Remembering the legacy of Mudaliyar Sampson Rajapakse
The man who donated his Kynsey Road premises to Medical College
Mudaliyar Sampson Rajapakse’s Colombo Waluwwa was “Gatherum” at Kynsey Road, Colombo. And his country Waluwwa was “Mahakappina Walauwwa” in Balapitiya. His father too was a Mudaliyar.
Mudaliyar Sampson Rajapakse was educated at Royal College.
I produce below an “extract from the Ceylon Times dated June 4, 1875.
Prize Day at the Medical School Extract from a speech by the Governor of Ceylon – Sir William Gregory.
“But it would be wrong of me, while taking credit to ourselves on such an occasion as this to pass over the name of a gentleman Mr. Sampson Rajapakse (great applause). Mr. Rajapakse has enabled you gentlemen to carry out the plan in an infinitely better manner than it would have been or could have been done had the original arrangements been adhered to. This he has done by the presentation of a most valuable and suitable site for the Medical School (applause). He has not only done this but he has given a prize, which I have had the honour of presenting today to encourage young gentlemen of this Medical School in their studies (applause). Nor is this all. In every case where it has been in his power to promote and encourage the advancement of his countrymen, Mr. Rajapakse has been foremost (applause). He has also given an annual scholarship to St Thomas’ College, Mt Lavinia which he has been kind enough to associate my name, and he has done much good in that way in attempting to secure for his countrymen, liberal and sound education”.
In 2002, the Ceylon Medical College wanted Mudaliyar Sampson Rajapakse’s portrait to adorn its walls. Professor Lalitha Mendis, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, wanted me to secure the portrait. Therefore I requested my relative Jayanath Rajapkse, the great grandson, to do the honours. Jayanath Rajapakse wrote me the following letter dated March 2, 2002. "Dear Jayantha,
As promised I enclose photocopies of the extract of “Ceylon Times” Report, confirming the gift of land to the Medical College by Gate Mudaliyar Sampson Rajapakse, my great grandfather and your great grand uncle.
I shall await a call in due course from Prof. Lalitha Mendis, Dean of the Medical Faculty to discuss the matter of the portrait etc.
Sampson himself was a Royalist (Colombo Academy). The reference to him at the foot of the page concerns his gift of a scholarship to St Thomas’ named after Governor Gregory. This came about because, like any Royalist with the benefit of hindsight he sent his son Tudor to what was even then the premier school in the island."
Jayanath Rajapakse was Mudaliyar Tudor Rajapakse’s pet grandchild. He was a diplomat and finally retired as an ambassador.
Mudaliyar Sampson’s son Tudor Rajapakse too was appointed a Gate Mudaliyar by Governor William Gregory. Mudaliyar Tudor married the sister of Mudaliyar A.E. Rajapakse of Negombo. Mudaliyar A.E. Rajapakse, and sister Mrs. Tudor Rajapakse owned vast tracts of coconut and cinnamon land around Negombo, mostly Katunayake. About 100 acres were acquired by the government for the expansion of the Katunayake Airport. So, a greater part of Katunayake Airport now stands on the Rajapakse property.
In 1911 Mudaliyar Tudor Rajapakse was chosen by the then Governor of Ceylon along with Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranayake Maha Mudaliyar (father of S.W.R.D.), Sir S.C. Obeysekera, W.M. Dunuwila Dissawe and Hon E. Roslin to represent Ceylon at the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. These were the grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II.
On his return to Kosgoda, his home town, a reception was organised by Advocate E W Jayawardhana – later King’s Counsel, father of President J.R. Jayawardena and Francis de Zoysa Advocate, later Kings Counsel and host of other luminaries, and was taken in a motorcade from Colombo Harbour to his country residence – Mahakappina Walawwa.
Many pandols were erected and the Mudaliyar and his family were received with great affection.
Mudaliyar Tudor and Mrs. Rajapakse built a lying-in-home in Negombo, for the benefit of the Negombo ladies. Mrs. Tudor died shortly thereafter.
Mudaliyar Tudor was the previous owner of the land on which the de Soya lying-in-home now stands, on Kynsey Road.
He also owned the land where Aquinas University College now stands, and the land on which Archbishops House stands.
Mudaliyar Tudor had three children. The eldest was Tudor Jr. He married the eldest daughter of King’s Counsel Francis de Zoysa. Later husband and wife had strained feelings and separated. The second son Hubert was also educated in England. He sang the song “Danno Budunge” with an English accent. The lyrics were composed by Deva Sooriya Sena, son of Sir James Pieris, the first Asian President of the Cambridge University.
The youngest was Sheilagh Rajapakse. She was looked after by a French Governess after her mother’s death. Sheilagh against the consent of Mudaliyar Tudor married Richard Pieris, who later owned Richard Pieris and Company.