«< MONTHLY. 
Vol. XIII, 
COLOMBO, FEBRUARY ist, 1894. 
No. 8. 
'^PIONEERS OF THE PLANTING ENTERPRISE IN CEYLON." 
ANDRKW NICOL, M.Iv.C, 
MKRCHANT; AND PIONEER IN COFFEE, COCONUT AND TEA PLANTING. 
[The following account is mainly from the pen of our esteemed correspondent " Old Colonist " who 
originally came to Ceylon to begin work as a Planter on one of Mr. Nicol's estates, and who therefore 
knew the subject of this memoir and his relative, Mr, Sangster Martin, very intimately. We have* 
personally, added a few dates and incidents, more especially in reference to Mr. Nicol's mercantile careelr' 
and also the " Appendix.'' — Ed. T.A.] 
ISITORS to the beautifully 
situated, though rather 
quaint and decaying little 
county-town of BanflF, may 
see by the Lowshore, the 
antique chureliyard, and on 
entering in, can read from 
a plain head-stone tiie following inscription :— 
"Sacred to the memory of James Nicol, 
Collector of Customs at Banff, who died 24th 
April 1849, aged 82. Also, of his spouse Margaret 
Stephenson, who died 23rd December 1864, aged 
82. " 
These were the parents of Andrew Nicol who 
was born in Banft" in 1819. William Nicol, 
the successful ship-owner, merchant, banker of 
Bombay and Liverpool, M.P. for Dover, &c., 
was an elder brother by a previous maniage. 
Banff was a "brawer" burgh in those olden 
days than it is now, and tlie Collector of 
(Uistoms was a man of no mean im[)ortance. 
Many yet alive have a pleasing recollection 
of James Nicol, whose keen intelligence and 
kindly social qualities won him a distinctive 
position even amongst tiie dignified denizens of 
the proud capital of Banffshire. 
Young Andrew, too, is well remembered, as 
a clever but ratlier impetuous and ' royt ' rogue 
of a red-haired loon. He was educated at the 
old Graiiunar School, the present handsome and 
well-equipped Academy not being yet in existence. 
Andrew was an apt scholar, could hold his own 
with the best budding intellect in Banff, and 
as he was destined for a mercantile life, 
the time soon arrived when it was deemed 
desirable that he should be .sent to some busi- 
ness centre where he would have better opportii- 
nities of acquiring the necessary experience. 
To Hamburg he went, early in his teens, 
and from thence to Malta while yet a young 
man. After some years in Malta he proceeded 
to Bomljpy, where he entereil the office of the 
already famous house of William Nicol & Co., 
of which his half-brother w.as head. Leaving 
Bombay in the early "forties," tlie subject of our 
brief nienioir now made bis ddbut in Ceylon, 
soon turning his attention to Coffee, the 
favourite .and most ]>roiiiisiiig pro<Iuct of the 
d.ay. "\Ve first hear of him in distant Tva, 
where lie foregathered with a few congenial 
spirits to discuss planting mattei-s and much 
else besides. T. L. R. Sliand, for instance, conhl 
give many racy rQiniuisceucca o( tluij lucetinj,' i 
