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Name: KENEALY, Edward Maurice Vaughan 'Pat' MC (Capt.)
Photo Source: EAMR Sergeants' Mess
Birth Date: 27 Aug 1887 Cape Town
Death Date: 20 Feb 1969 Nyeri
Nationality: Irish
First Date: 1910
Last Date: 1969
Profession: Farmer
Area: 'Wankiwonky', Naro Moru
Married: 1. In Steyning 1919 Ina Bryony Teresa Joseph b. 5 Nov 1900 Brentford, d. 21 June 1971 Reading ( prev. m. to Craig and later m. George Geoffrey Steele Hutchinson 1902-1970); 2. Evelyn Frances 'Gipsy' Kidd b. 1901 Stroud, Glos., d. 1990 New Forest (prev. m. to Alan Bacchus Gordon)
Children: 1. Margaret Vaughan 'Billy' (m. Dennis C. Wheeler) (b. Kenya, d. 2005) 2. Molly Patricia (Youngs) (2 Mar 1938 Kenya-24 Feb 2011 Victoria, Australia); Pamela (m. A. Hall)
Book Reference: Gillett, Seventy, KAD, Red 25, John Carnegie, Red 31, Women 2/96, Hut, EAMR, Red 22, Dominion, Nicholls, Llewellin, SS, Leader14, Paice's Place, Red Book 1912, LG, Barnes
War Service: WW1 with EAMR - C Sqdn. 14/8/14 - L/Cpl. 1/12/14; Cpl. 16/7/15; to KAR, Gravestone says - KAR 1914-18
General Information:
Gazette 18 July 1969 - probate
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Aberdare Voters List
Letter from John Carnegie, June 1996 - Kenealy Pat - a wonderful Irishman, served in the 14-18 war in the Navy, had a loud booming voice, good at public speaking, was an MP for many years, had a small farm near ours. Had a very hard time trying to farm the wildest and most tick-infested land in the district during a slump and a series of bad droughts with locusts and every other sort of plague!
Sold out to our eccentric neighbour Francis Ryder, who later sold the land to us. ..... we all loved old Pat. There was rather a rumpus when he apparently eloped with the wife of our local parson, Padre Gordon, and bought another farm near the railway station at Naro Moru.
There were lots of zebras all round (I bet they gobbled all his grass) and he called his place "Wankie-Wonkie" because that's the noise made by a zebra! The poor old man had a stroke and could think as clearly as ever but could only make perpetual references to his 'little brother' (I don't think he ever had one) and died a few years later. It was an abominable affliction as he was very well educated and well read and was very intelligent.
His widow, who'd looked after him so well, continued to live there and raise large numbers of horses in the Irish tradition. They had an irritating habit of swarming all over the neighbours' properties and eating their fill but nobody could bear to sue her because she was so nice to everyone and kept open house for the youth of all nations who were 'seeing Africa' on the cheap and I gather that she had an enviable reputation among them all and she was known far and wide.
She never had a bean, but somehow carried on and even looked after an unfortunate sister later on, for several years, who often suffered from total loss of memory while out for a walk and the African farmers round about never robbed or ill-treated her or took advantage of her in any way, but detained her as tactfully as they could until someone with a car could take her home to 'Wankie Wonkie'.
She eventually sold the farm and went to live (I think) with relatives in the New Forest area.
Women 2/96 - Article by Monty Brown - He arrived in 1910, was then 23 years old, a wild Irishman who put his roots down in the Naro Moru District, named his place Wanky-Wonki Farm, and there remained until the end of his life in 1969. Pat was truly one of the country's great characters, and that is an understatement! ........ I only met him once, when I was about 10 years old, but even at that tender age I was aware of his reputation, and it was a formidable one. As I write this I have a photograph placed beside me in which Kenealy appears. It goes back to 1914, or is it early 1915, and shows him sitting in the front row of a group of soldiers. They were members of the Sergeants' Mess of the country's exotic regiment, the East African Mounted Rifles.
In this picture one can clearly discern his perky, self-assured face declaring his readiness for any task ahead. And indeed the task was a hard one, lasting for four years and earning him promotion and a Military Cross.
EAMR - Member of Officers and Sergeants Cricket Team - Christmas 1915 - Sergt. Kenealy
Dominion - 1930 - European Elected member of Legco
Nicholls - an outspoken stockfarmer of Nanyuki who hailed from South Africa
Soldier Settlement Scheme after WW1 - Class B - Capt. E.M.V. Kenealy, MC, c/o National Bank of India Ltd., 26 Bishopsgate, London - Farm 980 - Representative, A. Paice Esq., Rotherwick, W. Kenia
Paice's Place - Paice felt that his neighbour, E.M.V. Kenealy, sent his wife and children 'home' sailing Second Class, while Kenealy himself stayed in Nanyuki, was a telling indication of comparative poverty.
Red Book 1912 - E.M.V. Kenealy - Nyeri
London Gazette - 7 Feb 1919 - Rewards for Distinguished Service in connection with Military Operations in East Africa - MC - T/Capt. Edward Maurice Vaughan Kenealy, KAR
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kenya Area - Edward Vaughan Kenealy - Settler, West Kenya
Gazette - 26/9/1923 - Voters Register - Kenya Province - Edward Vaughan Kenealy, Settler PO Naro Moru and Mrs Bryona Teresa Vaughan Kenealy, Married woman PO Naro Moru
Naro Moru cemetery Edward Maurice Vaughn Kenealy / Captain M.C. / 1887 - 1969 / King's African Rifles 1914 - 1918 / Kenya Legislative Council / 1921 - 1929 / Wanki - Wonki Farm, Naro Moru / 1910 - 1969 / this was a brave man
One of the earliest settlers in the Nanyuki area in 1910. EAMR - Photo - Sergeants' Mess
Gazette 28 Mar 1969 probate