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The Golden Falcon |
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Chapter XX/4 - Noon |
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I
asked my clerk twice to make out a cheque as I thought you boys would
require some money - as usual he has forgotten to do so, will enclose a
cheque for Rs 10 to give one and half to your brothers each, you no doubt
will know what to do with the rest. Let
me know in plenty of time when your holidays commence.
By the way what about your exam? Typed
above last morning, in the afternoon came in for one of my beastly colds,
every fresh one seems worse than its predecessors. Do
not be surprised if one of these days you get a wire to come down with
your brothers by car (if no train available) ) at once, as I should like
to embrace you all before my number is up once again.
I have provided for you all as best I can and unless something
unforeseen happens, you will have an easier time than I have ever had.
As eldest now I expect you to
look after your brothers and sisters as I have done all my life to
mine. Be
honest in word and deed and put yourself in the other person's place as I
have tried to do of late years and you will not go very far wrong.
I should like to live long enough to make my sugar experiment a
success and to have at least one of you old enough and man enough to look
after all my children. Do not
be downhearted at what I
write but its just as well to be prepared.
I made my first Will when I was 21 which was a simple matter, the
one just drafted by my proctor was necessarily a much longer one and when
the times come to use it, all of you must try and act up to it although
none of you have much say in the matter until you are old enough, when I
feel like it, will leave further instructions to guide you all. Uncle
has not turned up, do not quite know why he is coming.
I fancy it's about a friend of his who is in trouble.
It's generally the case. Am
trying to complete the mill before Christmas, the smiths are so slow.
If my typing is not very elegant, I am proud of being independent.
Now my boy, do your best when you have the opportunity.
I was just about your age when I had not only to look after myself
but several others which I do up to now.
May God bless and protect you all, with love, to all, Your
affectionate Father. Ally had to leave school at about 16 and go out to work as a planter to help bring up his brothers and sisters (whom he ruled with a rod of iron!) because his father Alfred Octavius died comparatively young and sold his shares of Baddegama estate. His mother Maria Evelyn married secondly Harry Street (who suffered ill health) and lived in Colombo. Harry did not live long either. The family spilt up; Charles when aged 8, went to England to live with his grandmother Sarah (née Cxresse), then went to Canada, George went to Florida and was followed by his sister Sarah Cresse Winter. Gertrude married her cousin Edward Deslandes Bowman, Edmund and Daly were still too young and remained in school in Ceylon.
10.8.1926,
Pillagoda My
dear Norman I
wish you and the others would write me oftener, at least one of you once a
week. I wrote you in my last
letter, I should like you to go to an agricultural school. I have written to Mr Stockdale for a certificate which I will
forward at once on a receipt. I
like you to enjoy yourself but enjoyment is not all what I expect of you.
I wish you as soon as possible to come and help to work the estate
as I cannot do all I should like to, due to age and different ailments and
the sooner you get used to doing without me, the better.
I am getting Ernest (his nephew, Edmund's son) down for the present
to help me. If I cannot
depend on you boys to keep the estate going as it should be after spending
a lifetime in getting it to its present conditions, it will be better for
me to sell the place rather than allow it to be ruined but that will mean
you will have no home. So
mind you buck up and try to do some work.
Doctors have told me for many years, I ought to have a long change
which I have not been able to take as I though more of you children than
myself and wish to leave you all better off than I ever was, but unless
you can take care of what you have in a way, you will be worse off than if
you started life with nothing, when you will be compelled to work and get
your own living. I know very
many who were working once upon a time but are beggars now and of no use
to themselves or anyone else. So
mind what I say and give up the idea there is no need for opportunities
you have had and I was younger than you when I had to earn my own bread or
rather rice and educate my brothers and sisters, so I hope you will make
up your mind to work steadily and return to Ceylon, a more industrious and
accomplished boy or man than when you went.
With love, Your
affectionate father, A. W. Winter. 27.9.1926,
Pillagoda. My
dear Norman, Thanks
for yours of 29th August. which I was very glad to get as I thought you
had forgotten me or how to write. I
have no intention of sending you to Loughborough but intend to send your
brothers, especially Sydney but as Mr Perera has kindly made other
arrangements, they can stand until I visit England.
I wrote to Mr Perera about sending you to an agricultural college
not only that you should learn something about agriculture but because I
wish you to do something and not lead an idle life but as you have now
gone to Whiteleys,1 you can
finish your course as all the subjects you mentioned will come in useful
even at the agricultural college as well as later. I
have heard you are labouring under the erroneous supposition you will be a
gentleman of wealth and need not work.
The sooner you get over this idea, the better, as I have had to
work all my life and I expect you boys to do the same regardless of your
having any money or not. An
idle life is generally a miserable one and I have no use for idle persons. Do not thing even if you had money, it is beneath you to work
if adverse circumstances should come to pass as they very often do, wealth
will still remain with you if you are capable of putting your hands to
anything that may turn up, you will always be able to earn a living.
After all, how do you suppose any property will give a return
unless those most interested use their best endeavours to work such a
property? I can tell you on
occasions when it was found necessary to have strangers on Baddegama
estate, the place never did well nor will. This I do know - if you think I will live forever or be able
to supervise the working of the estate, however, willing the mind may be,
I can tell you advancing years are beginning to tell on my constitution
mostly due probably to my not taking a change which I cannot take as there
is no one capable of carrying on my work.
Now as you are the eldest it's your place to make yourself
competent to come and help me as soon as possible so as to relieve me to a
certain extent and some day be able to carry on what I have so far built
up successfully, not only for your own interest but that of your brothers
and sisters. So my boy I hope you will use your best endeavour to shake
off idleness and to make the best of your opportunities. By that I do not at all mean you should not enjoy yourself
and I hope you will, but the two must work together.
There is a time for work and a time for enjoyment and I can tell
you a person who works enjoys his pleasure much more than an idle person. I
hope you have the opportunity to play cricket or even tennis, the former
is more a a man's game. If
you are proficient in any games, especially if you excel in them, you will
find doors open to you that would otherwise be closed and I hope you will,
to the best of your ability, take my place in looking after your sisters
and brothers. I was a great
deal younger than you when I had not only to look after my brothers and
sisters but had to provide for them as well. Mind
you try and repay Dr and Mrs Perera's kindness by pleasing them in every
way you can and making yourself useful to them.
It's not everyone who will take the trouble they have taken with
you. I
hope you will see that Sydney and Batcha do their studies as its a source
of anxiety to me they have not as yet been able to enter a school as
boarders. I have no doubt you
and all the others require winter outfits and I hope Mrs Gooneratne with
Mrs Perera's help will get you suitable but not rather expensive clothes. I
have not only the expense of keeping you in England but I have sent Uncle
Daly to Australia and have provided him with a fair amount of money to buy
a chicken farm and as soon as he is settled, will have the expense of
sending his family over and as the prices of tea and rubber have gone down
considerably, profits will not be very much. I
have set up a large new boiler and am now working off the sugar from the
old lot of molasses I had in the store and hope in a few days to start
cutting cane. I have adopted
a new system of planting the little tea I am opening this year as well as
sugar cane i.e. on the contour system something like the up-country paddy
fields, at every four 6-8 inches lower on the upper side, this prevents
the wash and the latter will percolate through the soil but the work is
very expensive and I am cutting platforms for recently planted rubber and
coconuts and later will put in silt pits which will prevent wash and loss
of good soil About
six weeks ago I got down an Airedale pup at a cost of Rs. 100 but the poor
beast died a few days ago. I
have also bought two half-breed harriers, they are nine or ten months old
and I hope will survive and turn out well. The dog is somewhat savage and
goes at people a bit. I
have got out a mile of light rails and am constructing roads up to the
hill tops as at easy a gradient as possible mostly 1: in 40'.
The trucks will be hauled up by bullocks later when I put together
portions of a Fordson tractor and a car engine, it will take the place of
bulls but coming down the trucks will travel by gravity. Since
the foregoing was typed, I have heard from Mary that you are very
energetic and I hope you will remain so, but it's just as well you should
know my views, so am sending the letter as it was written.
With love to all, Your affectionate Father, A. W. Winter. 1Whiteleys
- the former store in Queensway, London which shut down in 1981. Ally tried to help his brother Daly by giving him an estate to manage but he was not interested and eventually emigrated to Australia. Pillagoda
Valley, Baddegama 22.3.1927 My
dear Daly I
have heard from different sources you were as usual very overjoyed to see
your family and probably since. I
cannot say I was very much taken aback as I know your promises will not
hold water and that like a dog who cannot refrain from returning to his
vomit, you cannot refrain from returning to you usual habits. I
had asked the Salvation Army people all along to get a mortgage for the
property I have brought for you as I am afraid unless I do so, your wife
and children will not have a house to cover their head. They find some difficulty in doing so and when they go
further into the question, find it inconvenient to comply with my request.
I am going to ask them to get a mortgage bond made out in my favour. I
never thought you would make much of a chicken farm but expected you to
get a small return for your maintenance which could only be if you raise
some of the food for fowls yourself.
If you cannot do so, you have better give up the fowls and go in
for pigs, they will be more in your line and afford companionship and some
gain. Now
as regards furniture, a certain portion of which you have bought on
credit, you have to pay for them as best you can as I cannot afford to
allow anymore money and as I mentioned before, the allowance I now give
will be greatly reduced. The
children will no doubt be able to look after the chickens and seven pigs
and you could earn something if you are so disposed.
I have written Annie about my leaving Ceylon and you will no doubt
hear all about it. Your
affectionate brother, Sgd.
A. W. Winter Daly unfortunately had a problem with alcohol and his family went through great hardship in Australia. On 30.10.1926 Ally wrote from Pillagoda to the Principal D. R. Edwardes- Ker, Esq., Seale Hayne Agricultural College, Newton Abbot, Devon where Norman was sent. The following is an extract: I
am one of the few of the now nearly extinct proprietary planters and I am
interested in several products, the principal ones being tea, rubber,
coconut and sugar cane. Just
a century ago, my grandfather was the first Englishman to go in for the
latter produce. For reasons I
am not aware of, he didn't continue planting this product very long, but
he re-started it in this district (in 1840) I am now writing from and
carried on the industry combined with the extraction of essential oils,
until about 20 years ago. Due
to low prices of these products, we (Winter & Sons) planted our sugar
land with tea and rubber which was much more profitable.
I have always had a hankering to revive the sugar industry in
Ceylon and grew it on a small scale when I was working for others.
I have now established myself here for the past 25 years and
although the available land is not the best suited for this product as I
could not go elsewhere, having all my interest centred in this place and
for climatic cause. I am
planting cane on high land and manufacturing sugar, which is not a paying
proposition due to over-production, in spite of the non-existence of
bounty fed sugar in England and of no Mr Gladstone to object to
countervailing duties to protect the colonies. However
that maybe, I have sunk a great deal of money in the venture and as I am
ignorant of sugar chemistry which is absolutely necessary with modern
methods, it's my intention that Norman my son, should not only learn other
useful agricultural methods but that he would study chemistry in
particular. When you think it
advisable, it is my intention, as suggested by Mr Stockdale, to send him
to Mauritius to gain experience in practical sugar manufacture in
particular and I intend to get his younger brother to take up engineering
when he is a little older. At
present I not only attend to the planting but have erected the necessary
machinery myself and have often to attend to same personnel.
So I hope you will keep in view the object I have in sending him on
to you. He is naturally a retiring lad but I think rather persevering
and it is easier to lead him than to drive him.
Coming from an out-of-the-way colony, he may feel awkward with his
new associates but I have no doubt, time and your kind care, will remedy
this. Now
I think it only right for you to know why he didn't continue studies at
the Agricultural School at Peradeniya. A few months after he went there, he got malaria or as I am
now inclined to think, a dose of flu, his temperature was very high for
some days. I
very much appreciate your kind invitation to visit your college should I
visit England. I have every
hope of being able to do so next year an have written this day to Messrs
Cooks to book my passage about the middle of April.
I have many friends and a few relations in England (one, my brother
Rev. C. H. Winter is rector of Elsdon, Newcastle upon Tyne) but I prefer
not to trouble them with my children's affairs.
I hope I am not trespassing on your valuable time in writing such a
long letter mostly about self.
I am dear, Sir, Yours sincerely A. W. Winter Ally's
experiment with sugar was a failure due to a disease or a pest which
ruined the crops and Pillagoda was planted up with tea, rubber and some
coconuts. After Rioty left
the RAF in 1948, he, Sydney (who had owned a garage in England) and Norman
bought out the shares of their step-mother Shelagh (Mrs Eyre) and their
half-brother Alfred Anthony Winter. When
Norman became superintendent of Pillagoda, all that remained of the old
sugar factory were the foundations and the paths on which the rails had
run. The only sugar left was
one grove of canes in the middle of the stream which Norman had to cut as
it caused a build-up of water and floods.
The next letter was written from the home of Dr. Walter Henry Trinnell Winter, Ally's cousin. The
House that Jack Built, Compton
Road, Wolverhampton 14.10.1927. My
dear Norman Thank
you for yours of 10th. No
doubt it's because your pockets are empty, you felt inclined to write.
Dr Perera will of course, finance you, but you must be careful how
you spend as I have got through a good deal, not so much on myself, but on
others, it looks like having a car is going to cost you a great deal more
in travelling than by train. Sorry
you had a mishap, yes apply to the insurance company. I
came here from London last night to get an injection which I have had this
afternoon and return on Sunday to have a peep at the Motor Show and then
go south to look up some of my relatives and wish them good-bye.
On the way I will visit the College to see you and the Principal. In
every probability, I will have to undergo a slight operation in my nose on
my return from Newcastle and before I take boat for USA. I have at last got the addresses of persons from whom I can
get information about your going to Mauritius and I arrange to send you
there I will return to England and accompany you to Mauritius and return
from that way, before I see you I hope I will be in a position to arrive
at a decision. Mrs
G. want by herself and the girls went in the company of Mr A. T. Daniel in
a P & O boat ("Comorin").
On the 7th I went to Tilbury and saw them off.
The Sinhalese padre at Baddegama got drowned and Mr. D. G.
Gunawardne of Galle died. Your
affectionate Father, A.
W. Winter.
Fitzgerald
Hotel, 30,
Leinster Square, Hyde
Park, London W.2. My
dear Norman Am
enclosing this in a letter to Sydney as it will be too late to reach you
before you leave. I have
booked a passage for you in the P & O steamer "Nankin"
leaving London on the 7th. I
have also arranged to place your brothers at the Park College, St.
George's Hill, Weybridge, Surrey. It's
opposite the Brooklands car race course.
I wish you to come down with them to arrive there by the 3rd of
next month when I will meet you, find out and let me know by what train to
expect you at Weybridge Station. You can then come here and see a little of London before you
leave. Send on your luggage
to London, you will stay at the place we stayed at before only a few doors
from this, as you know a few people there and will be more at home, if I
am at any time away, you can always find Mr Ellis here. When
the boys are a bit settled, I will also start if I can get a passage which
I think I will be able to do this time of the year without difficulty, if
there is any delay, will go up to Elsdon (where
his brother Charles was vicar). Now
do you like to go to P. V. straight when you land or would you prefer to
go on to your sister's? If
former will write for a car to be sent up, if latter, ask Joe to meet you,
let me know about these things at once.
I hope you asked for a certificate and mind you have your passport,
get your brothers' birth certificates and school leaving report or
certificates. Have written
the Doctor on these matters but you can see about it as well. Will
only have to pay £132 for Sydney and £120 a year for Batcha for the year
including tuition charges and no bus or other expenses except of course,
for games and music, there is a nice full-sized billiard table so Sydney
will be able to have a good deal of practice.
I intend to give over my car to Austin's on the 29th and I thought
of getting Taylor go home for Xmas if he feels so inclined and let him
bring yours. Will you please
inquire about the registration and insurances which I will have to renew,
find out if it could be done in your name or if it will have to be
transferred to me and I will have to register and insure.
If he (Taylor) brings it on the 27th, it will do as far as a know,
it is only registered and insured to end of year.
I asked Dr. to give you a couple of pounds as a Xmas present from
me, will give you more to buy yourself anything you like when you come
here. With love, Your
affectionate father A. W. W. The following is an extract of a letter from Ally to his eldest daughter Hilda van der Poorten. .....
the cheetah, I reason things out, without jumping to conclusions simply
because a person says a thing is so, and so I admit I should have
preferred to have had the children elsewhere but the difficulty was to
find a place. I have now done
so and some of my relatives who have seen the boys will occasionally visit
them. I
have only been at the Pereras occasionally and I had no doubt they took
good care of them. I showed
Norman a portion of your letter and asked him if there was any truth in
it, his reply was none, except as regards Mary1.
Now as regards her, I think I would have encouraged the intimacy
within bounds. From all
accounts the young man is quite a good sort and certainly was from all I
saw. I have no reason to
distrust Norman, he had been in the house and ought to know better than
most, the goings-on there. Now
you three are grown up, Violet wishing to get married, I too, have decided
to do so and have found a young lady of good family who I will marry on
the 24th and sail for Ceylon on the 27th in the P & O "Comorin"
but I am afraid my original fears will be fulfilled and she will not wish
to associate with you, at least at the start, as she has been in India
where people are more particular then in Ceylon.
The reasons I asked Uncle no one should come to see us land, except
himself but I will come to see you all as soon as possible.
This will not affect any of you financially in any way, my Will as
regards you will remain as I made it some time ago. I
have asked Uncle to apprentice Norman to a good man if he can before I
come out, so he may be able to take up an Assistant's billet on P. V. at
an early date. Batcha showed
signs of what doctors call frontal sinus and I was indifferent about his
health, took him to a Harley Street specialist who recommended a slight
operation to his nose which might stop the trouble, so took him to a
Nursing Home last Sunday and was operated the following day and will be
out on Friday. I believe as
due to my usual neglect, I have not been near him.
In a few days I will send them to school as I do no see why I
should go to the trouble of taking ...... Mary was daughter of Ally's brother Edmund. The young man was Jock Hazeldene, a teacher, who later studied to be a doctor and came to Ceylon intending to marry her but she married Humphrey Grey instead. Jock never got married, he lived with his mother in Kent where Mary's sister Mabel visited him and died sometime after 1960. Fitzgerald
Hotel, 33,
Leinster Square, Hyde
Park, London W 2 22.1.1928 My
darling son Sydney What
has come over you? Your
behaviour upset me very much. Are
you the brave boy who used to bring
"ecles"1
to be used on himself and
put even grown men (to shame) at Coonoor (South
India) when he had the
injections (anti-rabies)
- a bigger baby than your little brother, Batcha (Rioty).
As soon as I saw you on my arrival in England, I noticed a
difference which I did not care about, you had outgrown too soon from the
affectionate little son that used to love to sleep in my bed and come to
me with all your little troubles and don't you remember it was not long
ago you wrote me you had gone out with a dog as you had no one else to
play or go out for a walk with. After
great difficulty when I have found not only a school but what I consider
to be a good home for you, where you will have opportunities of
associating with nice people and where some of my relatives will
occasionally see you, they would never have gone to Sheffield to do so,
you behave like a big baby. Give
the school and yourself a chance, I know when you go to a strange place,
you feel lost and miss those you had got used to, but in a short time, you
will get used to the place and make new friends What
will you do if you go to Ceylon? You
are too old to go to a college there, if you did, you will be in a class
with boys much smaller than yourself and after being in England, you will
not like them. You are too
young and do not know enough to do anything.
When you are older and find you cannot write a decent letter or
hold your own with other men, you will blame me for not doing what I know
is the best for you and what you will appreciate, a good education and how
to behave like a gentleman. You
are only a boy yet, my son, and not a young man, you have had too much
liberty at Sheffield and mostly associated with men and not with boys and
now you are with other boys, do not like it.
I would have returned to Ceylon long ago, I only stayed so long as
I was dissatisfied with you staying at Sheffield which I never liked,
especially after your sister Hilda wrote me very strongly on the subject. You
must also remember its not good to leave poor little Batcha all by
himself, you are old enough and capable of looking after him and to set
him a good example instead of which you behave in a most foolish manner
which you never did in Ceylon, although you were much younger then, you
behaved much more sensibly and used to be very obedient. You
have set your heart on having a motor cycle but you will not be allowed to
use one until you are 16 and where and who will you go about with, surely
you do not think I would like you to go about by yourself?
It's not that I do not want to please you, my boy, but I love you
too much, if you have forgotten the love you used to have toward your old
father, that I am afraid to let you ride one just yet as they are most
dangerous and I cannot afford to lose you, you may be killed, not through
his fault (sic) but because the other was careless and did not know how to
drive or ride. So my best of sons, whom I love dearly, have patience. Another
thing, now is the time to devote yourself to studies, you know yourself
you are, as regards book work, behind other boys of your own age and now
you have the chance, it's up to you to do the best you can and get on,
it's for your own advantage, pleasure you can have and enjoyment when you
are older, your business now is to make the most of your time and not go
to plays and pictures. Very
few schoolboys, except during the holidays, go to such places.
I have asked Mr Williams to take you and your brother to places
they go to during the holidays where you will have opportunities to enjoy
yourselves, I have even asked him if they go to the Continent to take the
two of you, very few boys of your age will have such opportunities. Now my dear son, be the little man you always were and set my
heart at ease and come and help me as soon as you are able.
I leave in a few days, but before I do so, I'd like to hear from
you, you will be the sensible boy you are and ------- 1eecles
- the spines from coconut palm leaves used to chastise small children. The boys were sent to St. Joseph's College, Coonor, South India before they went to England and Sydney was bitten by a dog which later developed rabies. Ally does not seem to have realised that it was his impending marriage which was causing his children problems especially as his new wife refused to have anything to do with them nor would she let them live at Pillagoda. Fitzgerald
Hotel, 30,
Leinster Square, Hyde
Park, London W2 22.1.1928 My
dear Norman, Thanks,
my dear son, for your nice letter which I am forwarding to your brothers.
Batcha was operated on Monday and returned here on Friday, he and Sydney
went to their College the following day, the 15th, with Taylor.
I did not go as the principal who I wished to see was away, but did
so yesterday and was sorry to find (Batcha) very disappointed and upset -
he started by asking me to let him have a motor cycle which he will not be
allowed to use yet as he is not 16 and I dread his using one.
Then he said there was nothing to do, although there is a billiard
table, tennis court and places to play other games, he also grumbled there
were no pictures and plays. I
am afraid he had too much liberty and enjoyed himself too much at
Sheffield. I noticed this the
first time I saw him on my arrival. The
Principal had taken him for a long walk the previous day and they spend
the evenings with his wife and children and sleep in the same house, so
ought to feel quite at home. I
was disappointed and wrote him a long letter last night which I hope will
do some good. I get married the day after and sail on the 27th as I told
you. A nasty cable has been
sent the young lady from Kandy, I know the author but there are others in
it and I would be glad if you will find out all about it and let me know. I
hope Mr Hermon will be able to have you as I have heard he is a good man
and all those that learnt under him have done well and I sincerely hope
you will do likewise. I will
give over the car which has been very useful.
In fact, we were able to get through London traffic much easier
than in the big car. Before I
give it to the Austin people here to be shipped as soon as possible.
When you are settled down and should need it, I will send it up but
will first put it in better order. It
needs attention. I am glad
you are feeling well and enjoying yourself, had you take an opening dose
you would probably not have had headaches but for certain reasons, I have
heartaches for which I will have to find remedies when I get home.
Now good-bye, my dear son, and always look on the bright side of
things if you wish to be happy. I
have had many ups and downs but as a rule, came out top dog and was not
downhearted long and may you have such a lot.
With love to all, Your
affectionate Father, A. W. Winter. Ally got married at the Brompton Oratory, Kensington. D
299 51 - Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage Pursuant to the Marriage
Acts 1836 to 1898. Registration
District: KENSINGTON 1928
- Marriage solemnised at the Church of the Oratory in the District of
Kensington in the County of London. No.
41 When
married: Twenty fourth of
January 1928 (24.1.1928) Name
& Surname Alfred William Rosmalecocq Winter Age: 63 Condition:
Bachelor Rank
or profession: Planter Residence
Fitzgerald
Hotel, Leinster Square, W 2 Father's
Name & Surname: Alfred Octavius
Winter (deceased) Rank
or Profession of Father: Proprietary
Planter Name
& Surname: Shelagh
Basile Fan Horner Age:
27 Condition:
Spinster Residence:
Fitzgerald
Hotel Leinster Square, W 2 Father's
name & surname:
Charles Jared Horner (deceased) Rank
or Profession of Father: Estate
Agent Married
in the church of the Oratory according to the rites and ceremonies of the
Catholic Church by Licence by me E. E. Kilburn, (Cy pres LI). In
the presence of us A. H(averstock) Bowman, Chas. H. Winter (Hon. --), W(illiam). E(lphinestone) Underwood A.
J. Turner I,
Arthur James Turner, Registrar of Marriages for the District of Kensington
in the County of London do hereby certify that this is a true copy of the
entry No. 41 in the Register Book of Marriages for the said District and
that such Register Book is now legally in my custody. Witness
by Hand this 24th day of January 1928, A. J. Turner, Registrar of
Marriages. Before her wedding Shelagh Horner was sent a telegram the 13.1.1928 at 4.50 p.m. via the Eastern Telegraph Co., Ltd., Electra House, Moorgate, London E. C. 2 which read: "VS
34 Kandy 123.13. QX; LCO - SHELAGH HORNER, 30 LEINSTER SQUARE, LD -
BRIDEGROOM POLYGAMIST TWELVE CHILDREN CEYLON." There is a document amongst papers left by Shelagh maintaining that when Ally returned to Ceylon he made enquiries and found out this cable was sent by Mrs Hilda van der Poorten and Mrs Violet Hermon (his daughters). Pillagoda
Valley Estate, Baddegama. 27.2.1928. My
dear Norman Just
a few lines to tell you Hermon cannot have you as he is full up so I have
written to others about you. As
soon as I can find a good man, will let you know.
In the meantime I wish you to stay with Uncle. Your car ought to arrive soon, in the first place I will have
it brought here and have it thoroughly overhauled and send it up should
you need it when you go on to an estate. I
wish you, my son, to learn your work thoroughly before you come here.
I have had no news of Violet so am writing to the Doctor.
She ought, by now, to be fairly well.
At least I hope so. I
had a few lines from Batcha but Sydney has not answered the letter I wrote
to him just before I left England. I
am afraid he is rather disappointed at being removed from Sheffield, hope
he is now reconciled to the place as some of my relatives are going to
look them up. As
you must have seen by the papers, I got here on Monday.
Had to attend my niece's wedding on the following day and have been
pretty busy since, trying to get a grasp of what has been done and undone.
You will, my dear son, be none the worse for not being here for a
time nor Violet, if she behaves in a sensible manner but I wish you to
live with Uncle until I make other arrangements for you as I do not wish
you to be contaminated by avaricious persons who only think of
themselves., I am sending
Uncle a cheque for Rs.25.00 to be given you. Your
affectionate father, A. W. Winter. Ally's wife Shelagh had been brought up in India where Eurasians were looked down upon by both Europeans and Indians (the latter called them "chee-chees" signifying filth) so did not want anything to do with his natural children. Although the Sinhalese accepted Eurasians, such children had a difficult time and were often abandoned in villages. It was specially hard for those who appeared to be Europeans; some with red hair and milk-white complexions. In one instance an Eurasian family thought their mother was an "ayah" (nanny). Edmund's daughter-in-law Mary Burnane and her brother George were suddenly abandoned by their father who ever afterwards, only sent them money through a bank, his daughter-in-law Helen Pritchard's father suddenly left for South Africa. She and her brothers and sisters never heard from him again. Ally's second common law wife Aslin was still alive and he gave her some land adjoining the estate but when Shelagh found out, she had them sent away. Norman went to live with his uncle Edmund at St. George, Galagedara where he met his cousin Nancy "Mabel" and eventually married her. To:
W(illiam) E(lphinstone)
Underwood Esq., "Bruton",
Brighton Road, Lancing, Sussex. 18.11.1929 My
dear Willie I
am afraid I am giving you a great deal of trouble about the boys,
specially about Sydney. I do
not know what I would do if not for you.
I have been going over your last three letters as well as Sydney's
and am puzzled what to advise. If
he is attending Polytechnic it will be a pity to place him elsewhere,
where he would not be able to attend that institution. As
you probably know, times are very hard, rubber having gone down to 3 cts.,
recovered slightly, but may go down again to anything.
Unfortunately there is a big drop in tea as well and brokers have
advised me it may go down still further, but at the same time as long as I
can possibly do so, I wish to give the boys an opportunity to learn a
trade so as to be able to help themselves. Judging by the letters, Sydney has certainly improved very
much and now realises life is not all play, so I am quite agreeable you
should apprentice him at some institution where he will have opportunities
of learning all about cars than he seems to have at the place where he is
working now. As
regards Rioty I do not know what he will be capable of doing.
Dentistry is a very paying business here and I spoke to a dentist
the other day how he started. He informed before entering a dental institution, a boy has
to pass the London Matric. which I am afraid Rioty will never do, but you
may have an opportunity of ascertaining if this is the only means of
taking up dentistry. I
am quite in agreement with you about subscribing to enable Tesch to get a
more powerful motor cycle. It
is very good of him indeed to take the boy about.
His sister-in-law Miss Hunter is passing Colombo today I understand
and it is likely Violet will see her. I
am sorry I am unable to do so as I have just been to Kandy to attend the
P.A. meeting and elsewhere and I have plenty of things to keep me occupied
here. I am trying to plant as
much tea and coffee on lease land as if I possible can this monsoon, the
work is behind hand and money scarce.
I have not yet sent to Colombo tea I have manufactured but even
when I do so I will not get much more than expenses I have incurred. I
went to Colombo to meet Sissie (Evelyn
Gertrude) and
Eddie (Bowman)
on 4th instant and found them
looking very well indeed, but how long the improvement as regards Eddie
will continue is the query, as on former occasions, I noticed he very
rapidly loses the benefit he derives in going to England. Just
before he left, a young man who had only been in Ceylon for 6 months, paid
me a visit and as he is at a loose end and intended leaving the island, I
suggested to Eddie he should try him at Baddegama.
He seems a likely young fellow, but later I found out he was a bit
of a rolling stone. I have
for a long time considered another man was necessary for Baddegama Estate,
the reason I made this suggestion, but all of a sudden, just before
Eddie's arrival, I heard he had decided to leave for England whence he was
going to the Gold Coast. I
hope he will like it, I feel rather sore on the subject. I
hardly see the necessity of new blood as you suggest as neither of the
persons you mention will make any difference but as I told you before, as
long as Eddie is in charge of Baddegama Estate, I will not interfere.
If invited even I could make certain suggestion to our mutual
advantage but not otherwise. On the whole Baddegama Estate has not done badly considering
the low prices at what we produce and when crossing a bridge is not the
time to change horses. I
sent Gladys a hand glass which I hope she will appreciate and as I did not
quite know what to send Madge I requested Creasy & Co., to send 5
pounds of tea. I hope they
will send some good stuff. I
did not know what to send you, so you will have to be satisfied with a cup
of tea if Madge can spare one. In
every probability I may not have an opportunity of writing you before
Christmas again as I have to write to many others, so I hope Madge and
Gladys a very happy Christmas and I hope you will all enjoy your
Continental trip. Shelagh and the kid are doing quite well and the former has
just started giving the child one feed of artificial foods which enables
her to get out for a few hours in the afternoon.
I enclose the Second of Exchange D. D.
Your affectionate cousin. P.
S. Rioty asks me to allow him a little more as pocket money as he finds
his allowance is not enough to meet his requirements now. As he is close on 15, he may be right, so will you please see
that he gets about 5 shillings a week or whatever you think fit and give
them both £1 each from me for Christmas. The young man going to the Gold Coast is unidentified. Madge and Gladys were probably Willie's wife and daughter. The next letter is written to his eldest son Norman. Pillagoda 25.5.1930 My
dear son Not
having heard from you for some time, I did not know if you were well
enough to take up a billet if it is possible to find one and I wished you
to learn tea-making which is very important especially now. I am not in touch with people who have the giving of billets
like Hermon who is a V. A. (Visiting
Agent) for several firms,
at least so he told me. I am
afraid the sore point is his not getting a premium of Rs. 1,000.00 he
demanded for allowing you to learn work on an estate in his charge.
I know how you must feel, not having a billet as I was in the same
predicament after I left Chilaw for 10 months and I can tell you, it was
not for want of trying I did not get one.
I was handicapped as I know nothing about tea those days.
However, I will try a few people I know. Not only would I like you to get a billet but it will be of
help to me these hard times if I did not have to provide for you.
I do not wish you to leave the island as I am not well and like
poor uncle George I may go off the hooks at anytime and I wish you to be
about then although I cannot do anything for you at present, you will find
I have not forgotten any of you. Do
not be downhearted, do whatever you have to do with a will as if you were
paid for it, apply for any billets going, have copies of your testimonials
ready and apply at once and say you are ready to take up billet for a
small pay. I would prefer you
should learn tea making, at any rate, take an interest in tea making
whenever you have a chance. I
had the testimonials Hermon sent you in my bag in case I met anyone at
Bandarawela who could give you a billet, somehow or the other it got damp
and the ink has run and some of the words cannot be made out.
If I sent you a copy, please make another and send it me as well as
one from Furlong if he sent you one. The
road case comes off on the second of next month and I will not be able to
go anywhere for some little time after.
Will then visit Violet and look you up on my way to Galagedara.
You do not say why you changed your mind and left Reggie (Hermon,
Violet's husband), it would have been very useful if you had picked up
book keeping and Reggie would have taken a greater interest in looking out
for a job than the people you are with now, where you probably do not see
a paper until too late. I
believe you went to Trinco with Joe (van
der Poorten) and others - did
you get any shooting? All the
shooting I now do is as a rule with a Collector .410 gun, as the doctor
told me I had better not use a gun. It
seems Joe is ill, supposed to have appendicitis. It's
been fine for some days but we are having light showers, very likely the
harbinger of the big monsoon, although Colombo suffered a short while ago,
we did not have any big floods but I suppose, our turn will come. I
am very concerned about Sydney and Batcha as the little money I had set
aside for their education is nearly exhausted and I have not been able to
replace it. I am afraid there
is no possible chance of rubber improving in price with a stock of 10,000
tons in London only. Tytler
left me, I paid him at Rs. 150 per month and have replaced him
with a man at 50 a month. My
dispenser (chemist) gave me notice this morning and I am not going to replace
him so as to save expenses. I
only wish I could go about a bit more, especially on the hills.
Now mind you take care of yourself, be very careful of the water
you drink and what you eat. With love, Your affectionate Father, A. W. Winter. |