A visit to Yakwila Estate

According to information provided by Mrs. Maggie Pulle, our grandfather C.S. Braine, who worked for Ceylon Tea Plantations Co, served at the following estates. She found this in the Fergusons Directory, which listed info about planters and estates in Ceylon.

1898 East Holyrood, Talawakele (tea) -Age 24 years

1904  Mawatta (coconut) - 30 years

1909 Yakvilla, also spelt Yakwila (coconut) - 35 years

1912 Yakvilla - 38 years

1914 Mawatta - 40 years

So C.S. Braine, our grandpa, began as a tea planter and then was moved to coconut plantations by his employer, Ceylon Tea Plantations Company. From 1914, he appears to have been at Mawatte till falling ill in the early 1940s. He passed away in 1944.

His employer appears to have moved him between Mawatte and Yakvilla, a distance of 15 miles. He must have met grandmother Engracia Nonis when he was at Mawatte between 1904 and 1908, because their first child Rosie was born in 1909. Quite unlikely that he would have taken her and the children to Yakwila (not done those days, and they only married in 1924, anyway).

My sister and I visited Yakwila on April 6 and were happy to see that the estate, under the Livestock Development Board, still has the same acreage as 100 years ago, and is maintained in good condition. "A green and pleasant land", and I understand why Mr. Herbert Brett, father of Aunt Edith, named his house in the UK after this estate (Brett appears to have been the manager during 1906/07.) Sri Lanka nationalized large land holdings in the 1970s, and an individual was allowed to keep only 50 acres. But, because Yakwila (and Siringapatha) were taken over from Ceylon Tea Plantations Co., the estates were only nationalized, not split up.

The bungalow at Yakwila is on a low hill. Only the roof has been changed, from tin sheets to tiles. But, it has not been well maintained; this has happened at most nationalized plantations. The interior is dark (even the wooden ceiling needs repairs and a coat of paint), is in bad shape, and not well lit. The garden is neglected.

The European planters, whether on tea, rubber or coconut estates, kept their bungalows impeccably. The surrounding gardens were colorful with flowers. Every bungalow had a kitchen garden.  The Ceylonese (local) lads who came into planting were trained by the Europeans for years (they were said to be "creeping") and did a good job of keeping up with tradition. But, at estates like Yakwila, run by a state organization, there is little concern for tradition. The current manager, who is friendly and enthusiastic, has no experience in planting or in coconut. He grew up near Kandy, got a BSc in agriculture, and was suddenly put in charge of 300+ acres of land. He received no training. The job must be a challenge, because he also has problems in finding labourers, as the Livestock Board doesn't pay well, and workers are leaving for better paying jobs. Yakwila has only 10 labourers, wheres about 30+ are needed. Coconut plantations cannot be mechanized.

Siringaptha, a larger estate, may have been the center of a string of surrounding plantations. For instance, on the signboard, Yakwila is named a "division" of Siringaptha   plantation. The bungalows at Siringapatha are better maintained, perhaps because a regional manager of the Livestock Board usually resides in the old, grand bungalow, and the resident manager also has a family. He is interested in tradition and has compiled a list of past managers going back to the 1930s, and it's displayed in his office. I told him about the Fergusons Directory, so he should be able to complete his list soon.

NLDB stands for National Livestock Development Board

Yakwila bungalow

The young manager on the verandah

Views of Siringapatha bungalow

The verandah, where numerous drinking parties may have been held. The planters were lonely, and, in the absence of a club, would have gathered at large, comfortable bungalow where friendly fellow planters resided.

This large tree, at the edge of the garden, would have been there during my grandfather's and Mr. Brett's time. The records also show a R.S. Braine at Yakwila from about 1914 to 1917. This would have been my grandfather's cousin.

The tin roofs would have created a mighty racket when it rained, and quite a bit of added heat on hot days. Life would not have been easy. Humidity, poor imitations of English food prepared by "appus" (local cooks), disputes among servants, snakes, poisonous plants, ... No wonder many of the planters drank heavily, especially because their wives ran back to Britain when the children reached school age. Some of the tea estate bungalows I've been to are miles and miles away from civilization.

In the absence of wives for long periods, some planters also invited local women into the bungalows, which was sometimes considered a privilege for the women's families. I myself am a descendant of such a union, although my grandpa was not already married, and eventually did the right thing by marrying the woman. However, he waited till 7 of his 8 children were born before he agreed to marry. There must have been intense pressure from his family and friends not to formalize the union. Sri Lanka has a scattering of dark skinned people bearing very British names.

The Yakwila bungalow could easily accommodate two people without them getting on each others' nerves. But I am told that the old bungalow at Mawatte had only two large bedrooms.

In order of importance, tea estates ranked at #1, for the beauty of the hills, the cool climate, lifestyle, and other comforts. Rubber may have been #2. Coconut estates, unfortunately, were at the bottom. One advantage, though, may have been their relative proximity to Colombo (civilization!). 

The Fergusons Directory also lists a W.B.B. (William Belgrave Becher) Braine. He was grandpa's younger brother, who appears to have stuck with tea plantations. The directory further lists a Percy Braine, who may have been superintendent of the famous Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, in Kandy. In the family tree, he appears to be my grandpa's uncle.