Death and Funeral of Charles Frederick Braine, our great-grandfather, in 1896

From the Times of Ceylon, March 12, 1896

Mr. CHARLES F. BRAINE

We regret to have to announce the death of this gentleman, who, after a long illness, succumbed this morning to the effects of malaria, contracted in Kurunegalla, aggravated by the results of a fall from his horse. The deceased gentlemen, who was the eldest son of the late Mr. Charles Joseph Braine, of China, Ceylon, and London, came out to Ceylon in 1869, and entered the service of Ceylon Company, Limited. He learnt planting on Meddacombra estate, and served the Company in Pussellawa, Badulla, and Dikoya. In the latter district he was well-known and respected, having managed Mannickwatta estate for over 12 years. When that estate was handed over to Mr. F.H.M. Corbet, he entered that gentleman's employ and continued in it until the estates were formed into the Wanarajah Co. He acted for a time on Kondesalla Estate, Dumbara and then accepted the task of opening Delwita estate in Kurunegalla, in Messers. Finlay, Muir, and Co's employ. Here he absorbed the malaria from the effects of which he died. He received injuries in the carriage accident in which Mrs. Braine broke her thigh, and was afterwards thrown from his horse about two months ago. After the fracture to the skull had healed he was removed to Colombo, where in the Cargill's Ward he had the benefit of Dr. Garvin's skill and was most assiduously nursed by Mrs. Braine, but, despite everything that could be done, he sank under his injuries, and died this morning at the hospital at 1 o'clock. The deepest sympathies will be with the widow and orphans of one who had deservedly earned the reputation of being a hardworking, conscientious planter. His remains are to be removed for internment this evening at 5.30.

From the Times of Ceylon 13^th March 1896

Funeral of Mr C.F. Braine

The funeral of Mr C. F. Braine took place at 5.30 pm yesterday at the General cemetery. Amongst those who assembled to pay their last respects to the deceased were

Mr S. Braine (son of deceased), Messrs  B. G. L. Bremner, A. C. Courtney, C. Roberts, J.H. Starey, G. W. Carlyon, T.W. Hall, N. Baker, Cameron Smith, Hugh Smith, Duff Tytler, D.G. Mantell, R. John, J. Abel, A.E. Wackrill,  C. Rainnie, E. Benham.

The Rev Mr Ford officiated both at the Mortuary Chapel where the body was in waiting ready to be intered and at the grave which was by the entrance gate.

(The above information was sent to me by Mrs. Maggie Pulle. Thanks, Maggie.)

MY COMMENT

In February, I posted a blog post titled "looking for Charles Frederick Braine" in which I described a futile search that my sister Beaula, brother-in-law Bandara, and I undertook to the Dikoya area to look for the grave of my great-grandfather. The search was the result of an entry in the Kabristan Archives site for tea country graves in Ceylon, which listed Charles Frederick's grave at Dikoya. We didn't find his grave, but found the grave of his infant son at a churchyard in Bogowantalawa.

The mystery of the grave appears to have been solved with the above information. Charles Frederick appears to have been buried in Colombo, at the General Cemetery (Kanatte), which, incidentally, his grandson Stanley Theobald (my father) is buried. 

If Charles Frederick arrived in 1869, he would have been a tea planter.  As a result of the coffee blight, coffee plantations in Ceylon (which covered about 162,000 acres in 1867 and employed about 2000 British planters) had been destroyed and gradually replaced by tea. Charles Frederick's father, Charles Joseph, would have been a coffee planter. 

Charles Frederick moved about, from Pussellawa, to Badulla, to Dikoya, to Dumbara,  and finally to Kurunegala. At the first four locations, he would have been a tea planter. At Kurunegala, more like Matale, he would have cleared the forest to plant rubber. (Delwita Estate is listed as a rubber plantation.) Malaria was rampant in those days and for many, including Charles Frederick, fatal.

Charles Frederick was prone to injury. First, a carriage accident is noted, then a fall from a horse.

Interestingly, only Stanley (Charles Stanley, my grandfather) appears to have attended Charles Frederick's funeral. He had three more children and their presence at the funeral is not noted. (Anyway, only the names of male mourners are noted.)