James Taylor Tea Estate from Kandy

James Taylor, the pioneer of the tea industry in Ceylon was born to Michael & Margaret Taylor at Moss park, Monboddo Estate, Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire, Scotland in 1835 (two years before Queen Victoria ascended the throne). 

Setting out from London on October 22, 1851, as a youth of 17 he arrived in Ceylon in 1852 and on arrival was sent to Loolcondera estate in Hewaheta a few miles distance from Kandy.

Loolkandura Estate in the Kandy district is the very first patch of tea that was planted as a test after the failure of a coffee plantation in Sri Lanka. 

With the wild success of this plantation, then 21-year-old planter James Taylor who was in charge of this plantation has been forever immortalized and has become a part of the post-colonization history of Sri Lanka.