Charles William Hobley
Encyclopedia
Charles William Hobley, CMG
(b. Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire
, England
in 1867; d. Oxted
, Surrey
on 31 March 1947) — known as C. W. Hobley — was a pioneering British Colonial administrator in Kenya
. He served the Colonial Service
in Kenya from 1894 until his retirement in 1921 and published a number of monograph
s on a variety of subjects.
(now the University of Birmingham
). Sent to Mombasa
by the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1890, he served as Transport Superintendent at the coast, but left the company after three years. Within a year, however, he had become a First Class Assistant under the Foreign Office and served the British government in Kenya from that point on. He undertook a general tour of the whole of the Central African Lake Region (1895-96) and first arrived at Mumia's in February 1895, where he established a British administration station along Sclater's Road. In 1896, he became the first European to circumambulate Mount Elgon
and the same year he arrived in the Kano Plains/Kisumu
area. He oversaw a number of punitive expedition
s (1894-1908) which were carried out to pacify hostile natives. In 1905, he married Alice Mary Turner. Ultimately, Hobley became Provincial Commissioner of Kavirondo Region (later called Nyanza Province
) and later (circa 1909) sub-commissioner of Ukamba Province (stationed in Nairobi
).
He retired from the Foreign Service
in 1921.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(b. Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1867; d. Oxted
Oxted
Oxted is a commuter town in Surrey, England at the foot of the North Downs, north of East Grinstead and south-east of Croydon.- History :The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 31 March 1947) — known as C. W. Hobley — was a pioneering British Colonial administrator in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He served the Colonial Service
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
in Kenya from 1894 until his retirement in 1921 and published a number of monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s on a variety of subjects.
Biography
Hobley underwent technical education in engineering at Mason Science CollegeMason Science College
Mason Science College was founded by Josiah Mason in 1875, the buildings of which were opened in Edmund Street, Birmingham, England on 1 October 1880 by Thomas Henry Huxley...
(now the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
). Sent to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
by the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1890, he served as Transport Superintendent at the coast, but left the company after three years. Within a year, however, he had become a First Class Assistant under the Foreign Office and served the British government in Kenya from that point on. He undertook a general tour of the whole of the Central African Lake Region (1895-96) and first arrived at Mumia's in February 1895, where he established a British administration station along Sclater's Road. In 1896, he became the first European to circumambulate Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
and the same year he arrived in the Kano Plains/Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
area. He oversaw a number of punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
s (1894-1908) which were carried out to pacify hostile natives. In 1905, he married Alice Mary Turner. Ultimately, Hobley became Provincial Commissioner of Kavirondo Region (later called Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province of Kenya, is one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces. It is located in the southwest part of Kenya around Lake Victoria. Nyanza includes part of the eastern edge of Lake Victoria and is inhabited predominantly by the Luo. There are also Bantu-speaking tribes such as the...
) and later (circa 1909) sub-commissioner of Ukamba Province (stationed in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
).
He retired from the Foreign Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
in 1921.
Publications
Something of a polymath, C.W. Hobley published on a wide variety of subjects.- Hobley, C. W., “Eastern Uganda, an Ethnological Survey” Anthrop. Inst., Occasional Papers, No. I, London, 1902.
- Hobley, C. W., 1903, “Notes Concerning the Eldorobo of Mau, East Africa”, ManMan (journal)Man was a journal of anthropological research, published in London between 1901–1994 by the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. For first sixty-three volumes from its inception in 1901 up to 1963 it was issued on a monthly basis, moving to bi-monthly issue for the...
, 3.17:33-35. - Hobley, Charles William , Ethnology of Akamba and other East African Tribes, Cambridge: The University Press, 1910; Reprinted 1971, London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. (Series: Cass Library of African Studies: General Studies No. 96).
- Hobley, Charles William, Bantu Beliefs and Magic with Particular Reference to the Kikuyu and Kamba Tribes of Kenya Colony, Together with Some Reflections on East Africa After the War (1922, Reprinted 1938, New York: Barnes & Noble; Reprinted 1967, London: Cass; Reprinted 1992, London: H. F. & G. Witherby).
- Hobley, C. W., Kenya: From Chartered Company to Crown Colony, Thirty Years of Exploration and Administration in British East Africa (1929; Reprinted 1970, London: Frank Cass, with new introduction).
- Hobley, C. W., "Soil Erosion: A Problem in Human Geography", A Paper Read at the Afternoon Meeting of the [?Royal Geographical] Society on 8 May 1933, Geographical Review 82 (1933): 139-46.
- Hobley, C. W., "The Preservation of Wild Life in the Empire", Afr Aff (Lond), 1935, XXXIV: 403-407.
- Hobley, C. W., "Inland Waters of Africa", Afr Aff (Lond), 1935, XXXIV: 469-470.
External links
- Obituary Nature 159, 768-769 (07 June 1947); doi:10.1038/159768b0