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Name: HOBLEY, Charles William CMG 'Hobley Bobbly'
Birth Date: 1 June 1867 Nuneaton
Death Date: 31 Mar 1947 Oxted, Surrey
Nationality: British
First Date: 1890
Profession: Geologist with IBEA Co. 1890, Uganda Admin 1902, Senior PC 1912-20 Official member Legco, Commissioner of Mines at one time.
Area: HBEA 1912 Ukamba, Nairobi
Married: 1. In Chilvers Coton 15 July 1897 Edith Ellen Smith b. 13.11.1873, d. Aldeburgh 2.8.1901; 2. In Aston, Warks, 27.5.1905 Alice Mary Turner b. 28 July 1870 Perry Barr, d. 28 Dec 1940 Oxted, Surrey
Children: Frances Ellen (29.9.1906 Nairobi-1965); Charles Edward Turner (28.1.1908 Aston, Warks.-1994); John (1910)
Author: 'Kenya from Chartered Company to Crown Colony' 1929 Further Bookref: Elephant, EAHB 1906, AJ, Nicholls, EAHB 1904, EA Diary 1902, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Chandler, Red Book 1912, Red 19
Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Cuckoo, Hobley, Oscar, Oswald, Moyse, Crossroads, Cranworth, Kenya Diary, Fitzgerald, White African, Flashlight, Tignor, Roosevelt, Matson, Debrett, EAHB 1905, Red 25, EAS, Hut, North, Curtis, Playne, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, Red 22, IBEA
War Service: Uganda Mutiny Medal & Nandi Medal
School: Birmingham University AMICE
General Information:
Hobley - after a training of about 8 years in engineering, first at one of the smaller Universities and then in a well-known works, I came to realise that the prospects for a young man in England were far from promising, and, therefore, decided to seek an opportunity of going abroad. As in the course of my technical training I had done best in geology, I judged that this might become a useful avenue for my activities, and so it proved, for within a few months .......….
I thought myself fortunate in obtaining an appointment with the Imperial British East Africa Company who desired an investigation to be made into the possible occurrence of economic minerals in BEA, with special reference to the precious metals. ............. I set sail for Mombasa in April 1890 ........
I was appointed to a position of what was termed a First Class Assistant, in August 1894, and left for Mombasa, where upon arrival I received orders to proceed to Uganda and report to Sir Henry Colvile, the new Commissioner appointed by Government. A large caravan, conducted by the famous James Martin, was then fitting out, in which the late R.J.D. Macallister and F.J. Foaker were fellow travellers.
1892 - received orders at Entebbe to return to Mumias to relieve Spire. ............ My life among the Kavirondo was, howevr, growing to a close, as in 1905 Kavirondo and the Rift Valley were transferred from the Uganda Protectorate, and I found myself appointed Assistant Deputy Commissioner under Sir Charles Eliot, who was then in charge of the EA Protectorate, Mr F.J. Jackson being Deputy Commissioner. This change resulted in my removal to Naivasha, with a nominal control over the Lake Province, and my old and valued colleague, S.S. Bagge, somewhat reluctantly left Naivasha for Kisumu.
Oscar - succeeded S.L. Hinde as PC at the coast. .............. PC Coast Province 1912-21. He had worked with the company from 1890 ensuring the smooth passage of caravans from Busoga to Ravine. He had then been employed by the Uganda Protectorate, but moved to BEA when Uganda's Eastern Province was transferred to what is now Kenya, and was responsible for the boundary commission to survey the new boundaries. He was one of the few ex-company officers who met Governor Girouard's recommended standards of efficiency.
Moyse - 1895 - Capt. Cunningham withdrew troops from Bunyoro for a punitive expedition against the Nandi. At Mumia's Cunningham was joined by Capt. C.H. Sitwell (Manchester Regt.) who had been ordered to assist C.W. Hobley, the administrative officer. Lieut. Vandeleur was also involved. ..... In December 1895 Cunningham and Vandeleur left for the coast on the way to England.
Crossroads - ... Once a year the PC, C.W.Hobley, came on inspection. He had been recently appointed to the post, and was a most knowledgeable and versatile man, and deeply interested in the natives.
Kenya Diary - Apr. 1904 - Muhoroni - received a wire from Mr Hobley at Kisumu telling me that the Nandi were giving trouble at an American mission station called Kaimosi, some distance north of Kisumu, that one of their American staff was missing and that he wanted me to move up there at once with my detachment ........ such a message is ambiguous and really tells me nothing. It emanated from Hobley, who is always ambiguous in his letters and boasts of it. He prides himself in never "letting himself in". The result is that his subordinates find it most difficult to work on his orders and they have to assume the responsibility which he shirks. ..…..
I like Hobley, always known as 'Hobley Bobbley'. By profession he is a trained surveyor and geologist, and though rather a rough diamond and with all the faults of rough diamonds, he is both intelligent and well-mannered. At his work he cannot come to quick decisions and is unable to assume responsibility; he has no sense of humour and will never get very high up the official ladder.
Fitzgerald - Meteorological observations at Mumia's in 1896/97
Flashlight - 1896 - cared for C.G. Schillings at Mumias when he had the fever
Matson - (1867-1947) - joined IBEA Co. 8/3/1890 as a geologist. Most of his service had been spent in the coastal hinterland on road-making, water supplies, exploratory surveys and transport. He transferred to the Uganda Govt. on 31/8/1894 as a 1st Class assistant.
Debrett - is an engineer and geologist, an AMICE, a Fellow of Roy. Anthropological Institute, a Corresponding Fellow of Zoological Soc, a Fellow of Geological Soc. and a FRGS; entered service of Imperial British EA Co. 1890; was in service of Uganda Protectorate under Foreign Office 1894-1904, Provincial Commr., Ukamba Province 1908-12 and Seyidie Province 1912-19, Official MLC, EA Protectorate (now Kenya Colony) 1912-19, and Commr. of Mines there 1912-19; Appointed Assist. Dep. Commr. EA Protectorate 1904 (acted as Commr. 1904, as Dep. Commr. 1903-4 and 1906-7, and as Senior Commr. 1907); retired 1921; German EA Campaign 1914-15 as Political Officer to Expeditionary Force (despatches); Commr. Kenya Section British Empire Exhib. 1925; awarded Back Grant of Roy. Geographical Soc. 1915
EAHB 1905 - Geologist to the IBEA Co., March 1890; 1st class Assistant, Uganda Protectorate, Aug. 1894; Assistant Deputy Commissioner, EAP, April 1st 1902; Acting Deputy Commissioner, Oct. 15th 1903 to June 27th 1904; Acting Commissioner, June 27th to Aug. 1st 1904; Associate Member Institution of Civil Engineers; Uganda mutiny medal; Nandi medal, 1900; CMG June 1904.
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa
North - Geologist - arr. Mombasa 14/5/1890; working to cut road across Taru desert at first; On Tana river survey on the stern wheeler Kenia, started March 1891, Hameye at Aug 1891, returned overland arr. Machakos 30/11/1891; Transport Dept. Mombasa 19/3/1893, June & Aug 1893; Appt. UP 31/8/1894 as 1st Class Asst. Transport Dept.; based at Mumia's Oct 1895; home leave; arr. Zanzibar for Mombasa with wife 28/11/1897; Took over Mumia's from H.S. Tomkins 16/5/1898; District Officer Mumias July 1899; Province HQ moved to Kisumu 1900, home leave; Appt. Asst. Dep. Commissioner EAP 12/4/1902; Lumbwa, Kericho Station May 1902
Curtis - p. 127 - 'Mumias, Port Victoria, Kisumu' - Mumia's - ' ....The man in charge there from Feb. 1895 proved to be one of the more able of the Nyanza administrators. This was C.A. [sic] Hobley, who had joined the Company in 1890 as a geologist, and had spent most of his time at the coast on survey work, water supplies and road making. He had transferred to Uganda Govt. service in 1894. At Mumias his responsibilities ran from the Sio River to Eldama Ravine and from south of Kisumu to Mount Elgon. Over this area he was expected inter alia to reduce raiding, to foster the beginnings of trade and to keep open the Uganda road.
Playne - Mr Hobley is a Londoner by birth, and was born in July 1867. He was educated at Birmingham, and has been in EA since March 1890. His present position is Senior Provincial Commissioner. He has kindly written the article on the Ukamba Province. Mr Hobley was appointed geologist to the BEA Co. 1890; First Class Assistant Uganda Protectorate, 1894; Assistant Deputy Commissioner, EAP, 1902; Acting Deputy Commissioner, 1903-04; Acting Commissioner, 1904; Acting Deputy Commissioner, 1907; Commissioner of Mines, EAP. He holds the Uganda Mutiny medal, 1897-98, and the Nandi Medal, 1900, clasp 1906, and was created CMG in 1904. He is also a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
Playne - The EA and Uganda Natural History Society - '....... The credit of inaugurating the society rests with Mr C.W. Hobley, CMG, MRAnthrop.Inst., who enlisted the sympathies of his Excellency Colonel Sir James Hayes Sadler, CB, KCMG, the Governor of the EA Protectorate, the Lieut-Governor, the Hon. F.G. Jackson, CB, CMG, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Protectorate, Sir H. Hesketh Bell KCMG, the Right Hon. Lord Delamere, and other distinguished gentlemen ……
Drumkey 1909 - Cattle Brand - E6H
IBEA Co. - Nominal List of British Born Subjects resident in IBEA Territories outside the Sultans Domain, 30 April 1891 - C.W. Hobley, England, Tana Survey
Elephant - The world will always owe a debt to Mr C.W. Hobley for all he has done and is still doing, quietly, unobtrusively but efficiently, for the preservation of the wild fauna of the world. His knowledge of Natural History is very wide, and nothing is too much trouble to him when the saving of any species from extinction can be effected. He first went out to East Africa in 1890 as geologist to the Imperial British East Africa (Chartered) Company, and when the country was taken over by the British Government he joined the Service and eventually became Provincial Commissioner of the then wild Kavirondo country, now the peaceful Nyanza Province. During his term of office he managed to foster in his subordinates a sense of duty towards game preservation and build up that spirit of cooperation with the Game Department, then under Blayney Percival, which exists to this day. He was instrumental in bringing about a Conference of the Powers on the subject of Game Preservation, held under the aegis of the Colonial Office and attended by such men as Clement Hill, Buxton and Frederick Jackson.
Hobley and Sir Frederick Jackson founded the East Africa and Uganda Natural History Society, the journal of which does so much to keep the proper treatment of wild life before the East African public and to advance our knowledge of the local fauna and flora. Hobley now carries on the good work as Secretary of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire.
IBEA - General Africa Staff - Appointed 8th March 1890
Agricultural Journal 1908 - Brands allotted and registered - C.W. Hobley, Nairobi - Kiambu E6H
Nicholls - Kisumu was laid out by the PC Charles W. Hobley on the north side of Ngowe Bay on Lake Victoria, on a low, flat, grassy plain only just above flood level. The place was a death trap, swarming with mosquitoes so Hobley's successor Stephen Bagge moved the town to a healthier site on the other side of the bay in 1903-4.
North - 'to be at once dispensed with' (Mackinnon Papers) 17-6-1892; 'Rather a rough diamond …. he is both intelligent and well mannered …. he has no sense of humour and will never get very high on the official ladder' (Meinertzhagen, RH)
EA Diary 1903 - Geologist, Imperial British East Africa Co. 1900; Uganda Protectorate, 1st Class Asst. August 1894
EAHB 1907 - Sub-Commissioner - Ukamba Chandler - Long entry covering 1 1/2 pages.
Red Book 1912 - Ukamba Province - PC at Nairobi
Oswald - PC at Nairobi in 1911.
Matson - 1895 at Mumias.
EAHB 1905 - Asst. Deputy Commissioner, Kisumu
President of Mombasa Club 1917