Evelyn de Soysa

Lady Evelyn de Soysa

Lady Evelyn Johanna Publina de Soysa OBE (née Fernando) (23 April 1893 – 28 July 1973) was the third female member of the Senate of Ceylon.[1]

Evelyn Johanna Publina Fernando was born 23 April 1893 in Moratuwa the daughter of Juan Fernando.[2] She was educated at the Princess of Wales' College in Moratuwa.[2]

On 23 November 1907 she married Wilfred de Soysa[3][4][5] They had eight children, their first son Harold de Soysa was the first Ceylonese Anglican Bishop of Colombo,[6] their second son Cecil de Soysa was the founding Chairman of the Ceylon Tourist Board[7][8] and the Chairman of Ceylon Shipping Lines.[9][10][11] The couple's third son Terence de Soysa was appointed as the first Sri Lankan Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce[12][13][14][15] Their fourth son Ryle de Soysa was the opening batsman for the All-Ceylon (National Team) between 1938–45 and represented the Oxford University, the Sinhalese Sports Club and captained the Royal College, Colombo first XI team to Australia in 1936.[16][17][18]

In 1949 she co-founded the Association of Ceylon Women in the UK (now known as Sri Lankan Women's Association in the UK), with Laurel Casinader (1903–1986), which is the longest surviving Lankan association in London.[19] De Soysa served as the Association's inaugural president from 1949 until 1951.[20] In 1950 she was awarded an MBE[21] and in 1956 an OBE,[22] for her work in social services and charities.[2][23]

In April 1959 de Soysa was appointed as a member of the Senate of Ceylon[24] and remained a senator until 1963.[2]

She died on 28 July 1973 at the age of 80.[2]

  1. ^ Gunawardena, Charles A. (Ed) (2005). Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 89. ISBN 9781932705485.
  2. ^ a b c d e Wimalaratne, K. D. G. (ed) (1994). Personalities, Sri Lanka: A Biographical Study (15th–20th Century), 1490–1990 A.D., A-Z. Ceylon Business Appliances Limited. p. 46. ISBN 9789559287001. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ The Holy Emmanuel Church (history) Archived 15 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 30 January 2015
  4. ^ 150th Anniversary Publication of the Holy Emmanuel Church, p. 23, Retrieved 30 August 2015
  5. ^ Pieris, Anoma (2013). Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka: The Trouser Under the Cloth. Routledge. pp. 83–84. ISBN 9780415630023.
  6. ^ de Soysa, Ryle. "A daughter's tribute: My father's life was his honour". Sunday Times. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  7. ^ Sam's contribution to tourism invaluable by Lionel Fernando Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka) Retrieved 16 February 2015
  8. ^ Presidential awards for travel and tourism lauded – Shirajiv SIRIMANE Retrieved 19 February 2015
  9. ^ Ceylon's Outlook Continues Bleak by H.B.W. Abeynaike (NEW YORK TIMES) Retrieved 16 February 2015
  10. ^ Cancer Society's 16th AGM, Sarath Malalasekera Retrieved 16 February 2015
  11. ^ Selwood- A Triumph of Design by Tissa Jayatilaka Retrieved 16 February 2015
  12. ^ 100th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF S.T.L.DE SOYSA, A man of vision and principle Archived 30 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), Retrieved 30 May 2015
  13. ^ Ceylon Chamber of Commerce marks 175 years Archived 15 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ceylon Today Retrieved 16 February 2015
  14. ^ April 5, 1942 the day Ceylon escaped Japanese occupation By Gamini de Silva Retrieved 16 February 2015
  15. ^ He played the game on and off the field, Tambyah Murugaser Retrieved 16 February 2015
  16. ^ Player Profile ESPN Cricinfo.com Retrieved 23 January 2015
  17. ^ Diplomatic Moves: Life in the Foreign Service, by Sally James, pp.42,47,49–50. (I. B. Tauris) ISBN 9781850439240
  18. ^ Ryle de Soysa scholarships for deserving students Sunday Times. Retrieved 30 January 2015
  19. ^ Gunawardena, Charles A. (2005). Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 63. ISBN 9781932705485.
  20. ^ "Patron & Present Committee". Sri Lankan Women's Association in the UK. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  21. ^ Ceylon :"No. 38800". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1949. pp. 41–42.
  22. ^ Ceylon list: "No. 40672". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1955. pp. 47–48.
  23. ^ Wijesekera, Chitra (1995). Women in Our Legislature. Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha. p. 254. ISBN 9789559579700.
  24. ^ "Parliaments of Ceylon". The Ceylon Daily News. 1960. p. 181.