February 1927 but remained closely linked with the Association. E.H. Wright became President, and in the following year J. Kinsey was elected Honorary Secretary. These two men held office for nearly 20 years, retiring in February 1946. A paid Secretary was then appointed and the new President was Captain Spiers who held office until his death in 1956.

Minutes of an Executive Committee meeting held on the 4 May 1966 refer to the question of the future of the Association and the possibility of its amalgamation with the Kenya National Farmers' Union. These minutes are the latest record in the collection.

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Collection level description created by Marion Lowman, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House.

The library holds a card index of all manuscript collections in its reading room and a handlist is also available for this collection.

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