Religious observances to mark 150 years of Ceylon Tea on Strathspey Estate, Upcot
View(s):Strathspey Estate, situated at Upcot, managed by Maskeliya Plantations PLC which is, owned by Richard Pieris, recently held numerous religious activities to invoke merit to tea pioneer James Taylor and those who were involved in this industry in the past and blessings for the current people.
“Mr. Taylor of Loolcondera Estate, Hewaheta, Galaha, now acknowledged as the father of the tea industry was a quiet and unassuming man who arrived in Ceylon towards the end of 1851 when he was 17 years old and took up duties as the Assistant Superintendent on Loolcondera. The acknowledgement of the terms of his engagement with Messrs. G. and J. A. Hadden, London, ran as follows: ‘I hereby engage myself to Mr. George Pride of Kandy, Ceylon, for the space of three years to act in the capacity of Assistant Superintendent, and to make myself generally useful, at a salary of £ 100 per annum, to commence from the time of my arrival on the estate and to have deducted from my salary the amount money advanced for my passage and outfit’,” a media release issued by the plantation company stated.
He had remained on Loolcondera for his entire planting career of 40 years and only left Ceylon on one occasion, in 1874, when he went to Darjeeling to absorb as much tea lore as he could. He was painstaking in the extreme and by reading and experimentation took every opportunity to increase his knowledge of the tea-bush and its fragrant product. For some time he had planted with some success along the sides of the estate roads. The first leaf from the Loolcondera bushes was withered on Mr. Taylor’s Bungalow verandah and manufactured in the bungalow himself. He eventually built a “Tea House” as he called his factory. Many famous coffee Planters learned the art of tea growing and manufacture from him, it is stated.
Further, offering alms, selection of the best pluckers (Leaf Operator), giving awards in recognition of their services, providing packets of lunch to those who had worked in the past on this plantation, etc, had also taken place as part of the activities.
Strathspey Estate Factory built in the year 1927 will be celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the release said.