John Frederick Giffening | |
---|---|
Burgher member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon | |
In office 1843–1851 | |
Preceded by | J. G. Hillebrand |
Succeeded by | Richard Morgan |
Personal details | |
Born | Johan Frederick Giffening 4 February 1787 Colombo,Ceylon |
Died | 25 September 1851 64) Colombo,Ceylon | (aged
Spouse | Henrietta Matilda Toussaint |
Children | seven |
John Frederick Giffening (4 February 1787 - 25 September 1851) was a Ceylonese proctor,public notary and politician.
John Frederick Geffening was born on 4 February 1787 in Colombo,Ceylon,the son of Reverend Bernhard Abraham Giffening (1762-1812),the head of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon,and Maria Sophia née Francius (1754-1812). In 1796 the British formally took control of the Dutch colonies in Ceylon,with all the Dutch colonists who agreed to stay signing a treaty of capitulation,which guaranteed they would remain loyal and not defect if the Dutch attempted to re-conquer Ceylon. In 1807 Giffening was appointed as a proctor (a position similar to a solicitor) of the District Court and in 1811 a proctor of the Supreme Court. [1] [2]
He was subsequently appointed as one of the three proctors sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court of Ceylon (known as the Vice Admiralty Court). [3] He also served on the Board of Examiners for many years,who James de Alwis described as being an old,narrow-minded austere but clever Dutch lawyer. [4] In 1843 he was appointed as the second unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon,representing the Burgher community,replacing J. G. Hillebrand,following the later's appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court. [5] [6]
Giffening married Henrietta Matilda Toussaint (1837-?) on 15 September 1858 at Wolvendaal Church. [7] They had seven children:John Frederick (1859-1929);Edwin Arnold (b.1861);Dorothy Henrietta (b.1863);Peter Bernard Toussaint (1864-1925);Frederica Anna (1866-1938);Julian Theodore Louis (1870-1944);and Georgiana Matilda (c.1877-1944).
He died on 25 September 1851 in Colombo,at the age of 64. Richard Morgan was subsequently appointed to his seat on the Legislative Council. [5] [8]
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