Evelyn Charles Villiers

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Evelyn Charles Arthur Villiers JP UPM (16 July 1884 - 27 October 1968) was a British planter and politician in colonial Ceylon.

Evelyn Charles Arthur Villiers was born 16 July 1884, the fourth (and youngest son) of seven children to Frederick Ernest Villiers (1840-1922) and Jane Isabella née Baird.{{cite book|title=Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-Armour|first=Arthur Charles|last=Fox-Davies|publisher=Hurst & Blackett Ltd|date=1929|page=2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.william1.co.uk/w10.html|title=Villiers Genealogy|first=Alan|last=Freer|publisher=William the Conqueror Database|accessdate=11 April 2019}}

Villiers married Dorothy Katherine née Moore-Lane (1884-1976) on 17 July 1907, they had three children: Robert Alexander (b. 1908), Marjorie Frances (b. 1909) and Kenneth Charles Howard (b. 1912).

In 1909, at the age of twenty-five, he moved to Ceylon and worked on several tea plantations.{{cite book|title=All About Tea|volume=1|publisher=Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company|author=Ukers, William Harrison|date=1935|page=193}}{{cite web|url=https://www.historyofceylontea.com/tea-planters/planters-registry/e-c-villiers--11113024.html|title=Planters Registry - E. C. Villiers - Career Details|publisher=History of Ceylon Tea|editor=Colin-Thome, David|accessdate=16 April 2019}} In 1924 he became the manager of the Hemingford Group, a major tea company based in the Kelani Valley.

He was one of eight members appointed by Governor Sir Graeme Thomson to the 1st State Council of Ceylon in July 1931,{{cite news|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19310711-1.2.12|title=Election Statistics. Positions of the Parties. Notes from Ceylon|newspaper=Malaya Tribune|date=11 July 1931|accessdate=16 April 2019}} where he served on the Executive Committee for Communication and Works.{{cite book |title=Ferguson's Ceylon Directory 1933 |date=1933 |publisher=Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited |location=Colombo, Ceylon |pages=211–212}}

Villiers was subsequently appointed as one of the nominated European members of the 2nd State Council of Ceylon on 12 March 1936.{{cite book |title=Ferguson's Ceylon Directory 1937 |date=1937 |publisher=Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited |location=Colombo, Ceylon |pages=218–219}}{{cite book|title=The Ceylon Blue Book|publisher=Government Printer, South Africa|date=1937|page=50}} He resigned from the State Council on 30 April 1938 and was replaced by Reginald Percy Gaddum.{{cite journal|title=Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931-1972|publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka|date=1972|page=52}} On 14 February 1939 he was re-appointed as a member of the State Council,{{cite news|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34599/page/1136/data.pdf|title=Appointments|newspaper=London Gazette|date=17 February 1939|page=1136|accessdate=11 April 2019}} replacing Gaddum who resigned from the State Council in January that year. He resigned from the State Council a second time on 7 April 1947.

Villiers served on the Planter's Association of Ceylon, including a term as chairman (1928-29), and was the Association's representative on the State Council.

He died on 27 October 1968 at age 84.