In 1863, at the age of sixteen, Armstrong sailed to Ceylon, at a time when planters there were abandoning their plantations, due to a collapse in coffee. By 1864, he had gained possession of a former coffee estate called Rookwood at Hewaheta. This lies on a high plateau, some thirty miles from Kandy and fifteen miles from Nuwara Eliya. Travelling there by horse, Armstrong found an estate of moribund coffee trees and a log cabin. With some other young men, he rode to Talaimannar and rowed across the Palk Strait to India. They came back with sacks of tea seed, and Armstrong planted 750 acres of tea at Rookwood. He also planted cinchona trees.[2]
James Taylor is widely considered to be the first man to plant tea in British Ceylon as an agricultural enterprise, and this was in 1867 at the Loolecondera estate near Deltota. However, a granite monument at Rookwood erected by his children claims that Armstrong grew cinchona and tea there from 1864 to 1908.[2]
Armstrong was in the habit of getting up before dawn to work in his fields and worked most days until after dark. At Rookwood he built a new house and laid out an English garden.[2] In 1875, he gained a wife, Angelina, who had been born in Colombo, and they had five children.[1][2]
In 1874, Armstrong and R. W. Wickham bought the Holmwood Estate. In 1877 he sold his interest to Wickham.[3] From 1880 to 1884 he was the owner of an estate called Amunamulla.[4]
In 1884, Armstrong published a book, Tea Cultivation in Ceylon.[5] In 1891, he was a member of the Standing Committee of the Ceylon Tea Fund.[6]
Retirementedit
In 1908, Armstrong retired to England and was succeeded at Rookwood by his son, John Spearman Armstrong, who managed the plantation until 1944.[2]
C. S. Armstrong and his wife settled in a large house at West Byfleet with two of their daughters, Mabel and Ethel, and their son Guy Spearman Armstrong,[1] who was killed in 1915 while serving in the Scots Guards.[7] Armstrong died in 1924.[8]
Armstrong's grandson, Neville Armstrong, who had been born at Rookwood in 1913,[9] had clear memories of his grandfather in 1997. He described him as "an introverted man who said very little. There were no arguments, no wise sayings, no advice given. It was a very strict Victorian family." Physically, he remembered "piercing blue eyes and a large white spade beard".[2]
Notesedit
^ abc1911 United Kingdom census, Oakhurst, West Byfleet, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 28 July 2021 (subscription required)
^ abcdefRoyston Ellis, Rookwood: memories of a forgotten pioneer, The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), 7 September 1997, accessed 27 July 2021
^John Penry Lewis, List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon (1913), p. 374
^C. Spearman Armstrong, historyofceylontea.com, accessed 28 July 2021
^Charles Spearman Armstrong, University of Pennsylvania, accessed 28 July 2021: “Armstrong, Charles Spearman: Tea Cultivation in Ceylon. (Colombo, A. M. & J. Ferguson, [1884])”
^Woking Remembers: World War One Byfleet War Memorial, exploringsurreyspast.org.uk, accessed 5 August 2021
^“Charles Spearman Armstrong, deceased” in The London Gazette, Issue 32934, 9 May 1924, p. 3801
^Ian Miller, Other lives: Neville Armstrong, The Guardian, 26 September 2008, accessed 27 July 2021
February 27, 2024
charles, spearman, armstrong, 1847, 1924, irish, born, pioneer, cinchona, british, ceylon, where, arrived, 1863, british, ceylon, author, cultivation, ceylon, 1884, life, editarmstrong, born, youghal, county, cork, ireland, 1863, sixteen, armstrong, sailed, ce. Charles Spearman Armstrong 1847 1924 was an Irish born pioneer of tea and cinchona in British Ceylon where he arrived in 1863 Tea in British Ceylon He was the author of Tea Cultivation in Ceylon 1884 Life editArmstrong was born in Youghal County Cork Ireland 1 In 1863 at the age of sixteen Armstrong sailed to Ceylon at a time when planters there were abandoning their plantations due to a collapse in coffee By 1864 he had gained possession of a former coffee estate called Rookwood at Hewaheta This lies on a high plateau some thirty miles from Kandy and fifteen miles from Nuwara Eliya Travelling there by horse Armstrong found an estate of moribund coffee trees and a log cabin With some other young men he rode to Talaimannar and rowed across the Palk Strait to India They came back with sacks of tea seed and Armstrong planted 750 acres of tea at Rookwood He also planted cinchona trees 2 James Taylor is widely considered to be the first man to plant tea in British Ceylon as an agricultural enterprise and this was in 1867 at the Loolecondera estate near Deltota However a granite monument at Rookwood erected by his children claims that Armstrong grew cinchona and tea there from 1864 to 1908 2 Armstrong was in the habit of getting up before dawn to work in his fields and worked most days until after dark At Rookwood he built a new house and laid out an English garden 2 In 1875 he gained a wife Angelina who had been born in Colombo and they had five children 1 2 In 1874 Armstrong and R W Wickham bought the Holmwood Estate In 1877 he sold his interest to Wickham 3 From 1880 to 1884 he was the owner of an estate called Amunamulla 4 In 1884 Armstrong published a book Tea Cultivation in Ceylon 5 In 1891 he was a member of the Standing Committee of the Ceylon Tea Fund 6 Retirement editIn 1908 Armstrong retired to England and was succeeded at Rookwood by his son John Spearman Armstrong who managed the plantation until 1944 2 C S Armstrong and his wife settled in a large house at West Byfleet with two of their daughters Mabel and Ethel and their son Guy Spearman Armstrong 1 who was killed in 1915 while serving in the Scots Guards 7 Armstrong died in 1924 8 Armstrong s grandson Neville Armstrong who had been born at Rookwood in 1913 9 had clear memories of his grandfather in 1997 He described him as an introverted man who said very little There were no arguments no wise sayings no advice given It was a very strict Victorian family Physically he remembered piercing blue eyes and a large white spade beard 2 Notes edit a b c 1911 United Kingdom census Oakhurst West Byfleet ancestry co uk accessed 28 July 2021 subscription required a b c d e f Royston Ellis Rookwood memories of a forgotten pioneer The Sunday Times Sri Lanka 7 September 1997 accessed 27 July 2021 John Penry Lewis List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon 1913 p 374 C Spearman Armstrong historyofceylontea com accessed 28 July 2021 Charles Spearman Armstrong University of Pennsylvania accessed 28 July 2021 Armstrong Charles Spearman Tea Cultivation in Ceylon Colombo A M amp J Ferguson 1884 Ceylon Handbook and Directory 1891 p 363 Woking Remembers World War One Byfleet War Memorial exploringsurreyspast org uk accessed 5 August 2021 Charles Spearman Armstrong deceased in The London Gazette Issue 32934 9 May 1924 p 3801 Ian Miller Other lives Neville Armstrong The Guardian 26 September 2008 accessed 27 July 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles Spearman Armstrong amp oldid 1176251362, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
