John Still

Born in Lambeth in 1880, he was educated at Winchester College and moved to Ceylon while still young, where he worked as a tea planter. Alongside plantation life, he developed a deep interest in the island’s past and became known for explorations connected with places such as Sigiriya.

He is remembered as both an archaeologist and an author, with The Jungle Tide standing out as his best-known book. His writing draws on direct experience of Sri Lanka’s people, terrain, and history, which gives it the feel of both travel writing and personal recollection.

He died in 1941. Some biographical listings place his death in Port Arthur, South Africa, though the brief sources available do not add much more detail than that.