kate_rsa

Hello All

Apologies if this question has already been asked, but I did search and couldn't find an answer.

Does anyone know where I can find information regarding employment "in crown service" in Kenya around 1953? I am investigating my grandfather working for Office of the Member for Health, Lands and Local Government in 1953, the year my mother was born, with a view to acquiring British Citizenship by descent.

Any help / experiences you've had would be most appreciated.

HKG3

My limited understanding is that 'Crown Service' applied to people employed directly by the UK government and posted out to foreign countries. A good example would be a UK Foreign Office employee posted to an overseas High Commission. Unless your grandfather was directly employed as a member of the UK civil service, I think you may have difficulties trying to get British Citizenship this way.

If your grandfather was born in the UK, you may be able to apply for an UK Ancestry visa which allows you to come and work in the UK. Have a look at the link below for details -

https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa/overview

BritInParis

As HKG3 points out your grandfather would have to been recruited in the UK for overseas service or was posted as a civil servant. If he was recruited locally in Kenya or elsewhere in the Commonwealth then this would not meet the requirement.

kate_rsa

Thanks for the reply HKG3 and BritInParis. I have found a Kenyan Government Gazette from 1953 which records his appointment as an Accountant, Office of the Member for Health, Lands and Local Government but I don't know where to find out details like if he was recruited in the UK, what dates, if that would be considered "crown service" etc. My parents do not have this information either. I suspect I will need to pay a professional to find out these details for me. I am based in South Africa so can't go searching records which sit in the UK unless they are online.

angie_329

Most things are online now. You could start with where born, where married, there are also passenger records on ships of those going out to Africa. Try Ancestry.com or findmypast.co.uk they have free trial periods, they have access to all these records. Not sure about the civil service. ones, but the sites may have some information on that too. they are quite comprehensive.

angie_329

There is some guidance here:

Civil or crown servants - The National Archives

kate_rsa

Thanks for the help, everyone. I have managed to find a couple of records of my grandfather's travel to/from the UK and his profession in those records is listed as "clerk", "civil servant" and "accountant". I think I will contact an immigration consultant and get their thoughts on viability for citizenship. Hopefully with their resources more information will come up.

angie_329

Whoever you consult will need to see the documents (birth , employment ?) before giving you a definitive answer. If your grandfather was recruited into crown service in the UK then yes , if not no.. there is no grey area in this situation ( unless other strands we are not aware of). Ancestry and find my past can put you in touch with genealogy researchers if some civil service records are not on online, which was mentioned I recall.

So your money may be better spent on finding proof of his recruitment in the UK, as if he was and you can provide evidence, you can apply for BC without a consultant. However if you want to consult one, philip gamble are specialists in British citizenship claims. Good Luck.

BritInParis

An immigration consultant won't have any more resources available to them than you do. They can advise on process but they are unlikely to help you to do the actual research other than perhaps point you in the right direction. If your grandfather's appointment was gazetted in Kenya rather than the UK then it suggests he was recruited locally.