Henry De Mel
{{Short description|Ceylonese industrialist, lawyer, philanthropist and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sir Henry de Mel
| honorific-suffix = CBE
| image =
| caption =
| order = Former member of the Legislative Council
| constituency_MP =
| parliament =
| majority =
| term_start = 1921
| term_end = 1936
| predecessor =
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth-date|21 January 1877}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death-date and age|8 May 1936|21 January 1877}}
| death_place =
| nationality = Ceylonese (Sri Lankan)
| party =
| spouse = Lady Elsie Jayawickrema
| partner =
| relations = Jacob De Mel (father)
Dona Helena Ferdinando
| children = Lakdasa De Mel, R. S. F. de Mel, Irene, Helena
| residence =
| alma_mater = S. Thomas' College
Royal College, Colombo
| occupation = Industrialist
| profession = Proctor
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
| serviceyears =
| awards = Knight Bachelor,
Knight of the Order of the Crown,
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
}}
Sir Henry Lawson De Mel, {{post-nominals|post-noms=CBE}} (21 January 1877 – 8 May 1936) was a Ceylonese industrialist, lawyer, philanthropist and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council and founder of the H.L. De Mel & Co.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ba0ZAAAAYAAJ&q=Simona+Soysa|title=Journey of a family (The Mahavidanelagē De Mels)|author=Edith M. G. Fernando|page=16|date=1989|publisher=Colombo: R.F.S. De Mel}}[http://www.dioceseofcolombo.lk/churches/97-galle-archdeconry/205-christ-church-baddegama Christ Church, Baddegama] Diocese of Colombo. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
Early life and education
Henry De Mel was born 21 January 1877, the son of Jacob De Mel (1839-1919) and Dona Helena née Ferdinando (1850-1906), a cousin of Sir Charles Henry de Soysa.[http://www.island.lk/2001/11/17/satmag02.html Twin Happiness — resounding slap on all chauvinists], Dr. P. R. Anthonis (The Island) Retrieved 17 November 2015 He was one of fourteen children and was educated at S. Thomas' College and Royal College, Colombo.
Legal and business career
In 1898, he started his legal career with the law firm Peiris & De Mel and was appointed a Proctor of the Supreme Court of Ceylon in 1904. He married Elsie Jayawickrame, the daughter of Mudaliyar S. H. Jayawickrame of Kurunegala. He later gave up his legal career to concentrate on his plantation and mining interests and was also an avid motorist.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&q=Jacob+de+Mel|title=Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon|author=Wright, Arnold|year=1999|pages=570, 578, 596, 598–600, 664–5|publisher=Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company|isbn=978-8120613355}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSNFbEPXoZQC&dq=De+Mel&pg=PA440|title=Seaports of India and Ceylon|editor=Allister MacMillan |pages=439–40|date=1928|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-8120619951}} De Mel was the producer and exporter of the world's highest quality graphite and supplied Dixon Ticonderoga Company.[http://www.mineralszone.com/minerals/graphite.html Graphite: Ceylon], mineralszone.com Retrieved 22 December 2015[http://www.slembassyusa.org/srilanka_us_relations/historical_context.html HISTORICAL CONTEXT], slembassyusa.org Retrieved 22 December 2015[http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/elcora-resources-corp-executes-definitive-agreement-with-sakura-graphite-pvt-ltd-514209861.html Elcora Resources Corp. executes definitive agreement with Sakura Graphite (PVT) Ltd.], CNW Retrieved 22 December 2015[http://business.financialpost.com/news/mining/small-cap-news/elcora-producing-high-purity-graphite-right-now Elcora: Producing High Purity Graphite Right Now], Jay Currie (Financial Post) Retrieved 22 December 2015 In 1921, he built the De Mel Building on Chatham Street, Colombo Fort.{{cite web |title=H L DE MEL & COMPANY 150 YEARS OF INTEGRITY |url=http://www.businesstoday.lk/article.php?article=12942 |website=businesstoday.lk |access-date=1 July 2021}}
Political career
In 1921 he was elected unopposed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon on behalf of the Low Country Products Association and at the same election his brother-in-law, Sir James Peiris, was also elected.{{cite news|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2005/12/25/fea104.html |title=People and State Power |last=Wijesinghe |first=Sam |date=25 December 2005 |publisher=Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka |access-date=7 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605111144/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/12/25/fea104.html |archive-date=5 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2004/09/19/fea02.html|title=Remembering Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam|newspaper=Sunday Observer|date=19 September 2004|last=Wijesinha|first=Sam|access-date=3 February 2015}} In 1931 he was knighted for his services to the government of Ceylon.{{cite news|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19360511-1.2.16.aspx|title=Sir H. De Mel Shot Dead|newspaper=The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser|date=11 May 1936|page=2|accessdate=3 February 2015}}
Family
His sons were the Right Reverend Lakdasa De Mel (1902-1976), the first Bishop of Kurunegala and R. S. F. de Mel, a former Mayor of Colombo. One daughter, Irene, married Dr. Percival Cholmondeley Chalmers de Silva (1904-1987), a renowned pediatrician.{{cite web|url=http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/1222|title=Percival Cholmondeley Chalmers de Silva|publisher=Royal College of Physicians of London|accessdate=3 February 2015}} Another daughter, Helena, was married to Watson Pieris, son of Hannadige Joseph Pieris of Oliver Castle, Gregory's Road who was a cousin of Jeronis Pieris.
Death
On 8 May 1936 Sir Henry De Mel died of injuries sustained after being shot while trying to resolve a dispute between two workers on one of his vast coconut plantations.{{cite news|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19360523.2.145.aspx|title=Inquest Verdict on Sir H. de Mel|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=23 May 1936|page=19}}
Honors
He was the first Ceylonese to be appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1918 New Year Honours for services to the Government of Ceylon. He was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 1931 Birthday Honours for public and philanthropic services. He had been appointed a Chevalier in the Belgian Order of the Crown.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite book|title=Journey of a family (The Mahavidanelagē De Mels)|author=Edith M. G. Fernando|date=1989|publisher=R.F.S. De Mel|place=Colombo}}
{{Members of the 1921 Legislative Council of Ceylon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Mel, Henry Lawson}}
Category:Members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
Category:Sri Lankan Christians
Category:Sri Lankan philanthropists
Category:Alumni of Royal College, Colombo
Category:Sri Lankan businesspeople
Category:People from British Ceylon
Category:Ceylonese Knights Bachelor
Category:Knights of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Category:Ceylonese Commanders of the Order of the British Empire