ආයුබෝවන් !
Welcomes to srilanka ( Ceylon )
I was reserch about Sir George A Pilkington & Robert Gorton Coombe
(1885-1890 )
http://www.andrewwarland.com.au/SriLanka/srilanka.html?fbclid=IwAR2jLmHkKggDr9EjSLbbsNbLkv6zc4WFkB4Sx0FsCdOjM57TeAT0mEIkTrI_aem_AQ2YQohi45UilOZ0r_V58Y46QBNBxeMTSdGvQA_eqHV0ruTCc0XWDZ87yyqDxIZIP5E&fs=e&s=cl

About :

Wasantha rathnayake
Bandarawela
90100
Srilanka
[email protected]

Former Mayor & MP Southport UK , Why did he go to Poonagala- Bandarawela, Ceylon (1886)??

Sir George Augustus Pilkington (7 October 1848, Upwell, Cambridgeshire – 28 January 1916) was an English doctor and Liberal politician. Pilkington was born at Upwell, Cambridgeshire, as George Augustus Coombe, the son of R. G. Coombe a surgeon. He was educated privately and trained for medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He became MRCS Eng and LSA in 1870 at the age of 22. He practiced medicine in Southport from 1870 to 1884 when he was House Surgeon to Southport Infirmary, Medical Officer of the North Meols District, Ormskirk Union, Surgeon to the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, and Medical Officer to the Southport Convalescent Hospital and the Southport Infirmary.
From 1815 - Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) becomes a British Colony

The following information derived from Wikipedia, provides some background to the establishment of tea plantations in the mid 1880s in then Ceylon (Sri Lanka), as discussed below.

The British government invaded the Kingdom of Kandy and captured that city in 1815. A rebellion that started in the Uva and Wellassa provinces of the former kingdom was supressed by the British, through a scorched earth policy. The British confiscated the lands in the Kandy area and found that the land was suitable for growing coffee, tea and rubber. Indentured labour in the former of Tamil labourers were brought in to harvest the crops. The first tea plantation was at 'Loolecondera' (Lool Kandura), started in 1867 by Scotsman James Taylor.

After 1886 - Coombe brothers acquire a tea estate in Sri Lanka

Sometime after 1886, George Pilkington and his brothers Robert G Coombe and William Stuart Coombe travelled to Sri Lanka where they purchased the four tea estates of Poonagala, Lunugalla, Udahena and Cabaragala, collectively 'Poonagala Valley Co Ltd'. From other details provided in early 2023 by Wasantha Rathnayaka in Sri Lanka, it appears that the estate was previously owned by a Mr Ritchie from 1880 to 1881 and G Grant from 1880 to 1884. The records show that J Pilkington owned it from 1885 to 1891.

Thomas Lipton travelled to Sri Lanka in 1890 and made business deals with James Taylor at Lool Kandura. Lipton's company purchased the tea and distributed it throughout Europe and the United States from 1890. Small farmers like Taylor were quickly taken over by larger companies; Taylor's farm was taken over in 1891 and he died in 1892.

Late 1800s - Sir George Pilkington back in the UK, public life

Robert Gorton Coombe (1847 - 1903) is recorded at Maldon, Essex with the following:

George Allen Coombe (born 1880)
Edith Mary Coombe (born 1881)
Thomas Bernard Coombe (shows as Bernard Thomas Coombe, born 1884)
Robert's five older children (Marian, Robert, John, William and Dorothy) do not appear to be recorded in the same location. Other Coombes, including a William G Coombe born the same year (1847) as Robert, and several children, are also recorded in Maldon. Their relationship with the above is yet to be confirmed from census returns.

From 1895 - the Sri Lankan tea estate

It appears from the chronological record that, after acquiring the tea estate in Sri Lanka in 1888, Sir George Pilkington returned to England leaving his brother Robert Gorton Coombe to manage the estate.

A Mr Coombe, born 1874, (possibly Robert Gorton Coombe who was born in 1875), is recorded travelling to Sri Lanka from the UK in 1898. See below for further travel.

From 1898 in Sri Lanka

The Poonagala estate was owned by The Ceylon Company Ltd from 1898 to 1899 [the start date appears to cross over with the end date when Pilkington was owner], and then the Poonagalla Valley Ceylon Co Ltd from 1904.

1953 - Death of Robert Gorton Coombe in Sri Lanka

Robert Gorton Coombe (born 1875) died on 10 February 1953 at Poonagala, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka.

A great soul serves averyou all the time .

a great soul never dies.

" it brings us together again & again "

ආයුබෝවන් !
Welcomes to srilanka ( Ceylon )
I was reserch about Sir George A Pilkington & Robert Gorton Coombe
(1885-1890 )
http://www.andrewwarland.com.au/SriLanka/srilanka.html?fbclid=IwAR2jLmHkKggDr9EjSLbbsNbLkv6zc4WFkB4Sx0FsCdOjM57TeAT0mEIkTrI_aem_AQ2YQohi45UilOZ0r_V58Y46QBNBxeMTSdGvQA_eqHV0ruTCc0XWDZ87yyqDxIZIP5E&fs=e&s=cl

About :

Wasantha rathnayake
Bandarawela
90100
Srilanka
[email protected]

Former Mayor & MP Southport UK , Why did he go to Poonagala- Bandarawela, Ceylon (1886)??

Sir George Augustus Pilkington (7 October 1848, Upwell, Cambridgeshire – 28 January 1916) was an English doctor and Liberal politician. Pilkington was born at Upwell, Cambridgeshire, as George Augustus Coombe, the son of R. G. Coombe a surgeon. He was educated privately and trained for medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He became MRCS Eng and LSA in 1870 at the age of 22. He practiced medicine in Southport from 1870 to 1884 when he was House Surgeon to Southport Infirmary, Medical Officer of the North Meols District, Ormskirk Union, Surgeon to the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, and Medical Officer to the Southport Convalescent Hospital and the Southport Infirmary.
From 1815 - Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) becomes a British Colony

The following information derived from Wikipedia, provides some background to the establishment of tea plantations in the mid 1880s in then Ceylon (Sri Lanka), as discussed below.

The British government invaded the Kingdom of Kandy and captured that city in 1815. A rebellion that started in the Uva and Wellassa provinces of the former kingdom was supressed by the British, through a scorched earth policy. The British confiscated the lands in the Kandy area and found that the land was suitable for growing coffee, tea and rubber. Indentured labour in the former of Tamil labourers were brought in to harvest the crops. The first tea plantation was at 'Loolecondera' (Lool Kandura), started in 1867 by Scotsman James Taylor.

After 1886 - Coombe brothers acquire a tea estate in Sri Lanka

Sometime after 1886, George Pilkington and his brothers Robert G Coombe and William Stuart Coombe travelled to Sri Lanka where they purchased the four tea estates of Poonagala, Lunugalla, Udahena and Cabaragala, collectively 'Poonagala Valley Co Ltd'. From other details provided in early 2023 by Wasantha Rathnayaka in Sri Lanka, it appears that the estate was previously owned by a Mr Ritchie from 1880 to 1881 and G Grant from 1880 to 1884. The records show that J Pilkington owned it from 1885 to 1891.

Thomas Lipton travelled to Sri Lanka in 1890 and made business deals with James Taylor at Lool Kandura. Lipton's company purchased the tea and distributed it throughout Europe and the United States from 1890. Small farmers like Taylor were quickly taken over by larger companies; Taylor's farm was taken over in 1891 and he died in 1892.

Late 1800s - Sir George Pilkington back in the UK, public life

Robert Gorton Coombe (1847 - 1903) is recorded at Maldon, Essex with the following:

George Allen Coombe (born 1880)
Edith Mary Coombe (born 1881)
Thomas Bernard Coombe (shows as Bernard Thomas Coombe, born 1884)
Robert's five older children (Marian, Robert, John, William and Dorothy) do not appear to be recorded in the same location. Other Coombes, including a William G Coombe born the same year (1847) as Robert, and several children, are also recorded in Maldon. Their relationship with the above is yet to be confirmed from census returns.

From 1895 - the Sri Lankan tea estate

It appears from the chronological record that, after acquiring the tea estate in Sri Lanka in 1888, Sir George Pilkington returned to England leaving his brother Robert Gorton Coombe to manage the estate.

A Mr Coombe, born 1874, (possibly Robert Gorton Coombe who was born in 1875), is recorded travelling to Sri Lanka from the UK in 1898. See below for further travel.

From 1898 in Sri Lanka

The Poonagala estate was owned by The Ceylon Company Ltd from 1898 to 1899 [the start date appears to cross over with the end date when Pilkington was owner], and then the Poonagalla Valley Ceylon Co Ltd from 1904.

1953 - Death of Robert Gorton Coombe in Sri Lanka

Robert Gorton Coombe (born 1875) died on 10 February 1953 at Poonagala, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka.

A great soul serves averyou all the time .

a great soul never dies.

" it brings us together again & again "