Extracts from 'Nobodies to Somebodies - The Rise of the Colonial Bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka' Kumari Jayawardena, 2000, Social Scientists' Association and Sanjiva Books. ISBN 955-9102-26-5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The book gives a detail account of the rise of the Lankan bourgeoisie during the vast economic changes of the 19th and the early part of the 20th century, and traces the rise and fall of the enterprising communities through the economic gains made in the liquor industry, rents, estates, conversions and plantations etc. Some interesting extracts from the book are highlighted at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/nobtosom.html Page 46-47 - The Arrack Renters During Dutch rule, tavern keepers had been mainly burghers and Colombo Chetties, but the ethnic pattern was to change during British rule when the great majority of arrack renters were Sinhala speculators. In the early years of British rule, there were still a few Burghers who had been in the arrack trade in the Dutch period. These included Barend de Vos and J Labrooy, who in the 1790's were arrack renters of Colombo and were referred to by British officials as "native merchants of the island - half-caste but of property and respected" Jacob de Heer, a renter in 1810-11 and in the Kandyan provinces in the 1820's, JA de Bruin who had the Alugoda tavern in 1821 and William Hepponstall who had the Udapalata tavern in 1829. Some Colombo Chetties who had been active in the Dutch period also continued their links with the arrack trade; among them were Christobo Rodrigo Muttu Chitty, renter for Negombo in 1817, L Phillippupulle who in 1817 was referred to as "the late arrack and present gem quarry renter" of Sabaragamuwa and Phillippupulle Masilamaniaya who was the renter in 1825 of the Sabaragamuwa Province. Renters also included members of the Bharatha community of Tuticorin, notable examples being Manuel de Croos, whose name frequently occurs as renter for Negombo in the period from 1817, and Juan de Croos, renter for the same area in 1820, who was later headman of the Bharathas. The few Britishers in the liquor trade included George Bird, the pioneer coffee planter who had the Udapalata tavern in 1825 and Messrs Sergeant Davidson, renter of the Kadugannawa tavern in 1831 and holder of the license to sell liquor at the canteen of the Mahahena Hotel in Kandy in 1832. [snip] ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India