Adeline Molamure

{{Short description|Sri Lankan legislator}}

Image:Meedeniya 899.JPG

Adeline, Lady Molamure, CBE ({{nee}} Meedeniya; 1890 – 1977) was the first female member of State Council of Ceylon, and therefore, the first elected female legislator in Sri Lanka. She was the Deputy President of the Senate of Ceylon.

Educated at Bishop's College, Colombo, she was the daughter of J.H. Meedeniya Adigar, member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.[http://www.parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/lady_members.jsp Lady Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126205955/http://parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/lady_members.jsp |date=26 November 2010 }}

She was elected to the State Council by election in 1931 from her father's electoral seat after his death. She was later elected to the Senate in 1947 and was appointed as a Deputy President of the Senate in 1955. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1955 Birthday Honours.

She was the daughter of J.H. Meedeniya Adigar, grandson of Humbadee Dissawa, who served under the last king of Kandy {{cite book|title=Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources|editor=Wright, Arnold|publisher=Asian Educational Services|date=1907|page=898|isbn=9788120613355}} and Cornelia Magdeline Senanayake, the daughter of Rev. Cornelius Senanayake, an Anglican priest and Corneliya Regina Obeysekere of Kataluwa Walawwa who was the sister of Lambertus Obeyesekere, Maha Mudaliyar.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

Her sister was Alice Wijewardena who married D. R. Wijewardena (the founder of Lake House newspaper group) and her brother was Joseph Hercules Meedeniya who became the Rate Mahatmaya of Ratnapura, married Violet Ellawela. They had four children, which included Iranganie Serasinghe and Kamani Vitharana who married Professor Tissa Vitharana. Her sister's grandson Ranil Wickremasinghe would later become the President of Sri Lanka.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

She was married to Sir Francis Molamure, the first speaker of the State Council and Parliament.{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CI22Df02.html |title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story |last=Rajasingham |first=K. T. |work=Asia Times |date=22 September 2001|access-date=1 July 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090624090234/http://atimes.com/ind-pak/CI22Df02.html |archive-date=24 June 2009 |url-status=unfit }}{{cite web|url=http://sundaytimes.lk/071014/FunDay/heritage.html|title=Molamure is elected Speaker of First Parliament|date=14 October 2007|work=Sunday Times|access-date=1 July 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/speakers.jsp |title=Speakers |access-date=1 July 2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725063635/http://www.parliament.lk/handbook_of_parliament/speakers.jsp |archive-date=25 July 2009 }} Their only daughter Seetha Molamure was appointed a member of the Senate of Ceylon. She married L. J. Seneviratne a civil servant who became the Secretary of the Treasury.[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/gen3117.html RAMBUKPOTHA SENEVIRAJA - Family #3117]. Accessed 17 December 2022.