Captain Harold Rydon

August Leue landed in Bagamoyo in 1885 as part of an expedition under Hermann von Wissmann which included Tom von Prince. As an officer in the Schutztruppe Leue was stationed in Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, Kilwa & Tabora. In 1887 he established a post of the German East Africa Company (DOAG) in Dar es Salaam causing a revolt. In 1891 rule was transferred from the DOAG to the German government and Dar es Salaam selected as the seat of administration. A map in the lodge (circa 1910) shows Leue Strasse, now Morogoro Road.

In 1901 Leue retired and in 1905 returned having raised money in Berlin for a settlement on Mount Meru which became known as Leuedorf, now Ngare Sero.

Some two hundred Volga-Deutsch families were settled between Ngongare and Makumira. In 1908 church bells were donated from Bochum to the settlement and these now hang at Nkoaranga Church. The photographs from 1912 show Leue standing in front of his rubber plantation. With him is the farm manager Fritz Hohl�chter later killed in a shooting accident.

During the World War Leuedorf was occupied by British troops but Leue continued to administer the area. In 1920 under the League of Nations Mandate Leuedorf passed to Captain Rydon RN who farmed the estate until 1954.

In 1973 Mike & Gisela Leach converted the farm house and gardens into a small tourist lodge.

Dear David(?),

I noticed your web pages on Arusha, Tanzania and the issue of Margot Rydon being Captain Harold Rydon's second wife.

According to my information Margot Rydon was German by birth and a Countess of Einsiedel.

My interest in her is related to my research into women racing drivers and in particular those driving Bugatti cars. Margot Einsiedel was one of them and I know she married to a Mr. Rydon and lived in Arusha, Tanzania afterwards. More than likely we are looking at the same person here.

Just for your information, the below is a resume of her Bugatti driving career, from my file on her:

<1928 season. This 37A is entered in several events starting with the Targa Florio of 6 May 1928. In this event Countess Einsiedel finished a commendable 12th and her Bugatti had the race number "22". Shortly after this she participated in two further Italian races. In the May 1928 Coppa Etna she had to retire with bearing trouble, while in the June 10, 1928 Premio Reale race in Rome, there was a crash on lap 25. Back in Germany she entered for the German GP to be held at the Nurburgring on 15 July 1928 as a sports car race. In this event she ran her Bugatti in the 750-1500cc category, but retired with bearing trouble after some earlier tyre troubles. Because of her marriage in 1929 to an Mr. Rydon, she does not seem to have raced the T37A in the 1929 season.>>

Needless to say, that I would be much interested into any further information that you may have about her. In particular I would be interested to know how she may have met this Captain Harold Rydon, while she was still in Germany.

Best regards,

Dick Ploeg

My 70+ year old mother and I are taking a trip to Arusha where she grew up and so I've been looking up anything about Arusha. My mother noticed your piece called "Stan Lawrence-Brown had his office in the Safari Hotel" which mentioned Gladys and Margot Rydon and thought you might like to know the following:

Harold Rydon married Gladys first, they had three children, David who you mention, Pamela and another son Arther, who became a doctor.

Harold's second wife was Margot. She was step mother to David and the others.

The two women lived close to each other, but were not sisters.

I hope you don't mind me correcting you.

Best wishes.

Alison Aitken

Hello David,

Glad to have been of help. I shall pass your message on to my mother and I'm sure she would be delighted to help if she can. She is in her mid-70's and her memories are very bright and clear, so our trip should be fascinating. I have printed off quite a lot of the website for her and she knows or knew so many of the people mentioned.

We will be in Tanzania from mid-October and though we are travelling a bit we are staying for a night or two at the beginning, middle and end of our trip at Moivaro near Arusha. If it fitted into your programme and ours I'm sure we would be pleased to meet up with you.

I'll ask about the clock tower and photographs/memories, though sometimes these are better sparked by chatting about things, or asking questions which light a spark.

Best wishes.

Alison