Anthony Oliphant
Encyclopedia
Hon. Sir Anthony Oliphant (1793–1859) was a British lawyer who was appointed Chief Justice
of Ceylon by Her Majesty's Government. Prior to his appointment, Sir Anthony was Attorney General
in the Cape Colony
.
Sir Anthony lived in Colombo
, purchasing a property called 'Alcove,' in Captains Gardens, subsequently known as Maha Nuge Gardens
in Colpetty. When the Oliphant family left Ceylon he sold it to Sir Harry Dias. Sir Anthony Oliphant's tea estate, the Oliphant Estate, situated in the hill country in Nuwara Eliya, was the first estate to grow tea in Ceylon, when thirty plants were smuggled from China. Sir Anthony and his son Laurence are both credited with being the first people to grow tea
in Ceylon.
His son, Laurence Oliphant
, went on become a well known author, international traveller and a Member of the House of Commons
.
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Ceylon by Her Majesty's Government. Prior to his appointment, Sir Anthony was Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
.
Sir Anthony lived in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, purchasing a property called 'Alcove,' in Captains Gardens, subsequently known as Maha Nuge Gardens
Maha Nuge Gardens
Maha Nuge Gardens is a private lane located in the Kollupitiya district in the city of Colombo . Even though it is called a garden, nothing of any importance is grown here. The lane runs off the main Colombo highway called Galle Road,leading to the commercial district of Fort, via the Galle Face...
in Colpetty. When the Oliphant family left Ceylon he sold it to Sir Harry Dias. Sir Anthony Oliphant's tea estate, the Oliphant Estate, situated in the hill country in Nuwara Eliya, was the first estate to grow tea in Ceylon, when thirty plants were smuggled from China. Sir Anthony and his son Laurence are both credited with being the first people to grow tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
in Ceylon.
His son, Laurence Oliphant
Laurence Oliphant
Laurence Oliphant was a British author, traveller, diplomat, and mystic. Best known for his 1870 satirical novel Piccadilly, he spent a decade in later life under the influence of the spiritualist prophet Thomas Lake Harris....
, went on become a well known author, international traveller and a Member of the House of Commons
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.