Three publications are available relating to Holy Trinity Church Nuwara Eliya:
The first is Holy Trinity Church Nuwara Eliya CD, a collection of about 1500 births and 814 marriages transcribed from a typed copy of the original records. Holy Trinity Church was the most important church in the tea country during the British period mid 1800s to mid 1900s. The CD can be purchased here.
The second is a printed publication, Graveyards in Ceylon: Nuwara Eliya Vol II. This comprises a collection of memorials (about 900 names) in the Holy Trinity Church and the old graveyards of Nuwara Eliya from surveys, written records and biographical details is recorded in this publication, the first since 1913. Several tombstones have been found from the early 20th century survey but many others not previously recorded were found in this later survey of 2008-9.
The third is Protestant Marriages Nuwara Eliya Ceylon, a register of marriages (about 1000 names) in Holy Trinity Church, Nuwara Eliya, include people of all races. Tamils mainly from the tea estates or the labouring classes who had converted to Christianity from Hinduism, the Burghers who were mainly descended from the Dutch, the Cingalese some with Portuguese names and the British who were so short of female company that they often married local girls. Others took their pick from the ladies who ostensibly came to Ceylon for a holiday but secretly they were looking for a husband and known as the ‘fishing fleet’ and they certainly had plenty of choice. The girls usually stayed in a hotel or with friends and are recorded in the register as ‘arrived from England.’
Nuwara Eliya with its comfortable climate was an oasis for the planters who came from the surrounding tea estates for some home comforts and social life .Under the influence of Sir Samuel Baker the hill station had become a prosperous commercial town and a carbon copy of an English village with the planters’ Hill Club as its social centre. Many planters opted to stay after retirement why go home when you can eat steam pudding and roast beef here and be served by waiters wearing white gloves. Their pensions went a long way in Ceylon and the thought of the cold and expensive climate at home did not appeal.
There are still some reminders of the British period in Nuwara Eliya, the Grand Hotel once the residence of Sir Edward Barnes, Governor of Ceylon, the Hill Club, the Post Office and the fragmented remains of the planters’ lives in its graveyards.
I am trying to find a marriage for Richard Barber and his wife Ann. They had a daughter born in Ceylon in 1833 called Jane for which I have the birth certificate but it only has her mother’s name as Ann. I am trying to find out about her mother and wonder if there is any record of Richard and Ann’s marriage or Ann Barber’s death in Ceylon.
I am trying to find the burial site and date of death of my Wife’s Great Grandfather Albert Bertram Fisher. Born 1859 Died prior to 1899
Hello James
I’m also trying to piece together some Fisher family. My grandmother Lucy Katherine Fisher was the daughter I believe of Albert Bertram Fisher and Anne Cecilia Stuart Fisher. Are these the ancestors of your wife?
Natalie Hug nee Wearne
Hi James,
Do you have an email address I can get in touch?
Hi I don’t have any information to help you but I am like you lost trying to find my roots. If you have any on the Ephraims family from Nuwara Eliya please contact me in Australia to tephraims@hotmail.com. I am trying to find the history of.my family that once owned ‘Darlington Gardens’ in a street I knew as a kid as Lady Mackalam Drive in Nuwara Eliya. My father was Conrad and he had a brother Ivor and a sister Audrey all now deceased. It their parents Lancelot Gilbert St George Ephraims and wife Magadaline Ephraims nee Garth are my missing links. Darlington Gardens was next the Garth Watte property. A name of interest here will be Carlo Garth along with and old spinster aunt Kerry Gath who I understand was the master gardner in her time collecting most Nuwara Eliya flower show awards possibly in the 40s and 50s.
Richard Roland Jaques arrived in Ceylon from England at the end of 1900. He married Margaret MacDowall, who was Scottish, sometime between 1900 and 1906. It is believed that they married in Ceylon. Roland was proprietor of what later became the Stafford Estate at Nuwara Eliya between 1905 and 1909. I am keen to establish when and where they married. I have not found anything about this in the Kabristan archive.
We have searched our data base without a result. We are posting you query in the hope that someone will be able to help you.
Thank you very much.
Re Roland Jaques and Margaret McDowall (the previous spelling was incorrect – i.e. Mc not Mac), I have now discovered that they married in the parish of Rerrick, Scotland, on 28 September 1904. So my query can be deleted! Many thanks for checking.
Seeking information on Edward Kensington, who married Septima Maud Brown McClellard 15 Feb 1888. They had four children, in birth order ; Edward Bruce Kensington b.15 Nov. 1888, Trevor Wilton Kensington b.25 Feb 1890,( baptised 14 June 1894 at Holy Trinity Church Nuwara Eliya), Nora maud Kensington b.1891 and Terence Stuart Kensington b.17 Jan 1893. There was possibly a fifth child born James Kensington b. April 14 1894,(baptised 14 June 1894 at Holy Trinity Church Pussellawa – witnesses Margaret Jean Gow, Frederick Parke and Edward Kensington)
Basic Information sought- any information really would be appreciated on Edward, his wife and children.
01:Confirmation that Edward was either a foreman or manager of a large tea plantation .
02: Edward died 30 Jan,1902 of food poisoning.
03: Name of the tea plantation believed to have been in the Pusellawa area.
Additional Data: Edward Kensington was born 11 Jan 1863 ,Moolham, Somerset, Dorset, England the first born son of Edward Thomas Kensington and Elizabeth Kensington nee Wood.He migrated to Ceylon in 1884 age 21. His parents seperated about 1872,he and seven other siblings lived at Budleigh Salerton
made atleast one trip back to the UK. Dec. 1901. Is recorded in the 1901 Uk Census , staying with his father in law Frances McClellene.at Budleigh Salterton, Dorset ( his wife and four of his children are recorded in this Census)
Dear John,
Your Query has been approved hopefully someone else will be able to help you with the data you requre.
Regards
Eileen Hewson FRGS The Kabristan Archives
Hi John
Found the following for E. Kensington in the Ferguson Ceylon Directories:-
1885-1886 > Planter at Labukellie, Ramboda
1887-1888 > Planter at Rothschild, Pussellawa
1890-1891 > Planter at Rothschild, Pussellawa
1891-1892 > Planter at Abbotsleigh, Dikoya (he is also listed as Acting Manager at Montefiore)
1898-1899 > Planter at Doombagastalawa, Kotmale
Darren
Darren , thank you for your time in locating those records . The dots are slowly being joined , best regards John Kenny
Hi John
No problem. Have a look at the History of Ceylon Tea website (http://www.historyofceylontea.com) as they have the publications of the Planter’s Association of Ceylon (http://www.historyofceylontea.com/ceylon-publications/planter-association-publications) which may have some more information on Edward Kensington.
Darren
Darren, I have had a good look at those sites you referred me to and recently purchased a cd from Eileen Hewson – Kabristan Archives. There appears to be a bit of inconsistency for the date of Edwards K. death , and burial various dates given for in Jan 1902,yes. but the 15 Jan. 1902 is one that is recorded on his stone for his death but the burial date is given as the 13 ? the 13 perhaps would appear to be the better fit for his death. Family has it that he died of “food poisoning”, perhaps there was an inquest ?or maybe it was reported in one of the local papers at the time, not sure how I can check that. I dont imagine death by “food poisoning” was particularly common for a manager planter, living the good life with a company bungalow and possible domestic servants ?His children at least three of them were living at that time in England with his mother in law’s family the Maclellands in Budleigh Salteron Devon . Any suggestions welcome thank you for your interest to date , best regards John
Hi John
The “food poisoning” might just be a polite way of describing Cholera or Diarrhea. No one was particularly safe from either. Burials in Ceylon almost always happened within 24 hours of the death, so either the same day or the next day at the latest.
The directories record Edward Kensington in various locations in the Central Province, but do you know where he died?
Some other sources – the British Library newspaper archive contains the “Homeward Mail from India, China and the East” which is available online directly through the Library or via FindMyPast. Some local libraries and archive offices will have free access to these.
Additionally, NewsBank have the overland edition of the “Ceylon Observer” available too. There are also various Indian newspapers freely available online. Might find an obituary and more information in one of these.
I will have a dig around when I can and see if I can find anything else.
Darren
Darren, thank you again for your follow up and comments.
I have purchased Eileen Hewsons, the Kabristan Archives, CD record for some transcribed Holy Trinity Church-birth,baptism death records, that appear to indicate he was buried in grave number 82, and buried there on the 13 Jan.1902. I say appeared because a stone transcript for KENSINGTON records the following:
Erected to the memory of EDWARD KENSINGTON *of Sugama Estate, who died January 15th 1902.
So should I assume he died at the above mentioned estate, ignoring the death and burial date conflict.
I did get find an obituary reference, essentially a list of a number of members of the planters association for Edward K in the Ferguson Ceylon directories you previously referred me too. I am, slowly, looking through some of these.Just to add to the confusion I have from Ancestry.com records, a UK. Probate records : “giving a death date of 6 Jan.1902 and place name: Pussellawa Ceylon. Estate granted to his wife, Septimina Maud Kensington $714-00 (pounds).”
Genealogy is a combatively new interest for me, I am a retired Architect, Edward Kensington was one of my late mother’s uncles, I am attempting to write a short history on this generation of Kensingtons and would like it to be as far as possible accurately referenced.
Best regards John
Hi John
The estate is almost certainly the Sogama Estate, which is just north of Pussellawa. If he was ill then he most likely died at the estate or in hospital at Pussellawa.
Looking at the actual UK Probate entry from 1906 (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=kensing&yearOfDeath=1906&page=1#calendar) his date of death is recorded as 13th January 1902.
I did find another transctiption of the gravestone at Pussellawa that also says the 15th, but if he was buried on the 13th then he didn’t die on the 15th. Dates can get easily corrupted though, depends on the handwriting on the burial record, condition of the gravestone, etc. I would generally trust the Probate record (13th) though as Mrs. Kensington would have needed to provide proof of the death.
Need a death certificate to confirm the date really. Not sure if Pussellawa falls under the Kandy District or Nuwara Eliya District? FamilySearch are currently in the process of digitizing their LDS film collections, so there may be something available online in the future.
Darren
The History of Ceylon Tea website has some photos of the Sogama Estate – http://www.historyofceylontea.com/tea-estates/estates-registry/sogama–1124.html
Darren ,
Again many thanks, you obviously relish a genealogical challenge. I will check the Family Search records in the near future.
The photos of the Sogama estate are also very interesting, a very verdant, lush and beautiful setting for a managers bungalow.
When I ordered the CD. of the Births, Burials and Marriages Baptisms, compiled by Eileen Hewson of the Kabristan Archives, I was surprised to find an entry for a James K, Born 14 April 1894 and Baptised,14 June 1894, parents Edward and Maud Kensington of —— ( apparently
unreadable) Pussellawa, Witnesses Margaret Jean Gow, Frederick Parke, Edward Kensington.
I have found no record indicating that James returned with his parents to the UK. around 1901, I.e.James is not included in the 1901 UK Census Records, with the rest of Edward K’s wife’s family and in laws the MacClelland’s in Budleigh Salterton Devon.
In a letter written to Sir Roper Lethbridge, sent from Ingurugalla, Aranayaka, Ceylon, Xmas 1900 , Edward K refers to having “a family of 4, comprising. three boys and one girl, and the elder 3 being educated at Budleigh Salerton. They live with my wife’s mother there”
In the same letter he states he worked his way up from an assistant superintendent, “until at the present moment I am a manager of one of the company’s biggest tea properties.The Eastern Produce & Ests.: Ceylon India is the name of the concern ” the full transcript of this letter appears in Travelling With The Kensington’s, by Louise and Ann Buckingham.p 133.
After Edward K. died, his wife moved back to the UK and then a few years latter emigrated to Canada, with her four children.The youngest child, was Terrance Stuart K. born 17 Jan.1893, Ceylon. i.e. some 15 months earlier than James.
The four known children were Edward Bruce K, b. 1888, Trevor Wilton K. b. 1889, Nora Maud K b. 1891and Terrance Stuart K. b 1893.
All were born in Ceylon. So I am assuming that James died very early in his childhood , a not uncommon event,
Sorry to be so long winded, Family history is not very interesting for those outside a family or even within it , but I am enjoying reading and learning more about that British Colonial period in Sri Lanka, the Tea Industry etc and today reading about the “Fishing flFeet : Husband Hunting in the Raj” . Perhaps Maud K. nee MacClelland was one of those women.
Best regards John
Darren , I read somewhere but cannot find the reference that if one was a member of the planters association they provided assistance to members family in need ,was this the norm ? Edward Kensington widow would have needed such to get back to the UK hoping you are able to assist or direct me to a reference
Regards John
Hi John
Sorry, but I don’t know much about the workings of the Planters Association. Being a member of any Association usually has some benefits, so I can imagine that there may well have been a fund available for member Planters families in need.
Whether Mrs. Kensington needed such help is another matter. The 1906 UK Probate (£714) is most likely just the value Edward’s UK based assets and nothing to do with whatever money and property he may have held in Ceylon.
The Planters Association has a website – http://www.paofceylon.org/
Darren