Charles Spearman Armstrong facts for kids
Charles Spearman Armstrong (1847–1924) was an important person in the history of tea and cinchona (a tree used for medicine) in British Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka. He was born in Ireland and moved to Ceylon in 1863. He also wrote a book called Tea Cultivation in Ceylon in 1884.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Ceylon
Armstrong was born in Youghal, a town in County Cork, Ireland. In 1863, when he was just sixteen, Armstrong sailed to Ceylon. At that time, many coffee farms there were failing. This was because the coffee market had crashed.
Starting a New Farm
By 1864, Armstrong took over an old coffee farm called Rookwood. This farm was on a high plateau, about 30 miles from Kandy. He found old coffee trees and a small log cabin. Armstrong and some friends traveled to Talaimannar. They then rowed across the Palk Strait to India. They returned with bags of tea seeds. Armstrong planted 750 acres of tea at Rookwood. He also planted cinchona trees.
Tea Planting in Ceylon
James Taylor is often seen as the first person to plant tea in British Ceylon for business. He did this in 1867 at the Loolecondera estate. However, a monument at Rookwood, put up by Armstrong's children, says Armstrong grew cinchona and tea there from 1864 to 1908. This means he started planting tea even earlier.
Working Hard and Family Life
Armstrong was known for working very hard. He would get up before sunrise to work in his fields. He often worked until after dark. At Rookwood, he built a new house and created a beautiful English garden. In 1875, he married Angelina, who was born in Colombo. They had five children together. Armstrong also bought and sold other estates. In 1874, he bought the Holmwood Estate with R. W. Wickham. He sold his share to Wickham in 1877. From 1880 to 1884, he owned an estate called Amunamulla. In 1884, Armstrong published his book, Tea Cultivation in Ceylon. In 1891, he was part of the Ceylon Tea Fund's Standing Committee.
Retirement and Later Years
In 1908, Armstrong retired and moved to England. His son, John Spearman Armstrong, took over the Rookwood plantation. John managed the farm until 1944. C. S. Armstrong and his wife settled in a large house in West Byfleet, England. They lived there with two of their daughters, Mabel and Ethel. Their son Guy Spearman Armstrong was killed in 1915 while serving in the Scots Guards. Charles Spearman Armstrong passed away in 1924.
Memories of Armstrong
Armstrong's grandson, Neville Armstrong, was born at Rookwood in 1913. In 1997, he shared his memories of his grandfather. He described him as a quiet man who did not talk much. He remembered his grandfather had "piercing blue eyes and a large white spade beard".
