Theodore Godfrey Wijesinghe Jayewardene
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Theodore Godfrey Wijesinghe Jayewardene, JP
, CLI (June 17, 1872–1945) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lanka
n) engineer, politician and military officer. A member of the State Council of Ceylon
, he was the first Ceylonese commanding officer
of the Ceylon Light Infantry.
Born to James Alfred Jayewardene, a Proctor
who was the Deputy Coroner
of Colombo, Jayewardene was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
, he was the elder bother of Justice
Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene
, KC.
After becoming an engineer, he joined the Public Works Department in 1895 as an assistant engineer and in 1900 became a fully qualified Civil Engineer
. He joined the Ceylon Light Infantry, a reservist regiment of the Ceylon Defence Force, in 1889 as a private. However he was later commissioned and quickly climbed though the ranks becoming a Major
in 1908. In 1921 he was appointed as the Military Intelligence Officer of the Ceylon Defence Force. He became the first Ceylonese commanding officer of the Ceylon Light Infantry and reached the rank of Colonel
, the highest rank a Ceylonese could achieve in the colonial era. He was elected to the State Council of Ceylon
in 1933 from the Balangoda
seat and held it till 1936.
In 1905, he married Lena Attygalle, with whom he had a son T.F. (Freddy) Jayewardene.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Theodore Godfrey Wijesinghe Jayewardene, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, CLI (June 17, 1872–1945) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n) engineer, politician and military officer. A member of the State Council of Ceylon
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
, he was the first Ceylonese commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Ceylon Light Infantry.
Born to James Alfred Jayewardene, a Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
who was the Deputy Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
of Colombo, Jayewardene was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, he was the elder bother of Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene
Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene
Justice Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene, KC was a Ceylonese judge, lawyer and politician. He was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and is the father of J R Jayewardene the first executive President of Sri Lanka.Born to James Alfred Jayewardene, a Proctor who was the Deputy Coroner of...
, KC.
After becoming an engineer, he joined the Public Works Department in 1895 as an assistant engineer and in 1900 became a fully qualified Civil Engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He joined the Ceylon Light Infantry, a reservist regiment of the Ceylon Defence Force, in 1889 as a private. However he was later commissioned and quickly climbed though the ranks becoming a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1908. In 1921 he was appointed as the Military Intelligence Officer of the Ceylon Defence Force. He became the first Ceylonese commanding officer of the Ceylon Light Infantry and reached the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, the highest rank a Ceylonese could achieve in the colonial era. He was elected to the State Council of Ceylon
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
in 1933 from the Balangoda
Balangoda
Balangoda is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Its 143 km away from Colombo and 43 km away from Ratnapura. It is the one of biggest towns of the Ratnapura District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa Province . According to the 2001 census Balangoda has a...
seat and held it till 1936.
In 1905, he married Lena Attygalle, with whom he had a son T.F. (Freddy) Jayewardene.