Everyday Lankan History

Wolvendaal Church

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:04:46 +0000

Wolvendaal Church

This church in Pettah, Colombo is still a functioning Protestant church. Built in 1749 by the Dutch it was then the central base of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Anthony Gomez saw his life drastically change in this church, when he asked the elders to take him on as a lecturer in the church. Read more about Anthony’s story:

Wattala (school)

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:02:03 +0000

Wattala (School)

The school of Wattala was located near current day Wattala. It was where the ferry crossed the river to ‘Pas Betaal’.

In Wattala lived many people of the Hunu caste, but also Salagama and Goyigama, who were connected to this school.

Francina Farnando grew up in the Wattala area around 1758. Read her story to learn why she has never set a foot in this school:

Wattala

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:00:02 +0000

Wattala

Currently the area just across the Kelani river from Colombo, where the Hamilton Canal towards Negombo is situated. In the Dutch period, this area was connected with the Colombo area through a ferry, called ‘Pas Betaal’. It was close to the other ‘Pas Mutuaal’ and ‘Grote Pass’ – current area of Grand Pass.

Close to this town was the village of Hunupitiya, where the family of Francina Fernando lived. Francina wanted to be baptised, but to do so, she crossed the river to Mutwal. Want to know what happened?

Negombo (Dutch Church)

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:57:40 +0000

Negombo Dutch church

The Dutch Reformed Church did not only build churches in Colombo and Galle, but also in forts like Negombo. Aside from fort churches, there were also schools and churches outside of the forts, in the villages around the city. These were meant for the local population, but the buildings do not exist anymore. Negombo knew a lively Catholic population in the 18th century, and this is still the case today.

The parents of Francina Farnando were married here, before moving to Hunupitiya to start a family there. What happened after, you can read here:

Negombo

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:56:46 +0000

Negombo

Large port town just north of Colombo. Historically this port had attracted many traders from the entire Indian Ocean World. Its subsequently diverse population was governed during colonial times from Negombo fort, which still exists today in the form of Negombo’s prison.

The parents of Francina Farnando were living in Negombo before they moved to Hunupitiya, where Francina was born and would struggle to be baptized. Why she struggled, you can read in her story:

Mutwal, Pas Matuaal

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:55:26 +0000

Mutwal, pas matuaal

A location near current Muthuwella, north of the Colombo harbour. In the 18^th century it was the location of a ferry to the small island in the Kelani river mouth, called ‘Pas Matuaal’. The Dutch Reformed school was located at current-day Pradeepa Hall. Today it is a busy suburb of Colombo.

Francina Farnando came to Mutwal from neighbouring Wattala across the river. How crossing the river allowed her to be baptised, you can read in her story:

Kelani River

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:54:05 +0000

Kelani River

Largest river in the southwestern province, in the 18^th century up to today used for transport of products towards the harbour of Colombo. The river flows from the Sri Pada mountain range towards the sea, through Colombo.

There were several places where one could take the ferry to cross this massive body of water. One of them being ‘Pas Betaal’ near Mutwal, where Francina Farnando’s story takes place:

Kandy (Kingdom of)

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:53:03 +0000

Kandy (kingdom of)

The contemporary city in Sri Lanka’s central highlands still reminds its inhabitants and visitors of the Kingdom which seated there in the past. The Royal Palace and the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple are relics of the Kandyan Kingdom which endured from the late 15^th century all the way up to the 19^th century. Diplomatic relationships between this independent Kingdom and the VOC were strained, most notable leading to the 1760-1766 war, but peace and trade were the norm.

Often migrants settled in the territories of the Kingdom of Kandy, traveling from the regions colonised by the VOC. Sometimes simply for marriage, but also to flee the Dutch government or revenge-seeking family members, like in the case of Francisco:

Kollupitaya, Colombo

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:45:04 +0000

Kollupitaya, Colombo

Present-day Kollupitiya is a significantly urbanised neighbourhood in Colombo, south of the fort-area. Historically, it was a village that was specifically known for its arrack distilleries and some of the first cinnamon plantations created in Sri Lanka in the late eighteenth century.

This village is the birthplace of Anthony Gomez, a young man from the washer’s caste community. Anthony wanted to become a lecturer in the Dutch church, read what happened here:

Hunupitaya (near Watalla)

adminLH — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:43:13 +0000

Hunupitaya (near watalla)

This area is located north of Colombo, in Wattala, across the Kelani river towards Negombo. It is near the current Hunupitiya railway station. In the 18^th century this is where predominantly the Hunu caste, lime burners, lived.

This was the home village of Francina Farnando, where she was born in 1738 along with her siblings. Read more about Francina here: