Michael Roberts
Those with some knowledge of island Lanka’s history over the last two centuries know that one of the most significant figures in its history was the Scottish plantation manager James Taylor (1835-92) because he was the entrepreneur who pioneered the cultivation of tea in the hill-country during the mid-19th century when coffee was the reigning plantation crop. This initial work bore full fruit –literally and figuratively–when the coffee leaf disease decimated the coffee plantation industry in the 1870s and 80s.
Buddhika Dassanayake in Lanka has now added a ‘gold nugget‘ in the world of historical memorabilia: by securing a scrap of a letter by James Taylor recommending one of his working class aides—a kangany (in effect ‘sergeants’ within the plantation coolie labour force).
In presenting this ‘nugget,’ I am expanding my reach by adding some rare photographs of James Taylor the person.
Taylor was also a man placed in a commanding position. …. with manly needs. He probaly had paramours. One of the most poignant tales that I recall is that of his funeral somewhere up-country. The lengthy procession of personnel bearing his cortege to its final resting point included a female lady in unrestrained wailing grief at the tail-end of the ‘beknighted’ array of upper-class personnel who made up the procession. This was Taylor’s companion and de facto wife.
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Dassanayake’s Email with his deciphering of the Taylor NOTE:
“Good evening Prof, I thought you might enjoy this re. thre above article. Found it in a random scrap sale at Gampola.As far as I can decipher it goes something like this:
“Hope Estate, 10 March 1875
Bearer [Sambein?– name unclear] Kangany has been my Head Kangany on the Hope for 2 years and 1/2. During this time, he has always been willing, obliging and honest. I dare say he is about the best Head Kangany in Ceylon.
(signed) James Taylor”
PHOTOGRAPHS
A TANGENTIAL NOTE from Dr. Srilal Fernando in Melbourne, Dec 2025
Hi Michael, Very interesting. Many years ago on my first posting as Consultant Psychiatrist in a public hospital in Victoria, one of my junior doctors was of Anglo-Indian origin. We invited his family for dinner and his mother-in-law came with them. She claimed to be a grand-daughter of James Taylor. She was a quiet, good looking elderly lady . Apparently, she grew up in a convent. The revd-sisters arranged marriages for the Eurasian ladies under their care and she found her husband from India, a man of Anglo background I presume, as she was fair in complexion.
A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor_(tea_planter)
https://thuppahis.com/2017/02/18/james-taylor-and-the-ceylon-tea-industry
Searching for Familial Roots: An Odyssey …. with Lamentations
Michael, regarding the Tamil word ‘Kankani’, you had added within parenthesis “in effect ‘sergeants’ within the plantation coolie labour force”. May I elaborate a little on this word?
This word is a conjoint word (kan = eye, kaani = observe), which literally means an observer or overseer. And, it also has a pejorative meaning : a fellow who doesn’t DO any work., simply loitering around and watching what others do. A knit-picker (fault finding in petty things) in the ground.
As per the name of Kankani in Buddika Dasanayake’s 19th century tea estate referral note, found in a scrap sale at Gampola, I guess it is Samban. Probably, a dimunitive of either Sambasivam or Sambamoorthy – common names among Tamils.
Useful elaborations ….thanks Sachi
Now this little gold nugget is most interesting indeed. I was researching the Worms brothers, cousins of my mother’s great-grandfather when I chanced upon Head Kangany “Sambene” of Hope estate. It so happens that when the Worms brother’s sold up and returned to England in 1865, their Eastern Produce & Estates Co Ltd owned some 7,318 acres in Ceylon, spread over twelve properties under cultivation – including, Rothschild and Sogama (Pussellawa), Keenakelle (Badulla), Norwood (Dickoya), Labookellie and Condegalla (Ramboda), Meddecumbre (Dimbula), Thotugalla (Haputale), and HOPE Hope (Hewahata). Maurice de Worms had brought tea cuttings directly from China in 1841 and they had established a nursery for the at the Rothschild estate. From there plantings were put up in all their other estates. However, it was at Condegalla (4,000 ft) that the first proper field was planted and where they thrived. Samples of China tea grown there that were sent to England and found to be of excellent quality, not Assam origin tea plants via Peradeniya. Production had proved a very expensive affair because the samples had been made by hand under the direction of a Mr Jenkins, retired planter from Assam with the help of a Chinese man at a temporary factory at Condegalla and at HOPE!
Now, if it turns out that Taylor’s association with the Hope estate was greater than hitherto known, perhaps he owes more of the credit heaped upon him to the earlier endeavours by the Worms brothers and their colleagues. Perhaps Head Kangany “Sambene” was closely involved with Mr Jenkins, the Chinaman and de Worms and was the conduit for imparting the expertise and earlier exertions on tea cultivation and production at Hope to Mr Taylor.
Does anyone have dates for Taylor’s association with Hope estate or, approximately how many years he managed the place before 1875?
HAI
My mail communication system is totally compromised at the moment. I SUGGEST (A) contacting Richard Simon in Lanka after looking over the book CEYLON TEA he was the author; (B) searching my web site via WEB by deploying terms ssuch as “James Taylor” “Julia Cameron” and checking the work of Valentine Daniel and other living scholars who have written on related topics. Try using Facebook to reach these personnel till I recover my EMAILING facilities. My tel in ADELAIDE is 61-8-82785773 and ….at times …0418 669 586
PS ON JULY 8TH = MY email WORKS INTERMITTENTLY try MROBER137@GMAI.COM and 61 8 82785773