Jeronis de Soysa

Jeronis de Soysa
Born	Template:Birth date Moratuwa, Ceylon
Died	May 28, 1862(1862-05-28) (aged 65)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, industrialist, coffee cultivator, philanthropist
Known for	Wealthiest native businessman of 19th-century Ceylon; pioneer of private business under British rule; first Ceylonese Mudaliyar honored for charitable contributions

Gate Mudaliyar Jeronis de Soysa (19 April 1797 – 28 May 1862) was a trailblazing entrepreneur and benefactor from Ceylon. As an industrialist and coffee cultivator, he rose to become the wealthiest native businessman of the 19th century by creating the largest indigenous commercial enterprise of his era. He was instrumental in establishing the first bank owned by Ceylonese and is widely recognized as a pioneer of private business during British rule in Ceylon. Jeronis also holds the distinction of being the first Ceylonese Mudaliyar honored for his charitable contributions.

Early life

Born on 19 April 1797 in Moratuwa, Jeronis de Soysa was the second son of Warusahennadige Joseph Soysa, an Ayurveda practitioner, and Kurukulasuriya Senadige Francisca Peiris. Growing up in a large family with seven brothers and three sisters, he was affectionately called Baba. His lineage included longstanding commercial ventures in salt and grain trade, transportation, boat construction, and farming. The family’s ancestors were prominent merchants and served as lay custodians of the Devinuwara Temple in Matara, with roots tracing back to the Portuguese period.

Initially destined for a religious vocation, de Soysa received education at Palliyagodella Temple in Rawatawatta, Moratuwa, where he excelled in Ayurvedic medicine, Sinhala literature, and astrology. He gained recognition as an Ayurvedic healer known for his charismatic demeanor. In 1833, he married Francesca Coorey, daughter of Mututantrige Bastian Cooray and Kurukulasuriya Senadige Justina Pieris. Francesca’s family had longstanding regional connections, including involvement in building the Rawatawatte Dutch Chapel in 1675.

Trade and Industry

De Soysa came into possession of a modest inheritance from his uncles Daniel Peiris and Hendrick Peiris III, who were shipowners operating Yatra shipyards at Oruwella, Panadura, and Grandpass, Colombo. Utilizing this capital with assistance from his brothers, he expanded commerce between the Maritime Provinces and Kandyan regions. By 1820, he had become among the earliest Sinhalese general merchants active in Kandy. He pioneered cart-based transportation linking seaports with plantations—a sector he dominated until railways emerged. Additionally, de Soysa earned respect as Babasingha Vedamahatmaya, an Ayurvedic doctor known for treating many plantation Tamil workers.

His enterprises flourished through government contracts supplying materials for projects such as the Colombo-Kandy road. These successes allowed him to secure funds to lease the arrack distribution franchise; however, he later scaled back investments in distilleries and taverns.

In 1836, de Soysa purchased the Diyatalawa kanda estate known as 'Kings Garden-Rajmal Uyana' in Hanguranketha—a former royal Kandyan retreat—competing with British planters like George Bird. He acquired several cinnamon plantations once owned by the Dutch located in Moratuwa, Ratmalana, Dambuwa, and Katunayake; citronella estates in Ahangama; along with numerous coconut plantations across the island. His property holdings in Colombo extended from Galle Face to Panadura.

Together with the Peiris family, the De Soysa family established Ceylon’s first native-owned bank—the Bank of Kandy—located in Dalada Weediya and Pettah (1839 & 1860). This institution aimed to alleviate credit shortages caused by European banks’ reluctance to lend and counteract exorbitant interest rates imposed by Nattukkottai Chettiar moneylenders. Known for equitable treatment of staff—primarily employing individuals from low country communities—de Soysa significantly contributed to agricultural progress and infrastructure improvements throughout both Kandyan provinces and coastal areas.

Agriculture and infrastructure

De Soya transformed his agricultural estates located in the up-country areas of Hanguranketha, Haragama, and Talatuoya, which were originally thick forests lacking proper roads. He was a trailblazer in land surveying and spearheaded the construction of numerous roads and reservoirs to enhance paddy and chena farming.

Among the significant road developments were routes connecting Mailapitiya to Hanguranketha and Haragama, Haragama to Kolongaha and Maha Oya, as well as the Polgasowita-Mattegoda-Delgahakanda roads within Salpiti Korale. In 1839, he also established roads extending from Galle Road to Kospalankissa, alongside several others in the Chilaw district and Western Province, including Telawela to Katubedda and Mampe, Angulana to Kuda-Kalapuwa, and Uyana.

In addition to roads, De Soysa was renowned for constructing tanks and reservoirs. His notable works include the restoration of the ancient Malulla tank at Hanguranketa in 1848 and the creation of reservoirs such as Gonagama, Talatuoya, Naranvila, Kandewela, Gonawatte in the Central Province, as well as the Moratuwa-Ratmalana tank near his birthplace. He supported irrigation projects at Kandewela and generously provided land for cultivation to impoverished residents of Gonagama and Hanguranketa.

De Soysa also contributed public amenities such as the Tibotuwawewatte Ambalama in Haragama and a rest house with landscaped gardens in Moratuwa. His humanitarian efforts during the Kadugannawa landslide earned him protection for his caravans from Saradiel, famously known as Ceylon’s Robin Hood. Furthermore, De Soysa maintained associations with historical figures like Puran Appu, a prominent leader during the Matale Rebellion.

Religious and educational work

He undertook restoration of the ancient Pothgul Viharaya temple in Hanguranketha, appointing Ven. Attadassi Thero as its Chief Incumbent and donating adjacent lands. Additionally, he constructed a Chaitya in Moratuwa to house the ashes of his spiritual guide Ven. Meddegama Thero.

De Soysa funded a free primary school and founded an Oriental library in Hanguranketa. He also strengthened local administration by empowering Gam Sabhas and established several community institutions in Moratuwa including a Legal Aid Society, a library, and a social reform organization known as Sadarana Sarana Samagama.

Shortly before his passing, De Soysa embraced Christianity as an expression of gratitude for his blessings. To honor this transformation, he commissioned the Holy Emmanuel Church in Moratuwa. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop James Chapman on 27 December 1857; designed by Thomas Skinner, the church was consecrated exactly three years later with Governor Charles Justin MacCarthy present.

His brother, Mudaliyer Susew de Soysa (1809–1881), donated an estate opposite the Mount Lavinia Hotel dedicated to church upkeep; part of this property eventually facilitated the relocation of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.

Death

Jeronis de Soysa Dharmagunawardane Vipulajayasuriya Karunaratne Dissanayake passed away at the age of 65 on 28 May 1862. In accordance with his wishes, he was interred at Holy Emmanuel Church, where a memorial inscription was inscribed in the Sinhala script.

Legacy

Recognized as a trailblazing indigenous businessman and benefactor, de Soysa was instrumental in pioneering private sector ventures. Upon his passing, he left the stewardship of a multimillion-valued estate to his 26-year-old son, Charles de Soysa. His significant contributions included infrastructure development and the construction of reservoirs, particularly impactful after the termination of the mandatory rajakriya labor system and the disturbances following the Kandyan convention. In 1853, under Governor George William Anderson, he was appointed as Gate Mudaliyar, becoming the first native leader honored for public philanthropy rather than administrative duties.

See also

• Coffee production in Sri Lanka