Appreciations His kind heart reached out to whoever was in need, in all parts of the country

Charles Henry de Soysa whose birthday is marked on March 3 each year, is remembered by his descendants, representatives of the hospitals he built, past and present students of Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, with gratitude, appreciation and pride. Philanthropists come and go, but his name stands out as one who gave unstintingly; with sincerity, whose word was his bond and who possessed a vision which was far ahead of his time.

In retrospect, from what I have heard about his life from my father, his grandson and what I have read, I am aware, that his was a life filled with the joy of giving. But what is extraordinary, is his thinking, proved by the fields which benefited by his largesse. Religion, Agriculture, Education and Health were the main avenues in his unmatched and unprecedented philanthropy.

Although a Christian, there is proof that Charles Henry donated to and built temples, kovils and mosques, as well as churches. Although agriculture is most important in a country like ours, where we should long have been self-sufficient in our needs, education is, to my mind, the most important investment for our children. Today, we see more than ever before, the need for educated thinking which reaches far beyond the barriers of race, class or creed. Dedication and commitment to whatever our individual choice of education or religion may be, can take us to unbelievable heights.

The combination of religion and education is unbeatable, and quite naturally transcends our thinking, beyond violence and intimidation. Health again, is an integral part of our wellbeing. To have good health starts with the family and ultimately benefits the nation as a whole. The late Charles Henry had all this and probably much more on his mind, when he sought, through his philanthropy; to endow these four fields so abundantly. He also reached out to the landless, the homeless and gifted land, paddy fields and houses to a hundred poverty stricken farm- ers in Walapane, far away from his hometown Moratuwa. This deed in itself shows that even in those days, when bias and prejudice dominated most minds, narrow peripheries were simply non-existent with him. His kind heart reached out to whoever was in need, to all parts of the country; irrespective of differences in attitude, perspective, race, class, political slant or social standing.

He was reputed to be the wealthiest Ceylonese of his time. He lived in an era of peace and prosperity, gracious living, and contentment. He could have lived in an ivory tower; involved only with his kith and kin, inviolable and unconcerned about his fellow men. There is no doubt that he inherited wealth from his father, but his business acumen, good sense and astuteness, made him venture into new fields of enterprise and development; which increased his wealth more than triple-fold, which he shared with others. Although he was a Ceylonese pioneer in tea and coffee planting, his inherent wisdom prevented him from in- vesting his entire wealth in these ventures, thus he was untouched by the coffee crisis. He owned 74 plantations, several valuable residential properties in Colombo, its suburbs and other areas. He shipped his own tea to markets abroad, was the first Ceylonese banker and a founder member of the Ceylon National Congress.

The late Charles Henry’s statue stands tall at De Soysa Circus. Whenever I pass it, I say a silent prayer of blessing for his soul, as we, his descendants and the nation too, owe him so much. Every mother, whose child was born at The De Soysa Hospital for women, has him to thank for what undoubtedly is a national treasure.

While talking to an educated, cultured friend the other day, she told me that her father, when she was a child; would take them to all the statues, monuments and places of historic interest, in our country. He would insist that they read the inscriptions and question them on these later on. That perhaps is how interest in history and in those who have given much to our nation is born. It is a good example for parents of today to practise. There are many roads named after Charles Henry, as they are all part of property, once owned by him. Alfred Place, Alfred House Gardens, Charles Place, Charles Way, Charles Circus are among them. Some of the beautiful old family homes built by him, or his sons, are also living monu- ments to his memory.

He was a rare Ceylonese, in the fact that his philanthropy reached far beyond our shores. The Great Ormond Street Hospital for children in London, Brompton Hospital, The Royal Free hospital, Victoria Chest Hospital, The Hospital for accidents to Dock labourers, were all richly endowed with donations by him and some of these carry plaques with his name as a benefactor.

Service to God and man seems to have been his motto. He was said to be a modest man who loved his fellowmen and loved animals too.

As Christians we are told to give till it hurts and Charles Henry, as an obedient and faithful servant of God, fulfilled this command to the letter.

‘His grandeur he derived from Heaven alone,

For he was great, ere fortune made him so.’

John Dryden

Ilica Malkanthi Karunaratne