When did British nationals launch plantations in Nelliampathy?
British national and planter Archer Clinton Barnes died on December 19, 1893 at the age of 68 in the Nelliampathy hills. The epitaph inscribed legibly on his tombstone bears the date. As per documents available with the United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI), the Nelliampathy hills were left open to tea and coffee estates in1893 by the Princely State of Kochi, as desired by British planters. But the epitaph on the tombstone of Barnes, which was discovered recently in the Kottayangadi division of the present Chandramala Estate, more or less confirms that foreign nationals had engaged in plantation activities in the hill ranges much before the formal opening of the hills by the Princely State.
Extensive research to be launched
“We found the tombstone in good shape with no ravages of time during a recent visit to the estate division as part of a resurvey. It may be the only surviving grave of British planters in Nelliampathy. We will take up an extensive search in the Anamada area as local people have indicated that another grave existed there,” said Nelliampathy forest range officer B. Ranjith.
UPASI documents quote a visitor to the hills in 1930 who had interacted with a local woman. On seeing two graves close to the then Mrs. Hall’s Guest House, next to Hall’s Family Bungalow, the visitor had enquired about the details of the grave. The woman told him that there were two British planters: one was gored to death by a wild boar while the other was killed by a lone tusker. “Only one among the two graves exists now. The other one has vanished and even the name of the man buried there is not known. Also, it is a mystery whether Barnes was killed by a wild boar or elephant,” says Mr. Ranjith.
Arthur Hall, who earlier owned the present Chandramala Estate, is now known as ‘the father of plantation sector in Nelliampathy.’
UPASI documents say Barnes reached Nelliampathy after initiating plantation activities in Wayanad. The hills were barren then and he started planting coffee. Mr. Ranjith, who has an active interest in colonial history, is planning to do a detailed research into the life of Barnes for a more accurate history of Nelliampathy. “The popular perception is that planters arrived in the traditional settlement of the Kadar tribesmen only by 1893. But Barnes and his friends may have reached the hills and started plantation activities at least 20 years earlier,’’ says Mr. Ranjith.
