Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton

Bio:

Childhood of Egerton
Born into an family of British aristocrats in 1874, Lord Maurice Egerton was el hijo of Lady Anna Louisa Taylor and Alan de Tatton. His parents brought up Maurice Egerton in a well-off family along with his two siblings, a brother William who was born in 1868 and Cecil who was born in 1871. Both they died young, leaving Egerton as the sole heir to the vast riches. For ten years Egerton went to school in Briton and after that joined the British Royal Navy following in his father's footsteps. When his father died in 1920, he became the fourth Barón Egerton and inherited the family wealth. Upon his father’s passing, at the age of 45, Maurice also inherited the title ‘Lord.’ He developed a passion for photography and hunting. Maurice was known as an avid aviator and motor car enthusiast, and a friend to the Wright brothers.

Entry into Kenya
Egerton came to Africa through Zimbabwe, went up through Congo and Uganda, and eventually entered Kenya in 1920 when the British colonized the country. During this period the British government used to offer to its ex-military personnel land as a token of appreciation. Thus, Egerton obtained 44 km of land in Nakuru-Njoro region, which he managed with the help of workers who were assigned different roles. Moreover, while in the country, Hugh Chomondeley, Lord Delamere convinced and inspired him to do agriculture in the country. So, he bought some more acres of land from Delamere, circumventing parts of Rongai, Molo, Ngata, and Lake Nakuru, running to the current Egerton University.

At 45, Lord Egerton courted a woman as befitting the title and the English aristocratic convention. He even built a four-roomed cottage hoping that it would impress the woman of his life. Maurice invited her to see it, but disappointingly, the lady only spent two hours in the compound, prompting Maurice to think of constructing a bigger house befitting her status. Supposedly, she refused to enter the house calling it "a chicken coop" and promptly left for England.

Castle Taking Shape
Lord Egerton set himself on planting a mansion that would make him worthy of her companionship. He passionately went about trying to erect a palace worth the regal image. Maurice began a massive building project in Ngata. The idea was to construct it modeled on his family’s house back at Tatton Park Cheshire. Lord Egerton laid the foundation of the castle in 1938 and contracted the English architect Albert Brown, labor team of a few hundred Red Indian and Kenyan laborers as well as a group of Italian builders to realize the fancy design. By then, the Second World War had begun, and Lord Egerton had to go to England. When the war ended in 1945, Lord Egerton came back from Britain to resume the construction, which lasted for nine years.

Imported Edificio Materials
Lord Maurice Egerton imported the construction materials from Britain and castle designers from Italy. The rocks used for construction were purchased from abroad, tiles that decorated the interiors from China and the sparkly green marbles for fireplaces from Italy. Imported zinc tiles adorn the roof; polished curved stones line the balcony on two floors and dressed blocks shape the fringes.
The interiors, inside walls and the stairways, were specially paneled with British oak. The only local building materials used for the castle were kinoo and Njiru stones.

Not Impressed
Floor by floor the mega-structure rose that is said to have resembled the family mansion back in England. However, the lady whom he was supposed to have wooed was not interested. Legend says Maurice was heart-broken but, nevertheless went ahead and furnished the entire castle. Thrice a year, a musician would come from England to play the Lord’s favorite ballads on the organ.

Misogyny for Women
After being spurned, it is said Lord Egerton became hostile and did not allow any woman anywhere around the castle. His magnificent castle evoked passionate misogyny for women in its pulchritude. He pinned notes on tree branches warning women to stay away from his hundred-acre plantation. Women who dared to approach the castle risked their lives.

Promoting Kenyan Education
During the 38 years he lived in Africa, Lord Egerton played a crucial role in Kenyan education. He founded the current Egerton University, which was formerly used to train European settlers. Lord Maurice Egerton lived until 1958 as a loner in the Castle. Eventually, he died a sad death due to chest issues and lies buried in Nakuru town of Kenya.

_Egerton University

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/2182891.the-magnificent-b...

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[Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton was born on 4 August 1874.1 He was the son of Alan de Tatton Egerton, 3rd Baron Egerton of Tatton and Anna Louisa Taylor. He died on 30 January 1958 at age 83. Peerage extinct on his death

Maurice Egerton, gained the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He succeeded to the title of 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton, co. Chester [U.K., 1859] in 1920. He gained the rank of Major in the service of the Cheshire Yeomanry.

[]http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/about_us.aspx

[]http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-tattonpark