James Taylor (1835-1892)
James Taylor (March 29, 1835-May 2, 1892) was a British citizen who introduced the tea plantation in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). He arrived to Sri Lanka in 1852 and settled down in Loolecondera estate in Kandy. He lived in Sri Lanka more than half of his life time 57 years until his death. He worked with Thomas Lipton, an Irish immigrant, to develop the tea industry in Sri Lanka.
Taylor visited India in 1866 to learn the basics of growing tea on plantations. Following his return, he started the plantation in Loolecondera estate in Kandy. He began the tea plantation an estate of just 19 acres in 1867. He started a fully equipped tea factory in Loolecondera estate in 1872.
During the period that Taylor lived in the Loolcondera estate, the export of tea accelerated from 23 pounds to 81 tons, and in 1890 it reached the level of 22,900 tons.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia