For the past three and a half years I have been trying to ascertain the BIRD family connection to the island and tea plantations of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). I began with the anecdotal story from my parents that we were related to someone who owned a tea plantation on the island and moved on to an unlikely suspect, George Bird, who was a well known pioneer coffee planter (W1 : when you wish 2 + 2 = 4). Having discounted any connection, I moved on to Percy Bird, my grandfather, who certainly did have a link.
After the collapse of the coffee industry due to blight in the 1870's, a suitable replacement was soon found - the tea plant.
My uncle Tony's unpublished autobiography explains that after Percy's
marriage proposals were turned down by Marjorie Benson in 1906 and 1907, he "took himself to Ceylon to work on a tea-plantation".
The Planters' Registry of the Ceylon Tea Industry show that HYDE Bird was a manager for the Mahawala Tea Estate during 1909. As Percy's middle name of Hyde was so unusual, I am wondering if this was the name he adopted while out there ?
I wrote Percy's story in W44. It seems that prior to his marriage in 1911, he was resident in Avissawella, Ceylon, in the western foothills of the island, in the province of Sabaragamuwa.
Percy returned to Blighty from Ceylon. Tony believes this was as a result of having been "sacked from his post as assistant manager".
Tea plantations are controlled by Managers who have junior assistants and Assistant Managers, depending on the size and requirement of the plantation, to assist them in the smooth functioning of the tea estate. Their work involves supervision of all plantation work involved from planting to plucking, processing to packing and transport of tea to auction houses.
Tea plantations are controlled by Managers who have junior assistants and Assistant Managers, depending on the size and requirement of the plantation, to assist them in the smooth functioning of the tea estate. Their work involves supervision of all plantation work involved from planting to plucking, processing to packing and transport of tea to auction houses.
His WW1 Army Book describes Percy's occupation prior to The War as “Planter (Ceylon)" and it says he had a slight knowledge of Tamil Singhalise.
I am still left with questions :
- Why did he choose to go to Ceylon ?
- Was it because of a prior family connection ?
I have not found any trace of him ever returning to Ceylon, so this might be one of those annoying brick walls which will never be solved now that all the protagonists, who might have known more, have died.