Mathew Henry THOMAS ²

  General Notes:

Grave in Smallcombe Cemetary, Bathwick (churchyard of St Mary the Virgin): The inscription on his modest grave with a vertical cross reads: "in loving memory of Matthew Henry Thomas JP Of Galleheria Ceylon"

BRISTOL 29 March 1915 Probate
THOMAS, Matthew Henry, of Priston Manor, near Bath, esquire, died 28 January 1915, Probate, Bristol, 29 March, to Henry Melville Thomas, Lieutenant Colonel R.F.A., and Francis John Hadden, esquire. Effects £7,542 19s. 8d.

Census 1881: Propriator of Coffee Plantations In Ceylon (Mks Of Agric) Dwelling: Oakfield Census Place: Underskiddaw, Cumberland, England Family History Library Film 1342247 <Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 5170 / 88 Page Number 3. With wife, and 4 children (Marion, Edward, Helen and Florence)
Mathew H Thomas Head M 44 London, Middlesex, England
Marian T Thomas Wife F 40 Ceylon
Marion K Thomas Daughter F 15 Ceylon
Edward H L M Thomas Son M 13 Ceylon
Helen T Thomas Daughter F 9 Ceylon
Florence A Thomas Daughter F 7 Ceylon
Jean A St T Little John Thomas Visitor F 37 Plymouth, Devon, England
Mabel A Plumridge Cousin F 20 Lowestoft, Norfolk, England
Margaret Clarke Governess F 34 Lippord Donegal
Lewis A Bates Servant M 42 London, London, Middlesex, England
William Faulkner Servant M 19 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Sarah E Liddiard Servant F 23 London, London, Middlesex, England
Anne M Moss Servant F 21 Daglingworth, Gloucestershire, England
Mary Harper Servant F 16 Cockermouth, Cumberland, England
Eleanor W Quail Servant F 22 Cockermouth, Cumberland, England
Jane Ann Farrer Servant F 28 Kendal, Westmorland, England

For Oakfield, see: http://www.hometown.aol.com/geoffstaceyuk/oakfield.htm and http://www.cumbrian-cottages.co.uk/garthcot1.htm
His son Jocelyn was born in Oakfield in 1868.

Although he was born in Middlesex according to the 1881 census, he spent most of his life in Ceylon (his wife was born there, so were six of his seven children, and he married in Colombo in 1864). The family money came from shares of Galheeria Estates, a tea plantation in centre Ceylon. He was J.P. of Oonoongalla, Madulkelle, Ceylon

Not mentioned as member of the Planters Association in year ending Feb. 1857.
Member of Ceylon's Planters Association in year ending Feb. 1859: Thomas, M.H., Kandy. In 1859-1860: Member of the Commitee of the Planters Association (note, he was only 22 years old!!!)
In Ferguson Ceylon Directory 1871-1872: Thomas M.H.
* Justice of the Peace for the Island
* Partner of Alstone, Scott & Co., Slave Island, Colombo: Partners: Hector Cross Buchanan & Matthew Henry Thomas. Alstone & Co owned 2 coffe mills in Hunupittia and Borella, employing 350 people each, and were the agent for several properties owned by M. H. Thomas (Galheria, Madoolkelle).
* Ceylon Turf Club
* Colombo Club
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Year of death: Draft for Burkes companionage, hand written by his son Henry Melville Thomas circa 1935: ... Parentage: Mathew Henry Thomas of Madulkelle Ceylon m.1864 ... and d. 1915 leaving issue.
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THE TIMES OF CEYLON, MONDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 1, 1915

DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST

Mr. M. H. Thomas.

We deeply regret to announce the death which took place at Priston Manor, Bath, of Mr. M. H. Thomas, the well-known and veteran planter of Galleheria, Madulkelle.
Mr. Thomas was one of Ceylon's oldest colonists and left for Home about three years ago. He had been ailing for some time, and the news of his death at the age of about 79 will be received with genuine sorrow by all those who knew him.
Mr. Thomas, whose memory took him back to the early fifties, was originally in business, and in 1874 was at Messrs. Alston Scotts & Co., Slave Island. He afterwards took to planting, and spent the greater part of his career in the Madulkelle district, where he acquired the well-known Galleheria Estate. He had several sons in Ceylon, and three of them were members of the First Ceylon Contingent for South Africa.
One of them, Lieutenant A. H. Thomas, was killed. Another Lieutenant E. H. L. Thomas is at present at Home, and has enlisted for the Front, while Mr. J. H. Thomas, of Talawakelle (?) is another son. There are two daughters in England.
Mr. Thomas came to Ceylon in March 1856, six months before Sir William Duff Gibbon.
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THE BATH HERALD, MONDAY FEBRUARY 1, 1915

THE LATE MR. M. H. THOMAS
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Funeral at Bathwick
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The funeral took place at Bathwick Cemetery this afternoon of Mr. M. H. Thomas, of Priston Manor. The service was read by the Rev. B. C. L. Reade, Rector of Charlcombe, and the rector of Bathwick (the Rev. C. Hylton-Stewart). The remains were enclosed in a shell with an outer coffin of polished English oak, with brass furniture, the inscription reading: "Matthew Henry Thomas, died January 28, 1915. Aged 79." The internment was made near to the graves of Major and Mrs. Skinner, the parents of the late Mrs. Thomas. Mr. Thomas, who had been living at Priston Manor since 1911, leaves three sons and three daughters, namely Captain Thomas, East Yorkshire Regiment, Mr. Jocelyn Thomas, who is tea planting in Ceylon, Lieut. Colonel H. M. Thomas, R.F.A., Mrs Hadden, the wife of Mr. F. J. Hadden, and the Misses Thomas.
There were many beautiful floral tributes, including a lovely anchor of carnations, lilies, narcissus and Hyacinths, sent by the Priston parishioners and Sewing Class; a beautiful wreath from the members of the Cricket Club (in blue and white, the colours of the club), in which Mr. Thomas took much interest, being president, and other flowers were sent by the Misses Thomas, Mrs. And Miss Hadden; Mr. T.J. Hadden; Captain and Mrs. Thomas; Mr. & Mrs. Jocelyn Thomas; Lieut. Colonel and Mrs. H. M. Thomas; outdoor and indoor servants at the Manor (a fine wreath); Colonel and Mrs. and Miss Skinner; Mrs. and the Misses McDonell; Mr. and Mrs. E.(?H?) L. Skinner; Dr. and Mrs. Begg; Mr. and Mrs. Hill; Mr. and Mrs. Brymer; Mr. W. R. Alexander; Mr. J. Alexander; Mrs and Miss McCoy; and many others.
Mr. T.G. Harding, Walcot sreet, carried out the funeral arrangements.
THE TIMES OF CEYLON, TUESDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 2, 1915
THE LATE MR. H. M. THOMAS
HIS CARRIER IN CEYLON
Former Planting M.L.C.
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Interesting Racing Reminiscences

With reference to the career of the late Mr. H. M. Thomas, whose death as stated in last night's Times of Ceylon, took place at Bath, the veteran planter came to Ceylon in March, 1856, and was thus, next to Sir William Twynam, who came out in 1845, Mr. G. W. White of Nuwara Eliya, who came out in 1846, and Mr Walter Agar, who came out in 1853, about one of the oldest Ceylon Colonist.
A special cable from London today tells us that Mr. Thomas was 79 years of age, so that he must have been about 19 or 20 when he came out. He was originally in business in Kandy, with Mr. L. H. Daniel per pro, and was the agent for the Mercantile Fire Insurance Company, contemporary firms at Kandy in 1863 being H. C. Bird & Co., Keir Dundas & Co. (of which Messrs. John Gavin, G. D. B. Harrison and Martin leake were partners), A. Brown & Co. and Geo. Wall & Co.
In 1866, Mr. Thomas was one of the principal partners of the well known Colombo firm of Alstons, Scott & Co., Mr. H. C. Buchanan being the senior partner; while Mr. f. W. Bois joined the firm a few years later. Mr. Thomas was away from the island for about 18 years before he returned and took up continuous residence in 1884. He owned the well known estate Oonoonagalla in Madulkelle, which he managed till about 1902 or 1903, when he acquired Galleheria in the same district, where he resided till his departure for home a few years ago.

One of the First Members of the P.A.

Mr. Thomas was one of the first members of the Planter's Association, and, linked with still earlier days through his marriage with the daughter of Major Skinner, the Road-maker, came out, as stated yesterday, about 6 months before Sir William Duff Gibbon, who was at one time manager of Madulkelle and Oonoonagalla, thanks to Mr. Thomas, who became his V. A. when Mr. R. B. Tytler gave up the Agency. Mr. Thomas served on the P. A. Committee from about 1858 to 1864, and sat in Council in 1871 & 1872.

Mr. Thomas and the C.M.R.

On his return to the island Mr. Thomas did not take an active share in the Association's proceedings; but the part he took , in conjunction with Captain (now Colonel) S. G. Bird, of the Dublin Fusiliers, in suggesting the formation of the C. M. I. deserves to be recorded here. Mr. Thomas himself enlisted most of the first members, after his proposal had been sanctioned by Government, and he made his last appearance at a Planter's Association to move the proposition which made the corps its adopted child, and overcame, if it did not silence, the opposition of Colombo Agents and V.A.s. Thus Mr. Thomas identified himself with a movement of which the Colony has reason to be proud, though to him it must always have been associated with the great sorrow of his life, as indicated yesterday by the reference to the death of his son Lieut. A. H. Thomas, who, with two other brothers, E. H. L. Thomas and J. C. Thomas, were members of the First C.M.R. Contingent to South Africa.
Mr. Thomas was while in Ceylon a J. P. and Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute.

Interesting Racing Reminiscences

Mr. Thomas was one of the committee of the Ceylon Turf Club in the late sixties and early seventies, and, in response to an application for some recllections of sport in those days, of which we have no written records, he wrote in 1907 as follows:
" Racing has been an annual institution in Ceylon from some time in the forties, but I think it was the Bakers, or rather John Baker, as thorough an all-round sportsman as ever live, who first imported English thoroughbreds for racing and breeding purposes. He cut out a small circular training course round a hill close to his house near Nuwara Eliya, where he used to train his own horses, and what was more, generally ride them himself at the Colombo and Kandy races."
He left Ceylon in 1856 but returned to the island with Mrs. Baker some years later, resuming residence at Magastotte, where he built a new bungalow. He was to be seen occasionally riding his own horses up to within a few years of his death, and must have been over sixty years old when he rode his last race on.

THE OLD "GALLE FACE" RACECOURSE,
And a nasty course it was -hard in dry weather, and sometimes very heavy going in wet, with a couple of hundred yards of steep up and down at one end, and the dangerous turn near the Garrison Cemetery, which it was always a relief to get safely round, at the other. In the period from'55 to '65 the military and one or two planters were the chief contributors to such sport as we had; but more than one member of the Civil Service and of the mercantile community occasionally showed their colours. Sometimes too, Indian stables were represented; indeed, some of the best horses we ever had in those days were sent down by the Arbuthnots and others. The 'planters' and military horses were for the most part Arabs, and were trained and ridden by their owners, but weight for age and class' races formed a part of every year's programme, and it was not considered then, as it is now, impossible to bring Australians and Arabs together, probably because Australians were far inferior and Arabs very much better than the class of horses running now.

A Remarkable Race

"One instance at any rate may be recalled of an Arab beating three Australians -one of them to the best of my recollection, a horse that had run that year for the Viceroy's Cup in Calcutta. The Rajah of Ramnad presented a hundred-guinea-cup -no rupees then- to be run for at the G. T. C. meet in Colombo, and sent his own horse, a milk white Arab of 14.2 by name Nuseeb, to complete for it. The distance was three miles. The horses started at a common canter, and continued to keep that pace for half a rule, when the Australians all began to draw away, leaving the Arab more and more behind. After a mile had been covered, and while Nuseeb was quite a hundred yards in the rear, the Australians again increased their pace, and were soon racing together in earnest, with the result that as far as they were concerned, the race was over a good mile from home, and the Arab quite 400 yards from them. The latter had by this time been set going, however, and steadily decreased the space between them till, when nearly half a mile still to go, he challenged the leading horse and had him beaten a few hundred yards further on, cantering in an easy winner by eight or nine lengths.

The Bright, Young, Regimental Subaltern

"I was at the Colombo races a few years ago and was struck with the very little interest taken in them, notwithstanding the fine racecourse, the big fields entered, the number of events, and the much larger amount of added money given. Is it because there is less of the sporting element than there used to be in Ceylon men, or that the sport itself has become too costly for any but a few to participate in? Probably both causes have had some effect; but it seems at least doubtful if these who have made racing so expensive a pastime, by importing such valuable horses and such costly men to ride them, have done so much for real sport as distinguished from money-making as they have been credited with. We miss now the bright, young, regimental subaltern or the junior civil servant, both of whom had possibly ridden on the flat, or any rate were good cross country riders, at Home; whilst Heaven help the planter whom his V.A. finds indulging in such propensities in the more work and less pay days we now live in. The Polo ground is not without his share in the change, but this is not a rival which any one would dream of discouraging. It is a question if it might not be made an ally by devoting more funds to polo pony races. Arab racing could probably never be revived, but there is no prettier sport than three-quarter mile heat (?) races for Arabs, if there were plenty of them as there need to be."


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  Noted events in his life were:

1. Travel: arriving first, Mar 1856, Ceylon.

2. Occupation: Member of the comitee of the Planters' Assocciation, 1859-1860, Ceylon.

3. Employment: Partner of Alstons, Scotts & Co., Colombo, 1866-1874, Ceylon.

4. Honours: Justice of Peace, member of Ceylon Turf club & Colombo club, 1871-1872, Ceylon.

5. Occupation: counciller of the Planters Association, 1871-1872, Colombo, Ceylon.

6. Census, 1881, Oakfield, Underskiddaw, Cumberland.

7. Travel: back, 1884, Ceylon.

8. Occupation: Owner & manager, 1884-1903, OOnoonagalla, Madulkelle, Ceylon.

9. Occupation: Owner & Manager, 1903, Galleheria, Madulkelle, Ceylon.

10. Property, 1911, Priston Manor, Bath, Somerset, England.

Mathew married Marianne Theresa SKINNER, daughter of Maj. Thomas Bridges Boucher SKINNER C.M.G. and Georgina BURRELL, on 24 Aug 1864 in Christ Church, Galle Face, Ceylon.¹ (Marianne Theresa SKINNER was born on 20 Nov 1839 in Colombo, Ceylon, died on 8 Feb 1901 in St. Giles, London, Middlesex, England ³ and was buried in Kensal Green, London, England.)