Sherren Family Tree » John Charles Sydenham Burch (Capt.) (1920-1997)

Personal data John Charles Sydenham Burch (Capt.) 

• He was born on April 3, 1920 in Dorchester, Dorset, England.Source 1
• Profession: in the year 1953 He bought his own farm on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, called it Milton Farm. in Kitale, Trans Nzoia, Kenya, East Africa.
• (Arrival) November 1952 in Mombasa Coast, Kenya, East Africa: Arrived by ship from England.
• He died on January 3, 1997 in Kenya, East Africa, he was 76 years old.Source 2

  (He died from a heart attack while trying to restart the boat motor on Lake Naivasha, he had been out on the Lake, guiding clients who were observing Fish Eagle habits.

• A child of Harry Ashley Burch and Lillian Winifred Bennett

Household of John Charles Sydenham Burch (Capt.)

He is married to Jean "Toppy" Hammond.

They got married on March 27, 1947 at England, he was 26 years old.Source 1

Child(ren):

1. (Not public)
2. (Not public)
3. (Not public)

Notes about John Charles Sydenham Burch (Capt.)

Tribute to John Burch by Guy D'Olier

I feel very honoured to have been called upon to say a few words of tribute to the memory of John. - A memory that shall stay evergreen.

I first met John forty years ago when he and Toppy came to Jacaranda Coffee Research Station to buy coffee seed for their new farm at Endebess/Saboti. Owing to John's exceptionally warm friendliness, an immediate friendship was struck up which has deepened ever since.The same warm friendliness has made him very many good friends over the years.

At the age of nineteen, John joined the 5th Gurka Regiment, straight from the territorials, and served in India and Burma. He has said very little of this probably because he had a pretty horrible time.

Fifty one years ago, a pretty young girl in WAAF iniform stood at the roadside thumbing a lift. John was lucky enough to come along, and gave her a lift to her garden gate. Two days later he was round there with a handfull of primroses. Shortly afterwards he embarked on the very happy and longlasting marriage to Toppy. They have stood closely by each other ever since.

John was very adventurous, and, quite daring. One of his most daring adventures must be when they sold their farm in England, and boarded the Union Castle boat for Mombasa. They vaguely knew where Kenya was on the map, and very little else. They set out to buy a farm and and were very lucky to find a beautiful place on the slopes of Mount Elgon. From this base, John was able to indulge in his other loves - primarily bird shooting and safari. His adventurous spirit took him to nearly every corner of this country, which he loved so much. On any safari, John was never without his shot gun, and always kept the pot full. He was an excellent shot, and at any bird shoot, John always had one of the best bags. He put together and organised a realy great skeet shooting club at Ensebess. which challenged the rest of the country. John was always one of the highest scorers.

Another sport that always fascinated John was go-karting. He owned a very powerful Bultako kart, which went much faster than anyone elses, but he hardly ever won, - let alone finished, because of his daring, he nearly always drove it too fast, and spun out on the corners, or he over cooked it, and it broke down.

John had a terrific sence of humour, and I am sure that most of his friends are used to having their legs pulled. He used to be a big scale practical joker, but luckily for us he toned it down. John's scintillating, but subtle humour has captivated us all. When things were going badly, he was the first to make a joke of it, and get us all smiling again.

John loved Lake Naivasha dearly, and knew it very well.If ever anyone was in trouble on the lake, John was always the first to fire up his boat and go out on search and rescue.

John was one of the founderd of the Kenya Seed Company. He was on the board for a great many years, anf helped to build it into the great company it is today.

We must extend our deepest sympathy to the family, Toppy, Paula, Tony and Colin on the loss of such a devoted husband and father, and such a wonderful man.

John will always be remembered for his warm friendliness, his great sense of humour and his love of his family. the world is a much poorer place on his going. But, we should be grateful that he went the way he did, with out lingering painfully on.

I am very proud to have known him, and to have been a friend of John's.Please join me in wishing him "God's speed, John."



ianallen138added this on 8 Nov 2009


A tribute delivered at John's Rememberance Service, held under the thorn trees beside the lake, at the Burch's campsite.

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Timeline John Charles Sydenham Burch (Capt.)

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