Short History of Wayanad

Nilgiri Wynaad as it is called today was opened up by Mr James and Colonel John Outherloney R.E in 1847 as recorded in the Survey of Nilgiri Districts. The land was bought from Nilambur Thirumulpad on 18Th December 1841 and a second on 19Th January 1857 from Nilambur Thirumulpad. The area was primarily on coffee and Pepper. The area comprised around 21000 acres, which went into legal troubles with another investor Capt. T.H Godfrey of Bombay army. The matter stood in court while James Outherloney died in 1875. After the coffee blights of the late 1860s already Coffee companies were on the down grade wanting to dispose of the properties, then came a Mirage of Gold found in the area. Started by Alpha Mining Company in 1874 The mania reached a high in 1879 Soon no less than 41 English companies investors came up with an investment close to 2.61,000 British Pounds. Finally, only to fail on the scam as mining and crushing got them negligible. Say 4 ounces to a ton. So by 1885 32 companies went into liquidation. The land was abandoned and you could see thousands of acres covered with weeds and lantanas’, it took about 10 years to replant areas with better crops of Tea, Coffee and Pepper as new investors came in. Planting of Tea Bushes commenced in 1896 & continued almost uninterrupted until 1902.

East India Tea and Produce company Limited –A London registered Company with Harrisons and Crossfields as the Agents formed the company in 1907 and started developing 9 estates in Nilgiri Wynaad in Namely Achoor, Perrangondda, Chundale, Pootumulla, Poonapoya, Touramulla, Cherambadi, Wentworth and Mayfield. In 1914 records show about 23000 acres under possession. Presently Harrisons Malayalam Limited have merged them into 7 Estates with tea Pepper and Coffee in bearing at Wynaad and Nilgiris. The estate is Achoor, Arrapetta, Chundale, Touramulla Sentinel Rock, Wentworth Mayfield close to 13000 acres.