Evelyn Charles Villiers

Evelyn Charles Arthur Villiers JP UPM (16 July 1884 - 27 October 1968) was a British planter and politician in colonial Ceylon.

Evelyn Charles Arthur Villiers was born 16 July 1884, the fourth (and youngest son) of seven children to Frederick Ernest Villiers (1840-1922) and Jane Isabella née Baird.[1][2]

Villiers married Dorothy Katherine née Moore-Lane (1884-1976) on 17 July 1907, they had three children: Robert Alexander (b. 1908), Marjorie Frances (b. 1909) and Kenneth Charles Howard (b. 1912).

In 1909, at the age of twenty-five, he moved to Ceylon and worked on several tea plantations.[3][4] In 1924 he became the manager of the Hemingford Group, a major tea company based in the Kelani Valley.

He was one of eight members appointed by Governor Sir Graeme Thomson to the 1st State Council of Ceylon in July 1931,[5] where he served on the Executive Committee for Communication and Works.[6]

Villiers was subsequently appointed as one of the nominated European members of the 2nd State Council of Ceylon on 12 March 1936.[7][8] He resigned from the State Council on 30 April 1938 and was replaced by Reginald Percy Gaddum.[9] On 14 February 1939 he was re-appointed as a member of the State Council,[10] replacing Gaddum who resigned from the State Council in January that year. He resigned from the State Council a second time on 7 April 1947.

Villiers served on the Planter's Association of Ceylon, including a term as chairman (1928-29),[3] and was the Association's representative on the State Council.

He died on 27 October 1968 at age 84.

References

  1. ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-Armour. Hurst & Blackett Ltd. p. 2009.
  2. ^ Freer, Alan. "Villiers Genealogy". William the Conqueror Database. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Ukers, William Harrison (1935). All About Tea. Vol. 1. Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company. p. 193.
  4. ^ Colin-Thome, David (ed.). "Planters Registry - E. C. Villiers - Career Details". History of Ceylon Tea. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Election Statistics. Positions of the Parties. Notes from Ceylon". Malaya Tribune. 11 July 1931. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  6. ^ Ferguson's Ceylon Directory 1933. Colombo, Ceylon: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. 1933. pp. 211–212.
  7. ^ Ferguson's Ceylon Directory 1937. Colombo, Ceylon: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. 1937. pp. 218–219.
  8. ^ The Ceylon Blue Book. Government Printer, South Africa. 1937. p. 50.
  9. ^ "Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931-1972". Parliament of Sri Lanka. 1972: 52. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). London Gazette. 17 February 1939. p. 1136. Retrieved 11 April 2019.


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