Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle
Mudaliyar Don Charles Gemoris Attygalle (8 September 1836 - 12 December 1901) was a
Early life
Born in the Salpita Korale, Attygalle went to work in the
Business ventures
Six years later he left to start his own plantation to supply plants to European planters and businessmen. He then went into a partnership to plant coffee in Kadugananwa. With profits from these enterprises, he invested in a graphite vein he found, and started graphite mines in the North Western province, the largest of which was in Kahatagaha. The Kahatagaha Graphite Mine became the first large-scale graphite mine in Ceylon, and remains one of the few operational mines in Sri Lanka to this day managed by the company Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Limited. Prospering from the revenue from graphite mining, Attygalle expanded his business into agriculture by acquiring over 10,000 acres of coconut and rubber plantations.[1][2]
Philanthropy and honors
Attygalle contributed to many philanthropic endeavors including the construction of schools and temples in the North Western province and in the Salpita Korale. For his philanthropic services, he was appointed a
Family
D.C.G. Attygalle married in 1872 Petronella Abeykoon, daughter of Fonseka Abeykoon. They had three daughters and one son. All his daughters married men of established repute, his grandchildren played a major part in the post-independence politics of Ceylon. His eldest daughter
The Attygalle murder
D.C.G. Attygalle took ill and died on 12 December 1901, his son-in-law John Kotelawala Sr left the police and took over managing the Attygalle family business, until he fell out with family and was removed following legal proceedings undertaken by Attygalle's widow and son Francis Dixon Attygalle, who took over the business from Kotelawala. The young Francis Dixon Attygalle was murdered when he was shot by a gunman at his home, Collamune Walauwa and succumbed to his wounds at the hospital. Kotelawala was implicated and arrested on his return from Japan and was later convicted by the Colombo Assizes court. He committed suicide while awaiting execution.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "ATTYGALLE FAMILY #3119". Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9788120613355. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Perera, K. K. S. "Birth of Uncle-Nephew Politics". Daily News. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ "The Attygalle murder case". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 October 2019.