Mona Dunlop 1

Mona Dunlop was one of my two godmothers, the other being my aunt, my father's youngest sister Hilda. I remember my aunt Hilda well but Mona Dunlop is a vague presence, and I know little about her except that she gave my this little picture. What snippets of information I have are in my mother's 'Life' and the 'Life' she wrote for my father.

The first reference to Mona Dunlop in the mother's 'Life' reads, "I went over to Dar-es-Salaam [from Zanzibar] in 1938 to act as reporter for Legislative Council where I stayed with Mona Dunlop who was then working in the Dar Secretariat*. She had a small flat with a verandah where we sat in the evenings and a bush baby would come and sit on the balustrade and sip from our drinks."

I have no idea when I was given the little picture but it's another of those things which has stuck with me wherever I have gone. At one time the picture had some writing on the back. It's a shame that this is now illegible.

The next reference is, "We went on local leave in 1941, I going ahead to stay with Mona Dunlop in Government House, Nairobi, where she was housekeeper."

Of 1945, she wrote, "Jonathan was christened in St. Alban's church (now cathedral) by Archdeacon Hanbury. This was on a Sunday morning after the Africans' service. Dad insisted on being a godfather, and the other was Sandy** with Hilda Haylett and Mona Dunlop being the godmothers, though none of these could be present. Elizabeth Biggs stood in as godmother and named the baby and handed him over to the Archdeacon. The baby insisted on turning his head to face the floor which made the baptising a bit difficult. Afterwards we adjourned to the bungalow and had a jolly party at which Dad insisted Jonathan had a sip of beer!"

....and Jonathan has enjoyed his beer ever since.

* - The Tanganyika Territory government offices.        ** - my mother's brother, Sandy Wilson.