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'And
of all the different people
Peopling this earth,
Each and everyone
Has his or her own unique worth.'
Kelly Curiel
A kaleidoscope of people called 'de
Fonseka', their often colliding characters, the ones who made it, the ones
who could not, their successes, their failures, their triumphs and their agonies.....these are
their stories, collated and written down before their disappear
from the world forever.
This page contains stories of interest, personal communications, family lore,
anecdotes and
memories of people and events, stories that has come down over the generations or has lain buried
in memories or publications.
While most stories are verified
with supporting documentation, some are based purely on personal communications.
-
Fonseka Parapurawal - (Fonseka Families):
- An analysis of the various Fonseka
families from the book 'Kurukula Charithaya'.
-
A Question of Substance. (1658).
- Michael de Fonseka, the earliest
recorded ‘de Fonseka’ raised a most acute question ever asked by anyone from
the Dutch Priest by the name of Baldaeus, who accompanied the Dutch expedition
to Jaffna in 1658. The answer to this is as perplexing as the question
itself.
-
Arise, Sir Susantha.
-
The story of Sir Susantha de
Fonseka; the only 'De Fonseka' ever to receive a K. B. E.
-
Our man in Cochin.
- Don Louys D'andrado was part of the
Dutch expedition which lay siege to Cochin in 1663.
-
J. P De Fonseka and the Authorship Debate (1938)
- A quiz published in the Dallas Morning
News, Texas USA in recent times, highlights an amazing theory proposed by J.P.
de Fonseka to the literary world in 1938. This contribution by J.P to a
world famous authorship debate, is one of the lesser known things about J.P.
-
A Letter for you Sir!
- A simplified addressing system
invented by J. P. De Fonseka in the 1940’s may have been the precursor to the
email addressing protocols used today.
-
LES EAUX de LUMIERE (‘ The Waters
of Light’)
-
This magnificent and rare
book, written entirely in French by Lionel de Fonseka in 1953, discusses the
appearances of Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal and the Eastern and Western
views on religious matters.
-
DE
LA VERITE dans L'ART
-
This book, again written
entirely in French by Lionel was translated and published as 'The Truth of
Decorative Art' and discusses the western influence on the arts and people of
Ceylon
-
Devar Surya Sena :
- In his autobiography ,"Of Sri Lanka I
Sing", Devar Suraya Sena recalls his connections to the De Fonseka families of
Kalutara.
-
The
curse of the D' Andrados:
- When Manuel D'Andrado accompanied the
Dutch to capture Jaffna from the Portuguese, he got involved with the wife of
a Tamil Mudaliyar, with disastrous consequences for both.
-
The
Ladies' Lady:
- Ladies College honours Bertha de
Fonseka at its centennial celebration. (includes some interesting insights in
to the racing career of Edmund Clarence de Fonseka.)
-
The D'
Andrado slaves:
- Judging by some of the evidence
collected, it is quite possible that the de Fonseka clans may have owned
Slaves in their properties, at one time or the other.
-
‘Somebodies to Nobodies’ The story of Pat Gooneratna.
- Patrick Gooneratna was born the only
child into the wealthy family of
Peter Gooneratna and Beatrice de Fonseka , but he died almost
like a pauper in 1999, a sad death for many who really knew him.
-
Running in the Family - The Babylon Stakes.
- In his book 'Running in the Family',
Booker Prize winning author Michael Ondaatje writes about the evergreen E. C.
de Fonseka Jnr.
-
Menaka de Fonseka.
- Personality of the Week; by Ilika
Karunaratne. From the Daily News of 15th March 2003.