ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF CEYLON – A LOOK INTO THE PAST – TEA CENTENARY YEAR SOUVENIR 1954 Edition
Pioneers of the Tea Industry in Ceylon
(A) JAMES TAYLOR
James Taylor the father of the Ceylon Tea Industry opend up the first Clearing on Loolecondera
Estate, Hewaheta. Born in Kincardinshire, Scotland in 1835, Jemes Taylor arrived in Ceylon
in 1852 at the age of 17 years. He was sent to Loolecondera which he developed first as a Coffee
Estate showing much enterprise also in introducing Cinchona before his first Tea Experiment. He had
already grown Tea Bushes on the Estate before the first commercial Scale Clearing and had taught
himself something about Tea Making by rolling the Green Leaf by hand on the verandah table and
firing it over a Charcoal Fire. The Original 1867 Clearing on Loolecondera still exists.
- H. 0. HOSEASON
Mr. Hoseason was a pioneer planter whom Governor Sir West Ridgeway described as the uncrowned
king, of Uva. He was a great believer in the future of Tea at the time Coffee was crashing. He
was in Charge of ODWERE Estate which was mostly Coffee but which later clanged to Tea. Hoseason
was instrumental in forming the Demodera Tea Co; and was of very great help to young as
pirants to Planting Careers. Villiers speaks of his long Vision great energy personality and Ability in
his Book “Pioneers of the Tea Industry. He was a popular host – So many were his Guests at Oodoowere
says Villiers that he built a very large stable to accommodate the horses of his Visitors.
- GEORGE S. DUFF
Mr. George S. Duff who owned Gonakelle in 1885 will be remembered as a Man who in spite of
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losing on coffee had sufficient Faith in the Country to put everything he had into tea. Duff was the
Manager of the illfated Oriental Bank and did more to help .`orward the Development of the Country than
al mast any other Individual. When the Coffee crash come George Duff is said ,to have sold his property
in the Highlands of Scotland in order to meet the Claim of 5000′- which he had guaranteed on behalf
of a fellow Coffee planter.
- ARTHUR LAMPARD
Arthur Lampard was a Tea Buyer in an Old established firm of China Tea Merchants before
oe came to Ceylon. He was the original Partner in Crosfield Lampard & Co., which today operates
Harrison & Crosfield.
MESSERS. CAREY & STRACHAN
Mrs. Lawrence Carey owned Pingarawa in 1880. Her husband Lawrence St. George Carey had
a large interest in Copper. It is said that for every shilling received on Cooper he got a MOW-. He
bought 34 Estates in Ceylon and with his brother-in-Law Charles Strachan opened an office in Colombo
to manage the Show. But he died at the Age of 23. Just before he went home he bought Pingarawa in
his wife’s name. Incidentally the East window of St. Pants Church Kandy, was erected by Mrs. Carey in
her Husbands Memory and C. E. Strachan provided the Organ as a Memorial.
The Planter’s Association of Ceylon
The Planter’s Association of Ceylon 4 older than the Industry and is 113 years old today. It was
created in Kandy on February 17th 1854, when about 100 coffee planters met under the chairmanship
of Captain Jolly Keith to form an assoc’n to protect their Interests, and sponsor their Cause. Capt Jolly
its founder and First Chairman was a Mercantile Mariner on Pension from the East India Company who
Imo arrived in Ceylon in 1843 plant Coffee.
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