Life style

The first ever social club in ceylon and the life of H.A Marshall-its builder

Published

6 years ago

2020/08/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Whist bungalow

by Hugh Karunanayake

When the Portuguese and Dutch occupied the maritime provinces of Ceylon from the 16 th Century to the end of the 18th century, it was more or less a military occupation with the ever present danger of the coastal government being overrun by the monarch who ruled the Kandyan Kingdom. That imminent possibility was mitigated to some degree with the annexation of the maritime provinces by the British East India Co; which occurred during the wars of the French revolution. When the Netherlands came under French control the British made its move to oust the Dutch from Ceylon. The Dutch surrendered the island(or more precisely its maritime areas) to the British in 1796 after some half hearted resistance. In 1802 Ceylon was made a crown colony and it was clear that the British were here to stay. In 1815 the Kandyan Kingdom capitulated to the British through a combination of intrigue, and disaffection in the King’s court rather than military engagement. The doors of the country were now open for British settlement and to exploit the nation’s resources to the advantage of the Metropolitan power.

With Ceylon functioning as a British colony, the stage was set for its administration through a Governor appointed by the monarch in Britain. The administration was done through a Civil Service established by the government and by a legal system largely based on Roman Dutch Law supplemented by laws and customs of the local population. Governor Frederick North arrived in the island on 12 October 1798 accompanied by 9 officials who were to administer the island. Among them were three “officers” Sylvester Gordon, Robert Barry, and George Lusignan, each of them just thirteen years of age!! ( Gives some indication of the confidence of the Brits who thought that even teenagers could keep the”natives” in check) There was also in the group,Henry Augustus Marshall who was appointed First Clerk of the Civil Department which was the precursor to the Treasury. Marshall educated at Charterhouse and Oxford was reputed to be the best classics scholar in the island during his stay. He married the daughter of Colonel Robert Brooke Governor of the Island of St Helena. Mrs Marshall was apparently a wealthy woman as suggested by Governor North commenting on Marshall as “married comfortably”.Mr and Mrs Marshall are said to have been very popular socially and JP Lewis the colonial recorder and historian believed that she was the guardian of the tree referred to on the inscription on the stone tablet seen to this day next to the Wellawatte Bridge on Galle Road. Others have suugested that the Sophia referred to in the inscription is none other than Lady Brownrigg.

At the time of British rule of the maritime provinces of Ceylon during late 18 th Century, it was the Galle Harbour that was the main point of entry to the island. The Colombo harbour was a tranquil bay used by fishing craft. The areas overlooking the bay of Colombo in the Mutwal area soon became elite residential areas, replacing the Fort and Pettah areas populated by the Dutch. The early British administrators were quick to acquire choice sites for their homes, the best of them overlooking the bay of Colombo. Many stately homes were constructed in the Mutwal, Modera areas. They included the Whist Bungalow, Modera House, Uplands, Elie House, Rock House, all of them located on vantage points overlooking the bay of Colombo. Three of the stately homes, Rock House, Whist Bungalow, and Modera House were built by Henry Augustus Marshall, the Civil Servant, in his private capacity.

Rev James Cordiner was appointed Chaplain to the 51 st Foot Regiment in Ceylon at the request of Governor Norh. A man of learning and of perceptive observation Rev Cordiner did a tour round the Island in 1800, which led him to publishing in 1807 one of the earliest English descriptions of the island in a two volume publication titled “A description of Ceylon, with narratives of aTour round the Island in 1800, the expedition to Kandy in 1803, and a visit to Ramessaram in 1804”.

Cordiner observed that “The English society at Colombo is uncommonly pleasant; and an assemblage of so many excellent characters is, certainly rarely to be found. The men at the head of the civil and military departments are particularly amiable: and all ranks live together in a mutual exchange of the most friendly and familiar intercourse….” And “Two weekly clubs which have been established at Colombo for several years past, contribute eminently to the promotion of social pleasures in the settlement. The elder is the Cocoa-nut, or Whist Club, at which the principal amusement is cards. The bungaloe where it is held, is beautifully situated, about four miles north east of Colombo.at the mouth of the Calany-ganga, which there receives the name of Mootwal. The club consists of twelve members, chosen from among the most respectable inhabitants of the place. They give dinners in rotation, and generally invite twelve strangers. Some of the members whose characters are celebrated for extensive hospitality, assemble a still greater number of guests. The entertainment is always liberal, and the assembly never fails to be animated with the highest share of convivial delight.The company repair to the villa about one o’clock in the afternoon, and play cards, read or otherwise enjoy the country, until four when dinner is announced. At half past five, or six o’clock, they rise from the table, make a circuit in their carriages or on horseback, and reach their respective homes before dark.”

What a glorious life the British pioneers would have lived. Little wonder that the aspiring”natives” modelled themselves on the social features of the life of the Brits. The creation of the Whist Club underscored the need for expatriate personnel to engage in social interaction. There were many other venerable institutions to follow in later years like the Colombo Club, Kandy Club, Hill Club all of which offered residential facilities. They were however not open to the local population, who not to be outdone formed their own Orient Club (a natives only residential club). Ethno specific sports clubs followed, and are there to this day eschewing some of the rigid ethno specific admission rules insisted upon at the beginning. Clubs were the order of the day during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the more exclusive the membership the higher the social status that exclusivity conferred! The rise of the new breed of hostelry “the Five Star Hotel” seems to have put paid to all those status symbols and hallmarks of privilege.!

While it is on record that Marshall constructed Whist Bungalow, Modera House, and Rock House there is no evidence to suggest that he ever lived in any of them. The history of occupancy of Whist Bungalow is on the public record. On the closure of the Coca- nut Club, Whist Bungalow was acquired by Sir Richard Morgan, Supreme Court Judge. It was inherited by his son who died suddenly and it was then under the ownership of Mr Louis Peiris and his wife Selina who lived there for many years. The house was featured in the encylopaedic “Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon” published in 1907, when it was occupied by the Pieris family. The Famed German Naturalist Ernet Haeckel who visited Ceylon in the 1880s resided in Whist Bungalow and wrote wistfully about his life there in his book “A visit to Ceylon”. The ownership of the house appeared to have changed several times, once even used as a tea store!. The house is presently managed by the National Housing Development authority as a community hall.

The first ever socia…

Members of CSA would be interested to know that the forbears of two senior membesr of the Society once owned Whist Bungalow. Maureen Henricus nee Morgan is a direct descendant of Sir Richard Morgan, while Chandra Senaratne’s maternal grandmother was Mrs Selina Peiris!

Modera House the other creation of Marshall was occupied by the Armitage family, the leading coffee exporters from Ceylon in the nineteenth century. The coffee crash seriously affected the fortunes of the Armitages who sold Modera House to the De La Salle Brothers in the 1880s and moved to Alexandra House, Alexandra Place. The house was later the premises of Alexandra College. Modera House was the location of the film “Elephant Walk” a classic movie of the 1950s. It is now a school run by the De La Salle brothers. “Rock House” built by Marshall was acquired by the government and is Army property for the past over fifty years.

Mr and Mrs Marshall were a popular couple socially. Lieut -Col Campbell in his two volume book “Excursions, adventures, and Field sports in Ceylon” published in 1843 had this to say of the Marshalls ” A gentleman and his lady upon whose hospitality and friendship I had little or no claim, most kindly received me into their charming abode, situated on the sea shore about three miles from Colombo, and it is to the care and attention of Mr and Mrs Marshall that I attribute my temporary recovery.” Famed colonial recorder and writer J Penry Lewis believed that the Marshalls lived near the old toll gate which was in existence at Wellawatte near the bridge over the canal. There was a large banian tree under which a stone tablet was installed praising the virtues of a lady named Sophia. While Mrs Marshall carried her first name as Sophia, it has been suggested that there was another Sophia- viz Lady Sophia Brownrigg the Governor’s wife.

While that riddle remains to be solved, we have to this day the stone tablet with the inscription. It was lying near the entrance to the bicycle shed of the Savoy Cinema, but since has been erected upright near the bridge. Our former President of the Colombo Chapter Somasiri Devendra published a well researched article in his usual scholarly style, which appeared under the title “Wellawatte Inscriptions” in The Ceylankan #9 of Feb 2000. The “younger” club that existed during Marshall’s time, the “Quoit Club” was according to Cordiner situated in an opposite direction to Whist Bungalow, about two miles south of Colombo on the road leading to Point De Galle. Is it possible that Marshall built the Quoit Club as well and also resided there? Could Cordiner have misjudged the distance from Colombo of the Quoit Club ? If such is the case there is more certainty to the speculation that the Wellawatte tablet refers to none other than Sophia Marshall. We are still however lingering in the realm of conjecture !

Henry Augustus Marshall died on 23 January 1841 in his 64 th year and was buried in the old Galle Face Cemetery. A tablet was erected in St Peter’s Church,Fort by his widow and two son “in memory of an elegant classical scholar and a sincere Christian.

Colombo of the eighteenth century was a tranquil place, rich in vegetation, and serene in outlook. It was James Cordiner who observed that: “Nothing about Colombo is more apt to excite admiration than the flourishing state of the vegetable world. So much beauty and variety are in few countries equalled, and nowhere excelled”. Is it a forlorn wish to hope for a revival of Colombo’s lost beauty ? Only time will tell !!

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Life style

Ministry of Brands: Where style meets statement

Published

7 days ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

From left: Aamir Akbarally, Farida Akbarally, Ghazi Hammoud, Tyeab Akbarally and Ramzey Hammoud officially opening Ministry of Brands at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The City of Colombo has welcomed a bold new entrant to its retail landscape. Ministry of Brands – a concept that feels less like a fashion statement. Set along the very buzzing stretch of Vajira Road, Ministry of Brands arrives with a promise that instantly captures the imagination: – global luxury redefined for the Sri Lankan shopper. From the structured elegance of Gucci to the timeless sophstication of Ralph Laurent and modern glamour of Michael Kors, the store looks a curated passport to the world’s most desired brands.

Backed by the legacy and strength of Akbar Brothers, this venture singals a confident step forward for Sri Lanka’s retail evolution.

Ministry of Brands (MoB), Sri Lanka’s first off-price retailer, officially opened its doors to the public, marking a new era in the country’s retail landscape.

The 10,000 sq. ft. flagship store, located at Vajira Road, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 4, welcomed guests to an exclusive preview recently, offering a first look at its expansive collection of authentic global luxury and premium brands at discounts of up to 90 percent off original retail prices.

Backed by Akbar Brothers, Ministry of Brands introduces the globally established off-price retail model to Sri Lanka and the wider South Asian region. The concept enables customers to purchase genuine designer and brand-name products at significantly reduced prices, with new pieces landing and replenishing in store daily, offering a dynamic “treasure-hunt” shopping experience and a constantly changing selection.

Off-price retail remains one of the fastest-growing global retail segments, enabling fashion houses to manage excess inventory while responsibly expanding access to premium products.

: Director of Mob, Aamir Akbarally; Chairman of Akbar Brothers, Tyeab Akbarally and Chairman of Mob, Hussain Akbarally

: Where style meets statement

: Fashion experience

: New chapter in luxury retail

: Curated elegance

: Fashion finds its finest expression

Offering more than 2,000 international brands sourced from Europe and the United States, the store features a wide range of categories, including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, handbags, accessories, performance wear and homeware. Renowned global labels available at M.O.B include Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, DKNY, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Farm Rio, Staud, Alice + Olivia, Burberry, Rag & Bone, Lacoste, Puma, UGG, HOKA, Brooks and Air Jordan, among many others.

Commenting on the launch, Director Aamir Akbarally stated: “We are very excited to finally make authentic global luxury and premium brands more accessible and affordable to Sri Lankans. Ministry of Brands signals the beginning of a new era in Sri Lanka’s retail sector. The response so far has been fantastic, as a family-owned business, we shall always be committed to delivering genuine value, transparency and a world-class shopping experience built on longstanding values of integrity, quality and trust.”

Director Ramzey Hammoud added: “Off-price retail is globally recognised for its ability to combine value with sustainability. Our customers can now shop designer brands locally at the best possible prices, while enjoying a constantly evolving selection of products that makes every visit unique.”

Following its Colombo flagship launch, Ministry of Brands is set to open its second location at One Galle Face Mall in March 2026. Ministry of Brands is open from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm every day. For more information, visit www.ministryofbrands.com.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

On His Birthday, The Man Who Gave Sri Lanka’s Silent Creatures a Voice

Published

7 days ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

Puntius kelumi. Named in recognition of Kelum's invaluable contribution to ichthyology.

On a quiet morning, as Dr. Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi celebrates another year of life, it is not difficult to imagine him where he has always belonged—somewhere between forest and memory, between bone and history, between the living and the extinct.

For more than 25 years, he has shared his knowledge generously with the Sunday Island, often referring to it with unmistakable affection as his favourite newspaper. To generations of readers, he has been more than a scientist.

He has been an interpreter of the natural world, a man who helped Sri Lanka see itself more clearly.

His life’s work has unfolded not in pursuit of recognition, but in pursuit of truth.

Sri Lanka, an island small in size but vast in biological richness, holds within its forests and streams a remarkable concentration of life. Yet, for much of the 20th century, many of its smallest and most fragile creatures lived and vanished without scientific record.

The pioneering zoological work of P.E.P. Deraniyagala had once drawn the world’s attention to the island, but the decades that followed saw fewer explorers willing to continue that difficult journey of discovery.

It was into that silence that Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi quietly stepped.

His fascination with animals began in childhood, when he joined the Young Zoologists’ Association at the Dehiwala Zoo. It was there, among cages and curiosity, that he first learned the discipline of observation. He was not content simply to see. He wanted to understand.

: Museum study led by Kelum

: Field inspection

That desire would shape his destiny.

While still young, he was invited to assist researchers in identifying animal bones recovered during archaeological excavations. It was a rare responsibility, and he approached it with uncommon seriousness. Where others saw fragments, he saw identity. Where others saw remains, he saw continuity.

Bones became his language.

In the early 1990s, his meeting with conservationist and taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda marked a turning point—not just in his life, but in Sri Lanka’s scientific history. Together, they helped build the Wildlife Heritage Trust, an institution dedicated to uncovering the island’s hidden biodiversity.

At the time, many of Sri Lanka’s amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals remained scientifically invisible. They existed in forests and streams, unnamed and unrecognised.

Dr. Manamendra-Arachchi set out to change that.

His search took him across continents to the great natural history museums of Britain, France, India, and Singapore. There, in quiet halls filled with preserved specimens, he compared bones and bodies, carefully tracing the identity of species across time and geography. It was meticulous, patient work—the work of someone who understood that discovery begins with attention.

In 1996, he co-authored a landmark study on Sri Lanka’s amphibians, reshaping scientific understanding of these delicate creatures. But it was in 2005 that his work would astonish the global scientific community.

In a single paper, he and his colleagues described 27 new species of shrub frogs—an extraordinary achievement that revealed Sri Lanka as one of the world’s most important centres of amphibian diversity. Scientists around the world turned their attention to the island, newly aware of the richness that had long remained hidden.

Through his work, Sri Lanka’s forests began to speak.

Yet Dr. Manamendra-Arachchi understood that science must not remain confined to laboratories or journals. It must belong to people. In 2007, he published a book on Sri Lanka’s amphibians in Sinhala, opening the doors of knowledge to young students across the country. For many, it became a first step into scientific discovery.

He did not merely document biodiversity. He inspired those who would protect it.

Sri Lanka amphibian hot spot -The Island exclusively reported

His work extended beyond living species into deep time itself. Through the study of fossil remains found in Sri Lanka’s ancient gem-bearing gravels, he reconstructed animals that had vanished thousands of years ago. With scientific precision and artistic insight, he brought extinct creatures back into human understanding.

He reminded us that Sri Lanka’s story is older than memory.

Those who know him personally speak of his remarkable ability to connect science with life. He can move effortlessly from discussing frog evolution to ancient civilisations, from fossil anatomy to art and philosophy. His lectures are filled not only with knowledge, but with wonder.

He is, above all, a teacher.

In recognition of his immense contributions, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2022. Species have been named in his honour, ensuring his legacy will remain permanently embedded in the natural world he helped reveal.

Yet he remains unchanged—quiet, thoughtful, and deeply committed to discovery.

Even today, he continues his work, guiding students, advising researchers, and sharing his knowledge with the public.

His curiosity remains undiminished, his purpose undisturbed by time.

On his birthday (Feb 16) it is fitting that Sri Lanka pauses to reflect on his extraordinary journey.

For he did more than study animals.

He gave identity to the unnamed.

He gave meaning to the forgotten.

He gave Sri Lanka a deeper understanding of itself.

And in forests where bones still lie hidden beneath fallen leaves, waiting patiently for someone to listen, Dr. Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi continues to hear their stories.

By Ifham Nizam

Life style

Gift of life: Honouring the heroes behind every kidney transplant

Published

7 days ago

2026/03/1

Thilina Walpola

Moment of gratitude and hope as medical professionals gather to honour the gift of life through organ donation

At the core of Jayewardene Hospital is the Organ Transplant Unit. For hundreds of patients suffering from end stage organ failure, the hospital has become a place of renewed possibility. Many arrive after years of dialysis, physical exhaustion and emotional strain. Through transplants they are given not extended life but return to normaly For the doctors each transplant is a responsibility. For the recipients it is a new beginning. And for donor families it is a way for love to endure beyond loss.

The Organ Donation Day at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital unfolded as a deeply moving tribute to life, loss and the extraordinary courages that connects the two. Bringing together donor families, medical professionals and survivors whose lives have been transformed, the event was not merely ceremonial but it was profoundly humane.

From the very beginning, there was a quiet stillness, it was the kind of stillness that carried a Semotion unspoken yet deeply felt.

Families walked in with holding memories and a strength that only those who have lived and lost can truly understand. Yet beneath the grief there was something else. There was purpose, because here loved ones were not only remembered, but celebrated for the lives they continue to hold.

At the heart of all, stood doctors and the transplanted teams, the quiet bridge between lost and life. For them organ donation is not simply clinical, it is deeply personal. They carry the weight and hope often with the same moment.

: A team bound by purpose-saving lives

One of the most poignant moments of the ceremony was the presentation of white roses to the families of the donors.

Simple but pure and deeply symbolic, each white rose represented remembrance, peace and the enduring hearts of life given selflessly. As each flower was handed over, there were tears but also quiet smiles.

It was a kind gesture that said what words often cannot, and never forgotten. The lighting of the traditional oil lamp further deepend the emotion of the day. Each flame symoblised a life carried forward ,a reminder that even in loss, there is light.

Dr Niroshan Seneviratne,visionary behind Jayewardene Hospital transplant surgery

This ceremony was organised by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Trust Fund based at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital.

This fund was co-founded by Dr. Niroshan Seneviratne, Consultant Urogolist and Transplant Surgeon Dr. Chamila Pilimatalawwe Consultant Anaesiologist and Dr. Chintana Galphitiyawa Consultant Nephrologist. The Chief Guest was Ven. Professor Medgampitiye Wijithadhamma, Guest of honour.was Peter D’Almeida The special guest was Dr. Hansaka Wijemanu ,Deputy Minister of Health. Other special included Dr. Dammika Alahpperuma, MP Dewanande sSuraweera ,Chairman of the hospital Dr Thamara Kalubowila, Director of the hospital Dr Dhammika Alahahaperuma, Sandya Tennekoon and Kareem Amath, Board of Trustee member, Dr Gamini Samarasekera, Auditor Dr Chanaka Abeyratne, consultant Nephrologist

As the proceedings began, the families stood motionless, united by circumstances but compassion and shared humanity. Throughtout the ceremony one message resonated deeply, Organ Donation is not about statistics or procedures it is about people. It is about finding meaning even in the most difficult goodbyes. Among the many voices, the transplant surgeon Dr. Niroshan Seneviratne, a name deeply respected in the country’s transplant landscape, spoke with quiet conviction .Dr. Seneviratne reflected on the journey of organ transplantation in Sri Lanka. Every donar is a hero he emphasised, his voice steady yet filled with emotion “Behind every transplant is a family that chose to give life in their darkest hour.”

Sri Lanka’s organ transplant programmes has steadily grown over the years, particularly in Kidney transplants, offering hope to thousands of chronic renal diseases. This day also honoured the tireless medical teams working behind the screen, surgeons, ICU staff volunteers. Their work often unseen, is nothing short of extraordinary. Organ Transplant Day is not just a date on the calender. It is a celebration of life, of giving, and of the extraordinary power of human kindness.