Charles Matthew Fernando

Last updated

Charles Matthew Fernando (1866 - 9 June 1909) was a Ceylonese lawyer and scholar. He was the first Ceylonese Crown Counsel. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Charles Matthew Fernando was born in 1866 in Colombo, the son of Andrew Fernando Jr. and the grandson of Andrew Fernando Sr., the Mudaliyer of Colombo. He was the brother of Sir Marcus Fernando. [1]

Educated at the St Benedicts Academy (later known as St Benedict's College Colombo) and at Royal College, Colombo, where he won the Turnour Prize, Shakespeare Prize and the Junior Cambridge Scholarship. Taking his matriculation, he was the first Ceylonese student to pass the Intermediate in Arts of the University of London. He attended St John's College, Cambridge where he completed law tripos in 1886 gaining a BA and LLB degrees, he was called to the bar as a barrister from the Lincoln's Inn in 1888. [1]

On his return to Ceylon in 1889, he was enrolled as an Advocate and started his legal practice. In 1897, he was appointed acting District Judge of Kurunagala and thereafter moved to Kandy as Crown Advocate. In 1901, he was appointed Acting Crown Counsel, Colombo and was confirmed in 1903. He led the prosecution in many of the major criminal cases including the Attygalle murder case. [2] [3] He served as the Senior Crown Counsel and Assistant Attorney General of Ceylon. He was one of the founders of the Ceylon Law Students Union. [1]

He was also a member of the Colombo Municipal Council, the Kandy Municipal Council and the Road Committee of the Western province. [1]

Academic career

In 1908 he made English translations of the Rajaveliya and the Nikaya Sangarava. [1] [4] C. M. Fernando's writings are some of the oldest written accounts on the subject of Ceylonese dance music forms such as baila. [5]

Family

Fernando married Jane Maria Caroline, third daughter of Charles Henry de Soysa and Lady de Soysa in 1901. They had a daughter and a son, [1] Chevalier C.H.Z. Fernando, the pioneer labour unionist Councillor who was responsible for submitting a motion in the Legislative Council of Ceylon to abolish the Poll Tax in 1922 and co-founded the Young Lanka League (1915) and the Ceylon Labour Party, being the only Ceylonese to have met Lenin, [6] [7] [8] His wife and daughter Christobel, were notably the only two among the urbanised elite to be in saree for their portrait in the Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon by Arnold Wright. [1]

Fernando died on 9 June 1909 in Béziers, France. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceylon Medical College</span>

Ceylon Medical College was a public medical school in Ceylon. The college was established in 1870 as the Colombo Medical School. The college was based in Colombo. The college was merged with Ceylon University College in 1942 to form the University of Ceylon. The medical college became the university's faculty of medicine. The college was also known as Colombo Medical College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Soysa Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

De Soysa International Cricket Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches. The stadium holds 15,000 people and hosted its first Test match in 1992. The ground opened in 1940 and gained Test status in 1979. Moratuwa, located just eight miles (13 km) south of Colombo is renowned for its carpentry, cricket and its philanthropists. Indeed it was the most famous of these families that initiated the development of De Soysa Park Stadium, when they donated the 5 acre plot of land to the Urban Council in 1940, to develop the Sports Complex. An additional 2 acres were sold under its market value by another member of the family. The ground was named De Soysa Park and subsequently used mainly for Moratuwa Sports Club (MSC) and school competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Henry de Soysa</span> Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist

Charles Henry de Soysa Dharmagunawardana Vipula Jayasuriya Karunaratna Disanayaka popularly known as Charles Henry de Soysa, JP was a Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a pioneering planter, industrialist and was the wealthiest Ceylonese of the 19th century. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Ceylonese bank, the Moratuwa carpenters guild, the Ceylon Agricultural and National Associations. He is widely regarded as the greatest philanthropist of the island for contributions which includes the De Soysa Maternity Hospital, the Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, the Model Farm Experimental Station and many other institutions and acts of charity, establishing infant-maternal healthcare and secular education for girls in the country. He would have been the island's first Knight Bachelor, but having died prior, his widow was given the rare honor of the use of the style and dignity of wife of the Knight Bachelor and was known as Catherine, Lady de Soysa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Peiris</span>

Sir James Peiris was a prominent leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement, the first elected Vice-President of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the first native Governor of Ceylon (Acting).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold de Soysa</span> Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Charles Harold Wilfred de Soysa MA (1907-1971) was the first Ceylonese Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sir Henry Lawson De Mel, was a Ceylonese industrialist, lawyer, philanthropist and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council and founder of the H.L. De Mel & Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Edward Corea</span>

Gate Mudaliyar James Edward Corea was a Ceylonese colonial-era headman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Fernando</span> Ceylonese statesman, physician and banker

Sir Hilarion Marcus Fernando, FRCP was a pre-independence Ceylonese statesman, physician and banker. He was a member of both the executive council and legislative council as well as the chairman of the State Mortgage Bank of Ceylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeronis de Soysa</span> Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist

Gate Mudaliyar Jeronis de Soysa was a pioneering Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a pioneer coffee planter and an industrialist who became the wealthiest Ceylonese of the 19th century by establishing the largest native commercial enterprise of the era. He was instrumental in the establishment of the first Ceylonese bank and is often referred to as a father of private enterprise in British Ceylon. He was the first Mudaliyar to be elevated in recognition of his philanthropy.

Major Benjamin William Bawa, KC, VD was a Ceylonese lawyer. He served as the acting Solicitor General of Ceylon, as well as the private secretary and extra aide-de-camp to the Governor of Ceylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. H. Meedeniya</span> Ceylonese politician

Rajakaruna Senanayaka Panditha Herath Wasala Kuruppu Mudiyanse Ralahamillage Punchi Banda John Henry Meedeniya was a Ceylonese legislator and a headmen. He was the Kandyan Sinhalese member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and elected member of the State Council of Ceylon for Ruwanwella. He was awarded the title of Adigar by the British Government of Ceylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kotelawala Sr</span> Ceylonese police officer and businessmen

John Kotelawala was a Ceylonese police officer and businessmen. He was known for the murder of Francis Dixon Attygalle, one of the first sensational murder trials in Ceylon. His son General Sir John Kotelawala was the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon.

James Cecil Walter Pereira was the 4th Solicitor General of Ceylon. He was appointed in 1906, succeeding Ponnambalam Ramanathan, and held the office until 1912. He was succeeded by James Van Langenberg.

Sir Lambert Wilfred Alexander de Soysa also known as Sir Wilfred de Soysa was a Ceylonese entrepreneur, landed proprietor and philanthropist. He was the seventh son of Sir Charles Henry de Soysa and Lady Catherine de Soysa. Born at Alfred House Colombo and educated privately, then at Royal College, Colombo and Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa, he completed his studies at the Royal Agricultural College, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. R. de Soysa</span> Ceylonese politician (1869–1939)

Alfred Joseph Richard de Soysa, also known as A. J. R. de Soysa was a Ceylonese landed proprietor and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.

Lakshapathiya Mahavidanalage Jacob De Mel also simply known as V. Jacob De Mel (1839-1919) was a pioneering Ceylonese mining magnate and philanthropist who is still regarded as one of the finest entrepreneurs to have emerged in Sri Lanka. His 100th death anniversary was remembered in Sri Lanka on 1 April 2019, coinciding with April Fools' Day.

Mudaliyar Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle was a Ceylonese entrepreneur and mine owner. He was a successful graphite mine owner and was given the titular title of Mudaliyar for social service by the British Governor of Ceylon. Through the marriage of his daughters, the Senanayake family and the Jayewardene family were connected and played a major part in the Sri Lankan independence movement and in post-independence politics, due in part to the wealth he had accumulated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. H. Z. Fernando</span>

Charles Hubert Zaleski Fernando was a Ceylonese lawyer and colonial era politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the Colombo Municipal Council.

Hermann Albert Loos was a Ceylonese lawyer, judge and legislator. He was an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.

Joseph Lionel Christie Rodrigo, CMG was a Ceylonese academic. He was the professor of Western classics and dean of the faculty of arts of the University of Ceylon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wright, Arnold (1999). Twentieth century impressions of Ceylon: its history, people, commerce ... By Arnold Wright page 11, 105, 548-50. ISBN   9788120613355.
  2. ↑ Dep, A.C. "The Attygalle murder case". Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Gunasekera, Jayantha. "How Kotelawala (Snr) got young brother-in-law killed". Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  4. ↑ N. E. Weerasooria (2006). Ceylon and Her People. University of Michigan. pp. 256, 341 & 352. ISBN   9555993858.
  5. ↑ "Stepping back in time with Baila". Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Who’s Who of Sri Lanka: The lives and times of forty eight personalities, Gamini Akmeemana (Daily Mirror) Retrieved 8 January 2016
  7. ↑ CEYLON'S BATTLE, The Straits Times (13 November 1929) Retrieved 2 November 2015
  8. ↑ Cumaranatunga, PN (2005). Patriots of Lanka. p. 120. ISBN   9559505947.
  9. ↑ The Eagle. St John's College, Cambridge. 1910. p. 240.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.