Family
Punchi Banda Meedeniya is the grandson of Hunubadde Nilame, Mideniye Senanayaka Rajakaruna Panniki Mudihanse, who served under the last king of Kandy (See D' Olyly's Diary 19 April 1815). He married Cornelia Magdeline Emily Senanayake, daughter of Rev. Cornelius Senanayake, a prominent Sinhalese Anglican priest, scholar, and landowner, Corneliya Regina Obeysekere of Kataluwa Walawwa who was the sister of Lambertus Obeyesekere, Maha Mudaliyar. His eldest daughter was Alice Wijewardena who married D. R. Wijewardena (the founder of Lake House newspaper group) and his younger daughter Adeline Molamure, succeeded her father and was elected to his seat and became the first female member of State Council of Ceylon thereby the first elected female legislator in Sri Lanka. Adeline was married to Sir Francis Molamure, the first speaker State Council and Parliament. His son, Joseph Hercules Meedeniya who became the Rate Mahatmaya of Ratnapura, married Violet Ellawela. They had four children, who included Iranganie Serasinghe and Kamani Vitharana who married Professor Tissa Vitharana. J. H. Meedeniya's great-grandson Ranil Wickremasinghe would later become the President of Sri Lanka.
Don Stephen Senanayake was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon, having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "Father of the Nation".
Iranganie Roxanna Meedeniya, best known as Iranganie Serasinghe, is a Sri Lankan actress of theater and television. Since her debut in Rekava, Serasinghe has become recognized for playing motherly figures in various films and television serials. She is the aunt of former president Ranil Wickramasinghe.
Major Edward "Eddie" Alexander Nugawela, ED was a Ceylonese lawyer, soldier and politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Education in independent Sri Lanka (1947–1954), later Cabinet Minister of Health (1954–1956), a Member of Parliament and State Council.
Don Richard Wijewardena was a Sri Lankan media proprietor who was involved in the Sri Lankan independence movement. A successful entrepreneur, he established Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and played a significant role in the independence movement.
Sir Alexander Francis Molamure, was a Ceylonese politician. He became the first speaker of both the State Council of Ceylon and Parliament of Ceylon. He was a controversial figure due to his departure from the State Council due to a court conviction and for organising the Panamure Elephant Kraal in 1950.
Sir Jayatilaka Cudah Ratwatte Adigar was a Ceylonese colonial-era politician and headman. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon (1931–1933), the first elected Mayor of Kandy (1939–40), the first person from Kandy to be awarded a knighthood from the British and was appointed to the post of Adigar.
The Mahâ Dissâvas was a Great Officer in the Amātya Mandalaya, or Sinhalese Council of State, in the Sinhalese Kingdoms of monarchical Sri Lanka. Like many of the existing high offices at the time it had combined legislative and judicial powers and functioned primarily equivalent to that of a Provincial governor. The office of Dissava was retained under the successive European colonial powers, namely the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company and the British Empire. A Dissava was the governor of a province known as a Disavanies. Within his province, the Dissava held both executive and judicial authority.
Deshamanya Edwin Loku Bandara Hurulle was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the provincial governor of the Central Province and North Central Province; cabinet minister of communications in Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake's government; cabinet minister of cultural affairs under President J. R. Jayewardene's government and member of parliament.
Adeline, Lady Molamure, CBE was the first female member of State Council of Ceylon, and therefore, the first elected female legislator in Sri Lanka. She was the Deputy President of the Senate of Ceylon.
Barnes Ratwatte was a Ceylonese colonial-era legislator and a headman. He was a member of the State Council and the Senate of Ceylon. He was appointed to the posts of Rate Mahatmaya of Balangoda and Dissawa by the British. He was the father of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the first female prime minister in the world.
Wijewardena Seneviratne Panditha Abeykoon Bandaranayake Wahala Mudiyanselage Harris Leuke Ratwatte MBE (1900–1964) was a Ceylonese legislator. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon, Parliament and the Senate of Ceylon. Ratwatte was award the title of Dissawa by the British Governor of Ceylon and was elected as the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy.
William Ellawala was a Ceylonese legislator. He was the Kandyan Sinhalese member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon. He was appointed to the post of Rate Mahatmaya by the British Government of Ceylon.
The American Center or the former United States Chancery are currently used as the offices of USAid in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The building is located on Galle Road, Colombo.
Nalanda Sampath Ellawala was a Sri Lankan politician. He was assassinated in 1997 aged 29.
George Reginald de Silva was a Ceylonese politician.
Cyril Eugene Attygalle was a Ceylonese politician.
Punchi Banda Nugawela was a Ceylonese colonial-era legislator and a headmen. He was member of the State Council of Ceylon and Diyawadana Nilame from 1916–1937.
The Jayewardene family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in law and politics. Along with many members who have been successful politician across generations, the family includes Presidents and Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka.
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