Liege Hulett

Who was Liege Hulett?

Sir James Liege Hulett was a sugar magnate and philanthropist in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, originally from Kent, England.

Hulett founded what would become Tongaat Hulett Sugar in 1892. The JSE Securities Exchange-listed company is today a multi-billion rand corporation.

Another legacy is his founding of Kearsney College in 1921, a now world-famous private school for boys.

James Liege Hulett arrived in Durban at the end of May 1857, aboard the Lady Shelbourne with 20 pounds and an offer of a position with a chemist Mr. Burgess, a friend of his father. In 1860 he advertised for a farm in the Nonoti area and successfully leased an area of 600 acres, which he called Kearsney. He experimented with maize, sweet potatoes, chillies, arrowroot and coffee and also established a trading store. Soon Liege Hulett commanded a flourishing business, which enabled him to purchase several farms in the area. It was at Kearsney that he established a thriving tea estate, which was the foundation of the company Sir J.L. Hulett & Sons. This was also the start of his sugar empire.

Liege Hulett took the name of his estate from an old village and medieval manor not far from Dover in Kent, England. The name Kearsney derives from the French "Cressoniere" meaning a place where watercress is grown. The double-storied Kearsney house with a small turret projecting above the roof level was erected on the highest point of the estate and built on the farm. He created at Kearsney, a place of peace and harmony which inspired others to improve and beautify their own estates.