Sources of Information - De Fonseka Families

Sources of Information and Additional Details - De Fonseka Families

Varnakula Additya Don Michael de Fonseka:
Adigar of Calutara and Walalawita Corale
(vide Note 4) succeeded his wife's uncle Don Louis d'Anderado, later transferred to the Secretariat in Colombo. Baldeus who knew him in Jaffna about 1658 before he came to Calutara, mentions him in his History. (Baldeus, the de Fonseka Family Documents, and C.D.R. 2673D). Married Dominga d'Anderado (C.D.R 2673D and an old Dutch M. S. with a certified translation of it dated 30-04-1822 of the de Fonseka Family).

Manuel de Fonseka:
Vidahn of Colombo from pass Nagalagam to the Fort.
Was given the village Jamburelliya in Salpiti Corale as accomodasam. Act of appointment dated 6-1-1687 (C.D.R. 2439 Page 78, Paul Pieris "The Illangakoon Family" page 26 also vide Note 5)

Manico de Fonseka:
Coraal of Salpiti Corale and Maha Vidhan of Calutara.
Married Pavistina de Tissera in 1720. (C.D.R. School Thombo of Calutara District, Volume 36, Re. The de Tissera family "Memoirs of Rycloff van Goens" page 20, Re. Office of Coraal see Memoir by Baron van Imhoff, Governor of Ceylon, translated by Sophia Peters Page 24, "Instructions" page 65, Ceylon literary Register II. Page 140, the de Fonseka family Documents)

Peduru de Fonseka:
Mohandiram of Calutara and Interpreter to the Opperhoofd.
(Act of appointment dated 21-01-1760 with the de Fonseka Family Documents). Received from the Dutch Government two Islets at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga called Goddetalawa, and Diyambetalawa. Goddetalawa was sold by the descendants of his son Bastian. Part of Diyabmetalawa which joined the two sections of the Calutara bridge was acquired by the Government; the other part still belongs to the de Fonseka family, vide Deed No. 899 of 19-10-1894, attested by U. H. Ahlif, N.P. of Colombo; also given land called Padriawatta (Roll of Lascorins of Calutara District page 3) which still belongs to the descendants of his son Bastian de Fonseka, also vide C.D.R School Thombo of Calutara 36 & 38.

Varnage Peduru de Fonseka and his brother Varnage Franciscu de Fonseka also received from Governor Falk by two grants dated 6-8-1766 and 6-9-1766, two blocks of land in Calutara at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga (Thombo of Calutara District, village Dessester No. 49). These lands are now known as Tuduwawatta and still belongs to the de Fonseka family. Deed No. 1222 dated 23-11-1857 attested by A. Cornelis. Partition amogst the heirs of Selestinu de Fonseka, Mudaliyar, Nos. 3527 & 3532 dated 7-3-1865 and 9-3-1865 attested by A. Cornelis, N.P.; D.C. Calutara 9601.

Franciscu de Fonseka:
Mudaliyar of Calutara 18-1-1797. Maha Vidhan Mohandiram 10-11-1766.
(the de Fonseka Family Documents; C. D. R. School Thombo of Calutara 36 and 38).

Bastian de Fonseka:
Appointed to act for his father Peduru de Fonseka (Act of appointment 5-10-1770 with the de Fonseka Family Documents; grant dated 20-6-1811 of the one-third share of the Islet in the Kaluganga called Goddetalawatta reserved in the Dutch grant, with the de Fonseka Family Documents.)

Solomon de Fonseka:
Married Selestina, daughter of Mudaliyar Renaldus d'Anderado, and settled in Grandpass, Colombo. (Last will of his brother David de Fonseka Mohandiram of Calutara filed in D.C. Calutara. Testamentary Proceedings No 490)

David de Fonseka:
Muhandiram of Calutara.
(Act of appointment dated 22-5-1819 with the de Fonseka Family Documents; Ceylon Almanac 1825; Last will dated 26-4-1847 attested by Sadris de Silva Chandrasekera, N.P. of Calutara filed in Testamentary Proceedings No. 490, D. C. Colombo). Died without Issue.

Johanes de Fonseka:
Mudaliyar of Calutara.
Presented with a gold medal 21-11-1819 by Governor Brownrigg which is still in the possession of the de Fonseka Family (vide Note 6).

Rosita de Fonseka:
Married Gampolage Simon de Fonseka, Maha Vidhan of Calutara (Some Documents dated 31-1-1837 relating to Rosita de Fonseka's share of the lands granted 6-8-1766 and 6-9-1766 with the de Fonseka Family Documents).

Isabella de Fonseka:
(C.D.R School Thombo of Calutara 38). Married Bastian d'Anderado, Mudaliya.

Some Authorities referred to above:

Baldeus: (see the Reference Pages): "Description of Ceylon" (Amsterdam 1672); to Churchill's Voyages III. Baldeus was the Dutch Chaplain in Ceylon 1656-1665, and seems to have known personally both Don Michael de Fonseka and Don Manuel D'Anderado.
C.D.R.: (also see the D'andrado Papers): Colombo Dutch Records, in the office of the Govt. Archivist, Colombo.
C.D.R. 2673D:: Indexed as "A collection of papers left by Dissawa de Caste", It deals entirely with some matters relating to the d'Anderado and the de Fonseka families, about the beginning of the Dutch Era, and corroborates the de Fonseka Family Documents and about the relationship between the different members of these families and the offices they held at this time.
The de Fonseka Family Documents:: Many of these in Dutch in the possession of Mr. S. R. de Fonseka. The earlier documents were submitted by him to the Historical Manuscript Commission and were accepted as authentic. (Sessional Paper IX of 1933. See the D'andrado Papers for the complete list). H. E. Sir H. Stanley, Governor of Ceylon, appointed the Historical Manuscripts Commission in 1931.
Goneratne:: The late F. E. Gooneratne, Mohotti Mudaliyarof Galle; a recognized authority on antiquarian matters relating to Ceylon.
'Instructions':: "Instructions" from the Governor-General and Council of India to the Governor of Ceylon 1656-1665, translated by Sophia Peters, and printed and published by the Government, Colombo, 1908. (Some of these relating to the de Fonseka Families, have been reproduced in the D'andrado Papers.)
The Karave Flag: (Read the complete article): Written by Lionel de Fonseka, "Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register", VII., page 1.
Memoirs of Rycloff van Goens:: 22-12-1663. Translated by E. Reimers, Govt. Archivist, printed and published by Government, Colombo, 1932. (Some of these relating to the de Fonseka Families, have been reproduced in the D'andrado Papers.)
'Port Era':: "Ceylon - The Portuguese Era" by Paul E. Pieris, C.C.S. (1913) in 2 volumes.
R.A.S:: Journals of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Colombo.
Singhalese Banners and Standards:: By E. W. Perera, Bar-at-Law. Printed and published by the Government, Colombo 1916 (vide pp 21, 22, 38 and figures 35 and 56 in Plate XXI)
Yalpana Vaipava Malai: (see the Reference Pages): A Tamil History of Jaffna written early in the 17th Century and later translated by C. Britto in 1879
Some Notable Families: (see the Reference Pages): A series of books written by Paul E. Pieris on notable families in Ceylon during the Dutch period.