Fredrick Richard Senanayake (known to as F. R. Senanayake) (October 20, 1882 – January 1, 1926) was a

Ceylonese Sri Lankan or Ceylonese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Sri Lanka * A person from Sri Lanka, see Demographics of Sri Lanka ** Sinhalese people, the ethnic majority ** Sri Lankan Tamils, an ethnic minority ** Sri ...

n lawyer and independence activist. A leading member of the

Sri Lankan independence movement The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement which was aimed at achieving independence and self-rule for the country of Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon, from the British Empire. The switch of powers was generally kn ...

, he was an elected member of the

Colombo Municipal Council The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, current elect is Rosy Senanayake, and 119 elected 119 mun ...

. He was the principal supporter of the early political career of his younger brother

D. S. Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime M ...

, who would go on to lead Sri Lanka's independence movement, becoming the first

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

of independent Sri Lanka in 1947.

Early life and education

He was born in the village of Botale in the Hapitigam Korale on October 20, 1882, to

Don Spater Senanayake Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake (1847–1907) was a Ceylonese, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a successful graphite mine owner and was given the titular title of Mudaliyar for social service by the British colonial administration. He ...

(1847–1907) and Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera Senanayake (1852–1949). Spater Senanayake had made his fortune in

graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on la ...

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

and at the time he was expanding into plantations and investments in the

arrack Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin. It ...

renting franchise, later he would be awarded the title of

Mudaliyar Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...

for his philanthropy. F. R. Senanayake had an elder brother, Don Charles "D. C." Senanayake; a younger brother

Don Stephen Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Mi ...

and one sister, Maria Frances Senanayake who married F. H. Dias Bandaranaike.Nobodies to Somebodies: The Rise of the Colonial Bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka
Kumari Jayawardena, pp. 192-3 & 267 (Zed) Educated at

S. Thomas' College, Mutwal , motto_translation = Be Thou Forever , song = Thomian Song , athletics = Yes , sports = Yes , nickname = Thora , denomination = Anglican , patron ...

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a Single-sex education, selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academ ...

and Downing College, Cambridge, where he gained a BA and an

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree. Thereafter he became a barrister from the Lincoln's Inn,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1905.

Law and business

On his return to Ceylon, he took oath as an Advocate in the

Supreme Court of Ceylon The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය, Sri Lanka Sreshthadikaranaya; ta, இலங்கை உயர் நீதிமன்றம், Ilankai uyar neetimanram) is th ...

and started a

legal practice Legal practice is sometimes used to distinguish the body of judicial or administrative precedents, rules, policies, customs, and doctrines from legislative enactments such as statutes and constitutions which might be called "laws" in the strict ...

in the criminal courts. Soon becoming disenchanted with the legal profession, he focused on his family plantation and mining business. These were expanded to the holding of his wife's family after his marriage.

Community leader

Colombo Municipal Council

An active social worker, F. R. Senanayake was elected to the

from the Colpetty Ward in 1912. He retained his seat in the municipality until his death.

Temperance movement

The three Senanayake brothers were involved in the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

formed in 1912, led by F. R. Senanayake. He was a founder of the

Buddhist Theosophical Society Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason and the co-founder and first president of the Theosophical Society. Olcott was the first well-known American of Euro ...

with

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Henry Steel Olcott Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason and the co-founder and first president of the Theosophical Society. Olcott was the first well-known American of Euro ...

and became its president in 1914. The Temperance movement actively campaigned against the

Excise file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...

Ordinance and the government practice of ''Arrack renting'', auctioning liquor licenses to open taverns and sell liquor locally. The practice brought in revenue to government coffers and was a profitable business for tavern owners leading to many business families establishing themselves. However, it caused many social problems in local communities with whispered liquor addiction.

Arrest and imprisonment

When

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

broke out in 1914, the Senanayake brothers joined the

Colombo Town Guard Colombo Town Guard was a regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer ( reserve) regiment was based in Colombo. History The Town ...

. The brothers were imprisoned without charges during the

1915 riots Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". * January ...

and faced the prospect of execution since the British Governor Sir Robert Chalmers considered the temperance movement as

seditious Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establis ...

and had its leaders imprisoned. He was released after 46 days he was released on a bail bond.

Politics

Although capable of gaining membership to the

Legislative Council of Ceylon The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of represen ...

, he didn't seek a seat in the Legislative Council. He stood for and was elected to the

in 1912 and held the seat till his death. He formed the

Lanka Mahajana Sabha Lanka Mahajana Sabha was a Ceylonese political party founded by F. R. Senanayake in 1919. It was affiliated to the United National Party in 1946 and played an important role in attainment of Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948. Its members include ...

and assisted in the formation of the

Young Men's Buddhist Association The YMBA, or Young Men's Buddhist Association, was created in Sri Lanka in 1898. The main founder was C. S. DissanayakeHuman Rights Watch (2009)''The Resistance of the Monks: Buddhism and Activism in Burma'' p. 12. as part of a bid to provide Budd ...

. He was a strong supporter of his brother D. S. Senanayake being elected unopposed to the Legislative Council from

Negombo Negombo (, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via Colombo - Katunayake Expressway. Negombo is one of the major commer ...

in 1924.

Death

He died on January 1, 1926, in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comm ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

following an

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...

operation. He was on a pilgrimage to

Gaya Gaya may refer to: Geography Czech Republic *Gaya (German and Latin), Kyjov (Hodonín District), a town Guinea * Gaya or Gayah, a town India *Gaya, India, a city in Bihar **Gaya Airport *Bodh Gaya, a town in Bihar near Gaya *Gaya district, Bi ...

when he became ill.

Legacy

A statue of F. R. Senanayake has been erected in the

Viharamahadevi Park Viharamahadevi Park ( si, විහාරමහාදේවී උද්‍යානය; formerly Victoria Park, si, වික්ටෝරියා පාක්) is a public park located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, situated in front of the colon ...

facing the

Colombo Town Hall The Town Hall of Colombo ( si, කොළඹ නගර ශාලාව, ta, நகர மண்டபம், கொழும்பு) is the headquarters of the Colombo Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor of Colombo. Built in front of ...

. In the 2018 film ''

Nidahase Piya DS ''Nidahase Piya DS'' () is a 2018 Sri Lankan Sinhala biographical film directed by Suneth Malinga Lokuhewa and co-produced by Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Dilman Jayaratne, Channa Hettiarachchi, Rajaputhra Weerasinghe, Kithsiri Athulathmudali and Clar ...

'' about the life of his brother D S Senanayake,

Palitha Silva Garanduwa Baarage Palitha Silva (born August 30, 1967 as පාලිත සිල්වා) inhala is a Sri Lankan actor, dramatist, producer, director, scriptwriter and author. He started his career at 15 years of age when he was chosen to tr ...

played the role of FR Senanayake.

Personal life

Family

He married Ellen Attygalle, the youngest daughter of

Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle Mudaliyar Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle (8 September 1836 - 12 December 1901) was a Ceylonese, an entrepreneur and mine owner. He was a successful graphite mine owner and was given the titular title of Mudaliyar for social service by the British G ...

and they had six children; Richard Gotabhaya, Fredrick Tissa, Phyllis Nedra "Girlie", Swarna Neela, Chandra Upali, Rupawathi. His eldest son

Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake (4 November 1911 – 22 December 1970; popularly known as R.G. Senanayake) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952-56 and 1956-60. He was elected a Member of Parliamen ...

went on to become a member of parliament and a Cabinet minister. His eldest daughter Phyllis Nedra "Girlie", married

Siripala Samarakkody Siripala Samarakkody (1907 – 22 August 1944) was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician. Early life and education Samarakkody was born in 1907, the eldest of seven children to Charles Peter Augustus de Fonseka Tillekeratne Samarakkody and Anne Catha ...

and Swarna Neela married his brother's younger son Robert Parakrama Senanayake. His brother-in-laws included

T. G. Jayewardene and

John Kotelawala Sr John Kotelawala (also known as John Kotelawala Sr; 4 November 1864 – 20 April 1907) was a Ceylonese police officer and businessmen. He was known for the murder of Francis Dixon Attygalle, one of the first sensational murder trials in Ceylon. ...

. He supported his sister-in-law, Alice Kotelawala after she became destitute following the death of her husband John Kotelawala Sr. He educated and cared for his nephews John Kotelawala and

Justin Kotelawala Justin Kotelawala, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Justice of the peace#Sri Lanka, JP (22 August 1904 - 2 April 1973) was a Sri Lankan businessman and Senator. He was the former Chairman of the Ceylinco Consolidated, Ceylinco Group. Early life ...

Residence

Grassmere was the

town house A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

of F. R. Senanayake and

R. G. Senanayake Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake (4 November 1911 – 22 December 1970; popularly known as R.G. Senanayake) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952-56 and 1956-60. He was elected a Member of Parliamen ...

. The house was built by F. R. Senanayake in the exclusive neighbourhood of Gregory's Road and moved in with his family from his family a rented home in Colombo. It was at Grassmere, that Senanayake was taken into custody under

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

by Punjabi soldiers during the

. Following Senanayake's sudden death in 1926, the house was inherited by his son R. G. Senanayake. ''Gregory's Road'' was renamed ''R. G. Senanayake Mawatha'' in 2013. Today the house hosts the Colombo branch of the

Goethe-Institut The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange an ...

References

External links

Hundred days of terror under British

{{DEFAULTSORT:Senanayake, Fredrick Richard 1882 births 1926 deaths Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Colombo municipal councillors Members of Lincoln's Inn National Heroes of Sri Lanka People of British Ceylon Prisoners and detainees of British Ceylon Fredrick Richard Sinhalese lawyers Sri Lankan barristers Sri Lankan independence movement Sri Lankan mining businesspeople Sri Lankan prisoners and detainees