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Name: RAWLINS, Eileen Mary Elizabeth, Mrs
Nee: Bowers, sister of Mary Patricia Philomena Bowers
Birth Date: 14.1.1895 Dublin
Death Date: 2.11.1961 Lambeth
First Date: 1930
Area: Box 111, Nairobi
Married: 1. Guy Vernon Champion Rawlins (b. 1885, d. 30.1.1919 of war wounds); 2. Thomas Legerwood Hately (1877-1957)
Book Reference: Red 31
General Information:
Penelope Deubel: Her first husband was killed in action in the Somme, France. Some friends of the family (unfortunately I do not know the name) had settled in Kenya and invited Eileen to stay with them hoping it would help her grieving. I would imagine she would not have travelled until the end of WWI when it was safe again for passenger ships so would have arrived in about 1920 ?….or possibly later after the death of her mother in 1924. Eileen wanted to work and found employment with Whiteaway Laidlaw & co.Ltd; in Nairobi (capacity unknown) In the entry for Thomas Hately it is mentioned that he was involved in Whiteaways. Later Eileen married Thomas Legerwood Hately [see his entry] (known to family and friends as Tamas), a divorced Scot. When he retired, he and Eileen bought a farm at Kiganjo with beautiful views of Mt Kenya and on the edge of the forest with a lovely river - perfect for the fly fishing they both so loved. However they went to England when Mau Mau activity in that area became too dangerous and unpleasant…Must have left for England in 1953 / 4 ? hoping to return but Thomas died there in November 1957 and Eileen on 02.11.1960.