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Name: CANE, Charles Hudson Boileau (Col.)
Birth Date: 1867 Weston, Notts.
Death Date: 12 Nov 1943 East Bergholt
First Date: 1914
Last Date: 1943
Profession: Farmer, Bought Three Tree Hill Farm at Limuru, so named for the three huge Muna trees that grew on it, and on the farm built the Three Tree Hotel. When the name was changed to Brackenhurst one of the trees fell down, perhaps in protest
Area: Limuru. Red 25 - JP, Kiambu, Naivasha
Married: In Scarborough 1902 Violet Marian Cane [sic] - gifted needlewoman/tapestry worker, b. 17 Apr 1872 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, d. 21 Aug 1959 Kiambu
Children: Alicia Margaret Violet 'Margot' (Howard) (22 May 1903 Rydal, Westmorland-1990 Limuru)
Book Reference: Gillett, Seventy, Verandah, Frampton, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, Pioneers, Gazette, Medals, Barnes, Red 19
War Service: Served as a Censor during WW1
School: Rossall, Pembroke Coll. Cambridge
General Information:
He farmed at Limuru, managed the famous Brackenhurst Hotel there. His wife, Violet Marian was a gifted needlewoman and tapestry worker, and many of her decorated fabrics enriched and beautified the hotel. She was also a keen gardener and her artistically arranged vases of flowers were the admiration of many.
KAD 1922 - Committee Member, Limuru Sports Club
Red 22 - B. Hudson Cane, Limuru
Pioneers - Limuru - Three Tree Farm - Margot Howard - We bought Three Tree Farm from a Mr & Mrs Major in 1914. Mr Major met us at the station with a buggy drawn by two horses. It was dark and misty, and he had enjoyed a long wait in Holmes' store, which possessed a bar. He threw us into the buggy and scarmbled into the driver's seat and off we went. One of the horses had been attacked by a lion, had huge claw marks on its back and was terrified of the dark - so were we. It is justifiable to say that there were no roads: only tracks of red mud which became worse during the rains. And how it rained! My mother, who was an Australian, soon cleaned up the little house, removed monkey cages from the verandah, and proceeded to plant maize and vegetables while my father, after war broke out, became a censor in Nairobi.
Pioneers - Limuru - Three Trees Farm - Margot Howard (née Cane) - WW1 - The owner of the next door farm, Mrs Hirtzel, asked if she could come and live at Three Trees Farm as she hated being alone. My mother was delighted, and the fundi built the first round cottage at Brackenhurst. The two women then decided to take convalescent officers as non-paying guests. So more cottages were built, until we were quite a large household.
Pioneers - Sir John Hewett - The Canes lived at Three Tree Hill , later Brackenhurst. I remember one day riding up to Three Tree Hill (named after three huge muna trees which guided wagons trekking from Nairobi) and hearing a series of detonations. I saw a European lady fiddling with something on the ground, then putting up an umbrella and running like a hare. Before she had gone more than a few yards four detonators went off in quick succession and rocks flew in all directions. This was Mrs Cane blasting rock to make the road and saving on fuse wire, which was very difficult to come by.
Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Dagoretti - C.H.B. Cane
Medals - East Africa Censors Department - Charles H.B. Cane, EA Unattached List, Second Lieutenant
Limuru cemetery - Charles Hudson Boileau Cane, 1867 - 1943, Hudson Cane Brackenhurst Limuru
Gazette - 29/10/1919 - Register of Voters - Kikuyu - Charles Hudson Boileau Cane, Farmer, Limoru and Violet Marion Cane, Farmer, Limoru
Red Book 1919 - Hudson Cane - Settler - Limuru
Gazette - 15/11/1927 - Application for General Retail & Hotel Liquor Licence - Mr Hudson Cane - Brackenhurst Hotel, Limuru - Transfer of Licence from J F Low
Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Kiambu Voters List
Red Book 1919 - C H B Caine - Settler - Naivasha
Red Book 1919 - Limuru Farmers' Association - Hon. Secretary - C.H.B. Caine [sic]
Cambridge Univ. Alumni: pens. (age 19) at PEMBROKE, Oct. 1, 1886. S. and h. of John Brettle (next), R. of Weston, near Newark. B. there. School, Rossall. Matric. Michs. 1886; B.A. 1890. For some time on a Royal Agricultural Society experimental farm. (Rossall Sch. Reg.)
www.brackenhurst.com/history The Canes bought 157 acres of land from Charles Major for £500. It was s called Three Tree Farm because of three tall muna trees that stood on the ridge just behind the staff houses. Cane was a talented musician and his wife a keen gardener. He worked as a censor in the Nairobi Post Office during World War I and occasionally bicycled home. His wife began a profitable business growing vegetables. During the war the Canes began to take in soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses to give them a brief holiday and a few more cottages were built. After the war government personnel came to Brackenhurst awaiting the departure of ships and missionary friends also began coming for rest. A spacious dining room was built on the pattern of an old English tithe barn for which A.B. McDonell, a neighbour and talented building designer, drew the plans. The place was able to accommodate about 100 guests. The Cane's daughter and son-in-law who lived nearby assisted with the management and later moved into the lodge. Brackenhurst grew in popularity as a leave centre and eventually began taking in paying guests. Full board was provided for seven shillings. The hotel became the social centre of the community where they played games, danced and enjoyed good fellowship. In 1944 a corporation was formed and the property was sold, with Block Hotels as managers, although the Canes retained an interest in the hotel. By this time there was an 18-hole golf course which was later downsized to nine holes. In June 1964 the hotel was closed and bought by the Baptist Mission of Kenya for use as a Christian Conference centre.