224 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct. I, 1 S 97 . 
1858 59.— Assistant Engineer at the new Dock, 
Leith, under G. Kobertson, F.E.S.B., who afterwards re- 
ported on the Harbonrsof India, visiting Ceylcmin 18/z. 
Oct. 1859. — Sailed for Ceylon to join G. D. B. Harrison, 
then carrying out Irrigation works in Southern 
Province. „ . .... 
1860-61.— In Ceylon in Southern Province— Kmme, 
Tissamaharama, and Baddegama. 
Oct. 1861 to June 1862— At home. Married 6th IS ov., 
1862, at Galle, Louisa, youngest daughter of Sir James 
Teiinent, K.C.B.* , 
1862-1873.— Partner in Keir, Dnndas & Co.— 1669 ana 
1870 were spent in England — in 1870 made a tour m 
Rus.sia, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nijni Novgorod, and 
Odessa, to promote direct coffee trade through buez 
Canal then just open. 
1873. — Left Ceylon. , 
1874-1896.— Started Tunnel Portland Cement \\ orks 
Co. and is still managing it. 
In the case of Mr. Martin Leake we are able to 
begin at the beginning with an explanation as to the 
origin of the 
FAMILY NAME. 
This double name, we find, dates from the 
beginning of 18th century. In the time ot 
William and Mary and Queen Anne there 
tvere in the Koyal Navy two officers of dis- 
tinction, Admiral Sir Joim Leake _ and Capt. 
Stephen Martin, who married two sisters named 
Hill. On the death of the former in 1/19, 
without living issue, he left to his old ^b'l’" 
mate all his lands and money, value some T.'lOjOOO, 
on condition that the latter assumed the name 
of Leake. By letters-patent of George L, dated 
December, 1721, Capt. Steplien Martin accordingly 
became Capt. Stephen Martin Leake. These two 
old naval worthies have not, like the many 
brave men before Agamemnon, jierished unknown. 
The “ vates sacer” has been found in Stei/hen 
Martin Leake, Garter King-at-Arms, son or 
Capt. Stephen Martin, who compiled from original 
documents a full and detailed Memoir both ot 
his father and also of Admiral Sir John Leake. 
The latter he published himself in 1750, and the 
book though scarce is still obtainable. ihe 
Memoir of Capt. Stephen Martin was published 
so lately as 1895 by the Navy Recoids Society, 
Sir Clements Markham being the editor, the 
grandson of the Garter King-at-Arms leteiied 
to above was Stephen Ralph Martin Leake ot 
the Treasury — who, in 1831 , when his ymingest 
son Williai'n was born, was ollicial Private 
Secretary to Lord Grey, then Prime Ministei. 
The 
SCHOOL-DAYS 
of young William Martin Leake began early, 
owing to a prolonged absence in Ireland, 
on Government business, of his parents. His 
first school was in the then little countiy 
village of Bayswater. From his house in Notting- 
ham' Place, 'Regent’s Park, William Leake can 
remember walking across fields where now aie 
Westbourr.e Terrace, Lancaster Gate, &c., to the 
school situated in the present Queen s Road. 
The Great Western Station at Paddington was 
then in course of construction, and Master Leake 
was next removed to Blackheath to a Naval 
Proprietary School which was starte.l sometime 
in the “thirties” in opposition to an e.xisting old 
Proprietary Scho/d which is to this day a 
ilourishin^ institution. One of its chief pionioters 
was Mr. Meadows White, Solicitor, grandtather 
of the gentleman now or lately Private Secretary 
to the Chief Justice of Ceylon. Tor t he bet ter 
” * Sir James Tennent of the Bengal Artillery, made 
K.C.B. for distinguished services in the bikh Wars. 
W. M. L. has nine surviving children. 
edification of the pupil mind, a concrete 
structure after the model of the I’arthenou was 
erected and divided into class-rooms. The 
school flourished for a few years, but soon 
languished. It must have been closed and the 
Greek temple pulled down some 40 years ago. 
But recollections of it have been lately stimu- 
lated by Sir Stuart Knill, who, during his 
recent mayoralty, gave a dinner to all such of 
his schoolfellows there as he could find. Forty- 
two old hoys met that evening at the iUaiision 
House, all probably over 60 years of age, most 
meeting after a separation of about half-a-cen- 
tury, a unique gathering. Three Messrs. White, 
sons of the IMr. INIeadows White above-mentioned, 
were present. 
Next we have yo>tng Mr. Martin Leake at 
Rugby. 
Ill 1845 Dr. Tait, after an exciting contest 
with Dr. 'Wordsworth, had comparatively re- 
cently succeeded to the headmastershi'p on 
the death of Dr. Arnold. Arthur Stanley’s life 
of Arnold had just been published, and Rugby 
was steeped in Arnoldism. Mr. Leake went to 
the bouse of IMr. Bonamy Price, afterwards 
Profes.sor of Political Economy at Oxford. To 
the same house at the same date, from the old 
Proprietary School, Blackheath, cameG S. Go«chen, 
now First Lord ot the Admiralty, also (though 
not from Blackheath) ^Yilliam Palliser, brother 
(it is believed) of the Pallisers of Radella, famous 
afterwards for chilled shot and big guns. Even 
in his schooldays young Palliser used to have an 
illicit gun. 
In 1849-50 IMr. Goschen became head of the 
school. In the ujqjer forms all lessons were 
learned out of school in the home studies, 
generally two or tliree prejiaring the work to- 
gether.* For the last two to tliree years, 
in the Sixth Form, IMr. Martin Leake was 
thus associated in daily intercour.se with the 
future Cabinet IMinister. Another Rugby con- 
temporary, afterwards well-known as a Ceylon 
planter, was the late IMr. AVilliam Greenwood 
of Gona Adika and Wattekelle. 
Now we come to Mr. Martin Leake’s 
University Days. 
Among contemporaries at St. John’.?, Cam- 
bridge, were Mr. Leonard Courtney ami Sir 
John Gorst. Mr. R. (afterwards Sir R.) Cayley 
came up in 1851, and in the Lent Term Races of 
1852 steered the “Lady Margaret” second boat, in 
which Mr. Martin Leake was rowing. The boat 
was fifth on the river, and in the vain hope of 
maintaining that high place — vain because the 
boat lost one or two jdaces— the crew was kept 
in pretty strict training. The constant associa- 
tion during these weeks of training was the 
beginning of the lite-long friend.‘hip between the 
then coxswain and oarsman “Dick” Cayley, 
always so called to distinguish him from his 
elder brother Edward who was in the year above, 
and afterwards steered the “ Lady Margaret ” first 
boat, as head of the river in 1854 and had a great 
reputation as a judge of good rowing. In October, 
1850, when Mr. Martin Leake went up, Mr. 
Arthur Gordon (now Lord Stanmore) was still an 
active member of the Union. Other leading 
speakers were William 'V'ernon Harccurt and 
James Fitzjames Stephen. Later, Leslie Stephen, 
James Payn, and H. jMontagu Butler come to 
the mind as leading lights. Mr. Martin 
Leake was a scholar of St. John’s, and in 1854 
* See life of Bishop T. 'V. French of Lahore, 
Vol. I., pp. 5 to 7. 
