Edwin Poole
Lieut - Colonel in the Royal Marine Light Infantry
Obituary
"Lieut - Col. Edwin Poole, on retired full pay, Royal Marine Light Infantry, died 9th September at Tower House, Bemerton, Salisbury, aged 54. He was born 22nd June, 1844; the second son of the late Major-General H. E. Poole, RA; brother to Lieut Henry Poole, 47th Regt., and James William Poole, 82nd Regt.
He entered the service, 23rd June, 1862; became 1st Lieut, 10th Nov., 1865; Captain, 1st April, 1878; Major, 14th April, 1883; Brevet Lieut-Colonel, 14th April, 1890; Lieut-Colonel, 9th Jan, 1891, and retired on full pay, 11th Sept, 1893.
He commanded the Royal Marines in the punitive expedition against the Sultan of Witu, in East Africa, October, 1890; was mentioined in despatches, and promoted to substantive Lieut - Colonel for this service (medal and clasp).
He married a daughter of the late Major-General W. H. W. Bennett, R.M.L.I."
I found this information about the expedition on the web.
"In 1890, the territory is established as a British Protectorate in an Anglo-German agreement. Germans concede Witu to Britain, but the Sultan refuses to deal with the British; the British take Witu by force. The Sultan is forced to abdicate to his son."
The Witu Expedition, 1890
In October 1890 a British naval expedition under Admiral Fremantle was sent against the Swahili town of Witu, a notorious nest of outlaws in the forest north of Mombasa. This force consisted of:
9 ships: HMS Boadicea, Cossack, Brisk, Turquoise, Kingfisher, Redbreast, Pigeon and Humber. Hired merchant vessels SS Juba and Somali.
700 sailors and Marines from the ships' companies.
100 Indian police in the employ of the British East Africa Company.
100 Zanzibari soldiers.
4 7-pounder field guns.
4 machine guns.
1,000 porters.
Timeline
Death of Mother, Julia Burney
Death of Father, Henry Poole
Married Ellen Maria Emily Bennett
Birth of Daughter, Kathleen Poole
Birth of Son, Sommerville Poole