  
THE WILL/FAMILY TRUST OF JAMES BALLENY ELKINGTON
I JAMES BALLENY ELKINGTON of 128 Newhall Street Birmingham Esquire hereby revoke all former wills codicils and testamentary instruments made by me and declare this to be my last will. I appoint my wife Emily Elkington and my son George Meredith Elkington of Westfield Road Edgbaston Birmingham Esquire and my nephew Gerard Bartleet Elkington of 19 Randolph Road Kensington London Esquire (hereinafter called my trustees) Executors and Trustees of this my will:
James B. left all his household effects including (jewellery & pictures) to his wife Emily during her widowhood with the request that all were well insured against lost or damage by fire and after her death or should she re-marry, these will revert back to the James Balleny Family Trust. He also left two hundred pounds to be paid to his wife within three months of his death. Emily Elkington also received an annuity of five hundred pounds free of all death duties payable during her widowerhood commencing from the death of James B. Elkington 7th August 1907.
James Balleny Elkington left all his real estates of every tenure wherever situated including real or personal estates over which he had any general power of appointing or disposition by will unto the use of his trustees, their heirs (Emily Elkington in her widowhood, George Meredith Elkington, James Llewellyn Meredith Elkington his wife Rachel Kavanagh and daughter Margaret K. Elkington).
Witnesses Henry Reeves 93 Eaton Terrace London SW Lodging Housekeepers and Alice Ann Reeves 93 Eaton Terrace S.W. Lodging Housekeepers.
On the 7th day of August 1907 the Probate of the Will was granted to Emily Elkington, George Meredith Elkington and Gerard Bartleet Elkington the Executors
George Meredith Elkington died 1913, Emily Elkington died 1921, Gerard Bartleet Elkington died 1933; James L.M. Elkington died 1925 NAIVASHA Kenya Still no death certificate of James L M. Elkington or where he is actually buried Rachel Kavanagh Elkington died 1964 Nairobi Kenya, buried at St Mary’s Parish Lower Kabete/Nairobi. Margaret Kavanagh Elkington??????? Still searching for true information!
JAMES LLEWELLYN MEREDITH ELKINGTON I JAMES LLEWELLYN MEREDITH ELKINGTON of Bussilunghun Elmenteita Kenya Colony hereby revoked all previous wills and appointed his friends Hugh Cholmondeley Lord Delemere of Elmenteita and William Woolley of Derby Solicitor to be Executors and Trustees of his will.
“I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever or over which I have any power of disposition unto my wife Rachael Kavanagh Elkington and my daughter Margaret Elkington in equal shares and proportions and in the event of either of them predeceasing me I give the share of the estate of the one dying to the survivor of them absolutely. IN WITNESS whereof I have hereto set my hand this twenty seventh ay of October one thousand nine hundred and twenty one – JAMES L M ELKINGTON - and signed by James Llewellyn Meredith Elkington as and for his last will in the presence of us both present at the same time who at the request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereto subscribed our names as witnesses JAMES A STEEL Asst Manager St Pancras Hotel EW1—ERNEST WILLIAM LESLIE HOLE (Clerk) Midland Grand Hotel St Pancras EW1
James Llewellyn Meredith of Bussilunghun Elmenteita, Kenya Colony British East Africa died on 22 day of February 1925 at Kinangop NAIVASHA British East Africa
On the 12th March 1926 Probate of the will was granted to William Woolley of 40 St Mary’s Gate Solicitor one of the executors.
JAMES LLEWELLYN MEREDITH ELKINGTON
James Llewellyn Meredith Elkington´s Family History James Llewellyn Meredith born on 16.4.1875 in Brighton, Sussex, was the younger son of James Balleny Elkington (1830-1907) and Margaret Elkington (1834-1886). James Balleny was the third son of George Richards Elkington (1801-1865), and the founder of one of the finest sliver plating businesses in England. and Mary Auster Balleny (1803-1858) Elkington.
Howard 1835-1898 became a director of his father´s Elkington & Co, in Birmingham in 1851 and was sent to open the new Copper-Smelting Works at Prembrey with Josiah Mason and Henry Elkington. He lived in a house called Plas Newydd and a couple of years later joined by his older brother James Balleny who lived in a house called Pembrey House.
On 12 June 1888, when James Balleny was 58, he married his second wife Emily Jane Hilbers Sussex, daughter of George James Hilbers, J.P., in St. Patrick's Brighton. Emily Jane born about 1830 descended from Edward III. Emily Jane Elkington died in Godstone on 31 August 1921.
James` Older Brother James (known as Jim in Kenya), had an older brother called George Meredith (1863-1913) was born in Dell Cottage, Northfields, Worcester. George Meredith died in Ramsgate on 13 Feb 1913, he was 50 years old.
He worked as a chemist for Elkington & Co Ltd which was formed on 18 May 1887; he like the rest of his five uncles and Cousin Herbert Frederick Elkington also owned one share only of The Elkington & Co Ltd. He was educated at Uppingham and spent time at the School of Mines.
On 7th September 1886 when George Meredith was 22, he married Fanny Bigg, daughter of John Capron Bigg, in Holy Trinity, Ramsgate. Fanny was born about 1863 and died on 10th March 1915. There was no mention of any children
James´ Childhood/Education. Sadly James´s mother, Margaret died in 1886 at (Permbrey House) when he was only 11 years old. At his father´s death in 1907, James also adopted his mother´s maiden name "Meredith" in order to difference them from the rest of the Elkingtons.
James attended Eton College from September 1888 to 1892. He was a member of the Shooting VIII in 1891 and in 1892 he rowed in the Procession of Boats, suggesting some ability as an oarsman.
James´ Career/Marriage
On leaving Eton took no interest in the family business but apparently took a part time interest in military matters being listed as an officer in the Militia Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment for a couple of years.
In 1895 when James was 20, he married Rachel Kavanagh, in Hereford. They had one child, a daughter called Margaret born the same year.
James Migrates to Kenya
James, his wife Rachael and daughter Margaret were lured to Kenya by the fantastic tales of the spectacular scenery and the abundant panorama of the various animals in their natural habitat. They arrived in Kenya on 27 July 1905. The land for the British subjects and other Europeans was very cheap, with good loans and cheap labour. But they were not told of the perilous natural disasters of severe droughts, floods, army worms and locusts which could devour crops within days and serious human and animal diseases which could suddenly kill animals and people in great numbers, especially horses were extremely vulnerable, that people were forced to revert using ox-carts as main means of transport instead of the horses and coach the Elkingtons´ thought would be in great demand.
Cousin Ernest Howard Armstrong Elkington Joins him in Kenya
It was at this stage that Ernest Howard Armstrong Elkington James's favorite, cousin decided to join them and arrived in Kenya on 1st January 1906 only to find the scheme of his cousins was not as prosperous they had planned or expected.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Howard joined the B.E.A. Veterinary Corps as a Corporal and James, probably because of his previous military experience, was commissioned in the B.E.A. Transport Corps. A little old for active service he appears to have spent most of the war in the Censors Office in Nairobi.
The Elkington Family were well received in the highest circles
The young Elkington Family had great plans to establish a farm and also rear horses for sale, as during that period there were no motor vehicles in Kenya. They arrived in Mombasa in July 1905 and acquired a small holding in Kericho at a place called Sixty-Four ( Eldoret). At this period the Elkingtons were very well received in the highest circles due to their World famous electro-plating family business background and also their adventurous pioneering spirits. It is stated that they used to entertain royalties and high British Government Dignitaries. The Elkington Lion  The Elkington`s James known as “Jim” wife Rachel and only child Margaret arrived in Kenya on 27 July 1905, followed by his older Cousin Ernest Howard Armstrong Elkington on 1st January 1906 who were lured to BEA by their Etonian friends; Lord Delemare, Grant, Carven to witness the fantastic Tales of the spectacular scenery and the abundant panorama of the various animals and other strange wild species of wildlife at their natural habitat. They resided at a small holding in Kericho, at a place known as 64, whose nearest neighbour were Lord Hugh Delemare and Charles Clutterbuck a good horse trainer and farmer who had a daughter called Beryl and behind the work shed of the Elkington`s residence was a Hindu Blacksmith called Bison Singh. The Elkington`s had planned to start a horse and coach business as this was the main means of transport during this period but due to serious human and animal diseases which killed hundreds of both men and beast, the scheme in Kenya was thwarted added to this the following occurred: A Royal Safari Hunting Party accidentally killed a lioness which was still suckling her 3 baby cubs, they were extremely sad at this mishap and decided to take these cubs to the British Zoo but unfortunately the crates which were ordered for the transport proved too large for the railway carriage and hence they were left behind. Rachel known s “Mrs. Jim” hearing of this sad incident decided to adopt the 3 cubs but shortly upon arrival at the Elkington Farm, 2 cubs died of fever and only one was left which they named Paddy. Paddy was a very lively and playful cub who was much loved and had the free run of the property but as the months flew by he got bigger and stronger but still everyone thought that once a lion cub having being raised by humans from the start could be considered to be tame, however this was proved very wrong: Charles Clutterbuck and his young daughter Beryl, known in most of the books as Beryl Markham came to buy some horses whilst her father and Jim were discussing business she walked around the property when she suddenly sensed danger but she had the good sense of mind not to run but kept walking and singing whilst the danger “Paddy the Lion” was creeping closer and closer, luckily the Black Smith, Bison Singh noted the danger and shouted on top of his voice which brought people running from all directions including Bwana Elkington who came running with the whip in his hand, saw Beryl already on the ground and the Paddy ready for the kill, he dashed with only the whip as his weapon and somehow managed to distract the Lion from the young Girl but instead found he had became the prey so he threw the whip down and ran as fast as he could and climbed the nearest tree! Paddy the Lion suddenly came to his senses and ran away! –But it is said that within 36 hours he had killed a horse, an ox and a cow. Beryl was carried by Bishon Singh to the Elkington`s home stand where the scratches on her legs were taken care off, but Paddy the Lion’s life changed forever as he was caged until he was put to sleep after “Jim’s untimely and mysterious death in 1925. The Elkington family “Jim” moved to Masara in Nairobi where he started his Masara Hunt Club whist his cousin Ernest bought a farm in Kamiti on the outskirts of Nairobi where he married a Kenyan wife and raised 6 children 4 sons and 2 daughters. Beryl born 26 Oct 1902 Leicester died 3 August 1986 Nairobi. Her mother was called Clara and only sibling a brother called Richard who resided in England. The family came to Kenya in 1905 It is said that Beryl’s first language was Swahili and that she did not go to school until the age of 13 but left at 17 since she did not like the school life. A tutor was employed but soon left as Beryl rarely turned up for her lessons Charles Clutterbuck moved to Peru as his business went bankrupt but his daughter Beryl refused to go with him, went to Molo instead where she obtained a Horse Trainer’s License before marrying a Scots rugby player called Jock Purves whom she divorced in 1924. . Three years later she married Mansfield Markham and after their Paris honeymoon they lived a society life in London for 6 months before returning to Kenya where her son was born in 1929 but sadly he sustained some injuries during birth and had to undergo several operation before being sent to England for the best possible treat and shortly after this Beryl divorced her 2nd husband. Through assistance from amongst them Denys Finch Hatton Beryl managed to obtain her Pilot’s licence on 13 July 1931. In 1942 her famous book West with the Night was published. My Sincere Conclusion: I believe strongly. (but might be wrong) that Bwana Elkington referred in this Elkington/Beryl Markham article was our Grandfather Ernest Howard Elkington who was strangely rarely mentioned in any of the books written during this period as he was also residing at the 64 Farm during this period:- Everyone refereed to James L.M. Elkington as Mr. Jim and his wife Mrs. Jim and his cousin Ernest who arrived a few months later as Bwana Elkington. The article is called the Man of Mystery –no one can say Jim was a man of mystery as he was always surrounded by dignitaries and his friends. Jim like his nephew Jimmy (our uncle who died in 1979) were both very intelligent good and strong men but hated hunting and were in general afraid of wild animals hence he always had his friends around him whilst his cousin Ernest was a loner as being the Eldest son had to travel to England once every year to take care of his family business he was away sometimes up to 6 months per year. The main difference between the cousins was that Ernest was a very keen, fearless hunter and a crack shot too boot like his second son Richard (my father) whom people called Bwana Tiger as he was a very gifted, intelligent, kind and generous man and both hunted only for food never for trophies! So, if anyone can clarify my doubts, either way, will really appreciate to hear from you in order my George Richards Elkington Book may be as accurate as possible! 22 August 2007 by Gladys Nilsson-born Elkington The Elkington Lion/Beryl Markham/Bison Singh Read "The Duke of Connaught/White Mans Country/Equator Ranch" They were in the process of starting a Masara Hounds Club in Kericho when natural disaster struck of severe climatic condition and also the Colonial British Government after the First World War decided to change the currency from rupees to shillings. The rupee had been valued at 1s 4d but after the change it was valued at 2s. Almost overnight, overdrafts were increased by two thirds. It is further stated that many soldier settler who had put their gratuities into farming and borrowed heavily on them was also ruined but this did not affect the Elkington Cousins as they had their financial Elkington & Co secured in England and Wales but they left all the same for Nairobi as it was more civilized and there was a lot of social life.
Move to Nairobi “A Popular Sportsman
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