J. H. Meedeniya

Meedeniye Rajakaruna Senanayaka Panditha Herath Wasala Kupuppu Mudiyanse Ralahamillage Punchi Banda John Henry Meedeniya (known as J. H. Meedeniya Adigar ) (1867 - 1931) 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 Ruanwelia. He was awarded the title of Adigar by the British Government of Ceylon.^[1][2]

John Henry Meediniya with his family in 1905 including daughters Adeline and Alice.

Early life and career

Meedeniya was born in 1867 in Marapona, Kegalle District, to Loku Banda Meedeniya, Deputy Coroner for Colombo, Kandy, Ratnapura and Trincomalee and grandson of Humbadee Dissawa, who served under the last king of Kandy.^[2] Meedeniya was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mutwal. He entered public service as a Clerk at the Colombo Kachcheri in 1886. After serving in several posts including that of Deputy Coroner, he was appointed as a Rate Mahatmaya in 1897 and was awarded the honorary title of Dissawa and thereafter Adigar in 1920.^[2]

Family

He married Cornelia Magdeline Senanayake, daughter of Rev. Cornelius Senanayake, an Anglican priest and 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 was 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, which 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.

See also

• List of political families in Sri Lanka
• Old United States Chancery, Colombo

External links & References

1. "Scholar, politician leads the way". Sunday Times.
2. Wright, Arnold, ed. (1907). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources. Asian Educational Services. p. 898. ISBN 9788120613355.

• The Meedeniya Ancestry