Marcus Fernando

Sir Hilarion Marcus Fernando
Born	Ceylon
Died	December 18, 1936(1936-12-18) (aged 72)
Occupation(s)	Physician, banker, statesman
Known for	Member of Executive Council of Ceylon; Member of Legislative Council of Ceylon; chairman of State Mortgage Bank of Ceylon; founder of Bacteriological Institute Colombo; contributor to University of Ceylon establishment

Sir Hilarion Marcus Fernando, FRCP (21 October 1864 – 18 December 1936), was a distinguished Ceylonese physician, banker, and statesman during the pre-independence era. He held positions on both the executive council and legislative council, and chaired the State Mortgage Bank of Ceylon.

Education

Fernando received his early education at St Benedict's Academy (which later became St Benedict's College Colombo) and the Colombo Academy (subsequently Royal College Colombo). Throughout his schooling, he earned several honors such as the Turnour Prize, Junior Cambridge Scholarship, and Mathematical Prize. Benefiting from government and Gilchrist Educational Trust scholarships, he pursued medical studies at University College London. He graduated with a BSc, securing the Atchinson Scholarship along with University of London Gold Medals in Physiology, Medicine, Forensic Medicine, and Obstetrics. He attained his MB degree in 1888, followed by an MD in 1889, and was appointed Fellow of University College London in 1890.

Upon returning to Ceylon, Fernando served as Registrar of the Ceylon Medical College and was Superintendent of the De Soysa Maternity Home. He became the first Consultant Physician at General Hospital Colombo. His medical research included studies on Diabetes in the Tropics, highlighting its occurrence among affluent segments of Ceylonese society. Actively involved with the Ceylon Branch of the British Medical Association, he held office as Secretary from 1891 to 1897 and later as President in 1905 and 1914. He established the Bacteriological Institute in Colombo and fulfilled duties as Chemical Examiner to the Government.

Political career

At age 43, Fernando transitioned from medicine into business and political arenas. In 1911, he contested a newly proposed legislative council seat endorsed by Sir James Peiris, though he was defeated by Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan. Subsequently, he served on both the Executive Council of Ceylon and Legislative Councils. His political platform emphasized forward-looking industrial development. A proponent of the Donoughmore Constitution, he advocated for universal suffrage through general elections and worked to increase representation for Northern Tamils and Eastern Muslims. Fernando owned The Ceylon Independent, which employed editorial figures such as Noel Gratiaen and Manicasothy Saravanamuttu.

In 1931, he took on the role of chairman at the State Mortgage Bank of Ceylon, recognized as the country's first state-owned financial institution. He also played a part in founding the Bank of Ceylon. Alongside Sir James Peiris and Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Fernando contributed significantly to establishing the University of Ceylon. His services were acknowledged with a knighthood in the 1923 New Year Honours. Additionally, in 1929 he co-founded the Rotary Club of Colombo.

Family

Fernando was born to Andrew Fernando Jr., with his grandfather Andrew Fernando Sr. having served as Mudaliyer of Colombo. In 1891, he married Mary Frances, daughter of Charles Henry de Soysa and Lady de Soysa; together they had two daughters and one son. His brother, Advocate Charles Matthew Fernando, was notable as the first Ceylonese Crown Counsel. Among his nephews were Chevalier C.H.Z. Fernando—a pioneering labour unionist who founded both the Young Lanka League and the Ceylon Labour Party and was distinguished as the sole Ceylonese to have met Lenin—and C. M. Fernando, a founding member of the SLFP.

Legacy

The Sri Lanka Medical Association commemorates his achievements through a dedicated endowed lecture series, featuring distinguished presenters such as Surendra Ramachandran, Nimal Senanayake, and Hithanadura Janaka De Silva. Furthermore, his name is memorialized by a residential hall at the University of Peradeniya and a street located in Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens).