Straight on Till Morning (53 page)

58
Sju Ar I Talt – Bland vita och Svarta
, Hjalmar Frisell, Lars Hokerbergs, Stockholm, 1937. Translated for the author by Anneleise Bang.

59
Letter to the author from Doreen Bathurst Norman, September 1986.

60
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 27 April 1926.

61
Interview with the late Mr Sonny Bumpus by the production team of
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.

62
ibid.

63
Reports in the
East African Standard
and information provided by Mr Muraguri, the Jockey Club, Nairobi, April 1986.

64
East African Standard
, 25 December 1936.

65
East African Standard
, 6 February 1926, ‘Bending race won by Beryl Purves on Pegasus'.

66
In fact Wrack did eventually live up to his early promise and won many races as a six-year-old in the hands of a different trainer.

67
Interview with Miss Pamela Scott, Deloraine, Kenya, April 1986.

68
Happy Valley
, Nicholas Best, Secker & Warburg, 1979.

69
Interviews with Doreen Bathurst Norman and Ryan ‘Buster' Parnell, 1986.

70
White Mischief
, James Fox, Jonathan Cape, 1982.

71
Interview with the late Mr Sonny Bumpus by the production team of
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.

72
Oserian was a vast and beautiful white castle on the shores of Lake Naivasha, a resort about fifty miles north of Nairobi. Built in Moroccan style with minarets, christened the Djinn Palace, and predictably mispronounced Gin Palace, it was the home of Lord Erroll and his second wife Molly, and reputed to be the site of the wilder Happy Valley parties. Story related to the author during interviews with Mr Ryan ‘Buster' Parnell, Copenhagen June 1986.

73
In an interview with Beryl, I referred to ‘your brother'. ‘Which brother?' Beryl asked. ‘I had three, you know.' Further questions revealed that she was talking of Ivone and James Kirkpatrick, her half-brothers by Clara's second marriage.

74
Interview with Miss Pamela Scott, Deloraine, Kenya, March 1986. Beryl subsequently lightened her dark blonde hair by several shades.

75
Karen Blixen to her mother, 29 May 1927: ‘…The engagement is still on despite all the spiteful rumours.'

76
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 10 July 1927.

77
Interview with Mrs Rose Cartwright, Nairobi, April 1986.

78
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 21 August 1927.

79
East African Standard
, 3 September 1927.

80
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 28 August 1927.

81
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 9 September 1927.

CHAPTER 4

1
From the – as yet – unpublished memoirs ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow' by Sir Charles Markham, kindly loaned to the author during research.

2
Interview with Sir Charles Markham Bt, Nairobi, April 1986.

3
The former US president Theodore Roosevelt. His safari in autumn 1909 set up a record for its size and organization. There were 500 porters each carrying a 60-pound load.

4
Private correspondence with Mr Bunny Allen, June 1986.

5
Interview with Mrs Cockie Hoogterp, Berkshire, August 1986.

6
Interviews with Mrs Rose Cartwright, Nairobi, March 1986, and Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.

7
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 1 November 1927.

8
ibid., 9 September 1927.

9
Interview with Mrs Cockie Hoogterp, May 1986.

10
Interview with Sir Charles Markham Bt, Nairobi, April 1986.

11
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.

12
Interview with Sir Charles Markham Bt, Nairobi, April 1986.

13
ibid.

14
ibid.

15
ibid.

16
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 18 March 1928.

17
The English trainer Fred Darling regarded Hurry On as the best racehorse he ever trained: the horse was never beaten on the English turf, won the St Leger in 1916 and sired three Derby winners. Fifinella, the dam of Messenger Boy (he was originally named For'ard) was equally impressive. She was the last filly to win the English Derby and she won the Oaks in the same year (1916). Messenger Boy foaled in 1924 and was shipped to Kenya in 1928 where he became a significant sire. Ref:
The Stud Book
.

18
Short story entitled ‘The Splendid Outcast', written by Beryl Markham in 1944.

19
Interview with Sir Charles Markham, Nairobi, March 1986.

20
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.

21
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 25 March 1928.

22
ibid., 1 April 1928.

23
Beryl had previously secured an abortion (with the help of Cockie Hoogterp) in London during her visit there in the spring of 1924. Information given to Elspeth Huxley by Cockie Hoogterp, June 1986.

24
Interview with Mme Viviane Markham, widow of Gervase Markham and Beryl's daughter-in-law, London, June 1986.

25
Gervase told his wife that Mansfield had never behaved to him ‘as a father'. There was never any outward show of love until the last few weeks of Mansfield's life. See Chapter 16.

26
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 22 July 1928.

27
ibid, 16 September 1928.

28
Private correspondence with Mr Bunny Allen, June 1986.

29
Interview with Mrs Doris Smart, Sussex, May 1986.

30
Private correspondence with Mr Bunny Allen, July 1986.

31
Sport and Travel in East Africa
, compiled from the Prince of Wales's diaries by Patrick R. Chalmers, Philip Allan, 1934.

32
Private correspondence with Mr Bunny Allen, June 1986.

33
ibid.

34
Interview with Sir Charles Markham Bt, Nairobi, April 1986.

35
Extract of filmed interview with Mr Bunny Allen by the film crew of
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.

36
Private correspondence with Mr Bunny Allen, July 1986.

37
ibid.

38
This was written some years after the events referred to. Beryl had not learned to fly at the time of the royal safari.

39
Prince Henry: Duke of Gloucester
, Noble Frankland, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980.

40
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.

41
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.

42
Lord Dawson of Penn, the king's surgeon.

43
Out in the Midday Sun
, Elspeth Huxley, Chatto & Windus, 1985.

44
Sport and Travel in East Africa
, compiled from the Prince of Wales's diaries by Patrick R. Chalmers, Philip Allan, 1934.

45
ibid.

46
Prince Henry: Duke of Gloucester
, Noble Frankland, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980.

47
Private correspondence with the General Register Office, 1986.

48
When this writer asked Beryl Markham why she had not denied the rumours surrounding Gervase's birth, though she knew they were widely believed, she said, ‘I didn't think it was any of their business.' This attitude was also conveyed by Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman: ‘Beryl never stopped to think how her behaviour must look to other people, and if she had she wouldn't have cared.'

49
A comedy by Ludwig Holberg. Information kindly supplied by Ms Anne Born during translation of Karen Blixen letters.

50
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother 17 March 1929.

51
The Compleat Jockey and the most exact Rules and Methods to be Observ'd in Training up of Racehorses
, Gervase Markham, 1568, reprinted by London Woodstock Press, 1933.

52
Prince Henry: Duke of Gloucester
, Noble Frankland, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980.

53
Obituary for Prince Henry,
The Times
, 11 June 1974.

54
‘Who is Beryl Markham?', James Fox,
Observer Magazine
, 30 September 1984.

55
This silver cigarette box was returned to Beryl by Prince Henry. She kept it with her until her death and it is now in the possession of Mr George Bathurst Norman.

56
Interviews with Mme Viviane Markham, London, June 1986, and Sir Charles Markham Bt, Nairobi, March 1986. Many people stated that Beryl saw almost nothing of Gervase during his infancy but of these informants both Sir Charles Markham and Mme Viviane Markham are in a position to know this for fact.

57
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.

58
Prince Henry: Duke of Gloucester
, Noble Frankland, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980.

59
‘Who is Beryl Markham?', James Fox,
Observer Magazine
, 30 September 1984. In this article James Fox refers to the RAF Club in Piccadilly as the place where Beryl was living. Since Beryl was a member of the Royal Aero Club also in Piccadilly, this is more likely to have been her address after her separation from Mansfield.

60
Beryl had been a frequent visitor to this club since 1928 – interview with Mrs Doris Smart, Sussex, May 1986.

61
Prince Henry: Duke of Gloucester
, Noble Frankland, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980.

62
Sir James Ulick Alexander
CGB
,
GCVO
,
CMG
,
OBE
, was educated at Eton and served in the Coldstream Guards. He was Comptroller to HRH the Duke of Kent 1928–36, Keeper of HM's Privy Purse and Treasurer to His Majesty the King 1936–52, and to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1952.

63
Mr C.D.S. Clogg died on 5 June 1986.

64
Interviews with Sir Charles Markham and Mrs Cockie Hoogterp. Sir Charles was kind enough to question his aunt, Mrs Mary Markham, widow of Mansfield Markham, about this matter and transmit the result to the author.

65
ibid.

66
This documentation from informal sources mainly consisted of bank statements which various interviewees had kept as ‘Souvenirs'.

67
Interview with Mrs Cockie Hoogterp, May 1986.

68
Some interviewees insisted on anonymity. Where this occurred their information has been used only when the author was convinced of its accuracy and value to the biography.

69
Interview with Mrs F. Migdoll, March 1986.

70
The Civil List is a fixed sum (agreed by Parliament) paid annually to meet the salaries and expenses of the royal household including the pensions of former employees.

71
Mrs Cockie Hoogterp to Elspeth Huxley, relayed to the author in private correspondence, August 1986.

72
Interview with Mrs Cockie Hoogterp, May 1986. Research reveals that HRH Prince Henry did not shine in court social circles. His real pleasures in life were country pursuits, riding and hunting etc., and this is where his personality really sparkled. He would have been a far happier man had he been born a country squire rather than a prince.