W. H. Tindall and Co , tea and coffee company Cotesworth and Powell Ltd , import, export, and general merchants

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W. H. Tindall and Co , tea and coffee company Cotesworth and Powell Ltd , import, export, and general merchants

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        Under its original style of W J and R Tindall, shipbuilders, shipowners and merchants of Scarborough and London, the company, later (1875) to become W.H. Tindall and Company, acquired its main block of coffee and tea estates at Imboolpittia and Bowagamme, Ceylon, through its London representative William Tindall, of 34 Cornhill and Millwall Wharf, Poplar, in 1843. Tindall purchased a half-share in the property in trust for his son, W.H. Tindall, from George Bird who had obtained a crown grant of the land in 1841 and was to become its first manager under the Tindalls.

        Neighbouring estates at Holnicot, Hunasgeria, Bramley, Bathford and Denmark Hill were acquired at a later date. Other crops cultivated in addition to tea and coffee were chinchona, cinnamon, aloes, cocoa and cardamons, while india rubber, timber and tree mallow were also produced. From an early date doubts were expressed as to Bird's integrity (see correspondence and queried accounts), and on the death of William Tindall, 1853, he was sued for moneys owing on the balance of the account.

        In 1846-7 the company moved to 4 Clement's Lane from 34 Cornhill and Millwall Wharf, Poplar. Re-constituted as Robt., WH and RH Tindall in 1858, and again as WH Tindall in 1861, it had moved yet again by 1865 to 5 Tokenhouse Yard. As WH Tindall and Company (1875) the company's office was transferred in 1876-1877 to 77 Gracechurch Street, where it remained until 1898, in that year changing to 20 Eastcheap.

        In 1933 the company was once again re-constituted as Pryor and Tindall Limited "colonial merchants", at the same time absorbing the business of Cotesworth and Powell Limited "import export and general merchants", a firm which had been closely associated with the Tindalls for some time with, among other interests, extensive sugar plantations in Natal. First appearing at St. Helen's Place in 1831 and moving to 148 Leadenhall Street by 1867, from c. 1866 Cotesworth and Powell Limited acted as managing directors of the Umhlanga Valley (Natal) Sugar and Coffee Company Limited (see London Directories), to which the single surviving account book seems to relate, as well as being agents for inter alia the Salvador Coffee Estates Company Limited, the Nicaragua Company Limited, the Central Provinces Ceylon Tea Company Limited and the Hewagam Rubber Company Limited.

        Pryor and Tindall relinquished control of the Ceylon estates on their sale to the Central Provinces Ceylon Tea Company Limited in 1938. For further details on the early history of the firm see typescript historical notes catalogued as Ms 15654.

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