MOUNT LAVINIA : IS
IT FROM GOVERNOR MAITLAND’S SOULMATE
“ LAVENIA “? By
Hemantha Situge
Arnold Wright in his renowned work titled : The Twentieth
Century Impressions 1907 London ( at page 67 ) has stated that the house “ Mount Lavinia “was built by Sir Edward
Barnes and was” called after his wife”. J P Lewis in his ‘ Ceylon in Early
British Times ‘ (at page 66) has stated that Barnes married Maria daughter of Walter Fawkes of
Farnley Hall , Yorks.
Simon Casiechitty stated in his “ Ceylon Gazetteer “1834 (
at page 91 ) that it originated from Sir
Thomas Maitland who derived it ( i.e.
Galkisse ) a place of importance , by
making it his country residence and erecting a bunglow called Mount Lavinia”. He also has stated that this
house was razed by Barnes and erected a magnificent site on the site.
R J Perera writing to
the ‘ Ceylon Antiquary’ in 1918 endeavored to state that it derived from a
juggery/ vahumpura caste man’s daughter Aponsuwa’s daughter named Liviniya
which was named as a compliment to her love.He sought to substantiate his
position maintained by a regulation enacted by
the Governor Maitland on the dress subject of restriction dated 19th
August 1809 . T Petch in reply has
queried whether this regulation is enacted
for the women of the juggery /
Vahumpura caste ? He also cites the first printed record as the Government
Gazette for May 7 ,1805 in which are published Military Orders , headed “ Head
Quarters Mount Lavinia “ and dated May 4th 1805.Sir Thomas Maitland was appointed
Governor of Ceylon on July 19 th,1805 .Sir Maitland arrived ( Colombo
) Ceylon only on July 17 th , 1805 see:
at page 19, H.A.J.Hulugalla ,’ British Governors of Ceylon’ ANCL 1963 The
house of Mount Lavinia existed prior to his appointment / arrival to
Ceylon which renders the saga of Lovinia
a fiction.
Another possible derivation of the word Mount Lavinia is
from the Sinhalese word “ Lihiniyagala” Muhudu Lihiniya in
Sinhala Sterna bergii velox (see: at page 41, W.W.A Phillips, Birds of Ceylon,
checklist 1975) anglicized Mount Lavinia
the same Sinhalese rock name
which is found in Galle harbour
,as suggested by Sir Paul E . Pieris in his ‘ Portuguese Era’ volume 1
page 490 .
Another far fetched
lore is that the Lavina is
derived from the Sinhalese plant name Lavinia. Lavenia was recorded by Paul
Hermann in 1672- 1679 Linnaeus in 1789 named it as Verbesina Lavenia, in 1882
J. Hoaton used Lavenia mul Lavenia root he supplied the scientific name
as Lavinia erecta as Alexander Moon found in his Catalogue in 1824. Though the
plant is quite a common one as Thwaites records as ‘very abundant through out the island’ as it has preferred
shady localities no records of growth is found hitherto from the Mount Lavinia.
A careful study of the place name the Mount Lavinia has unraveled the hidden tangled knot which was
in a abyss of despair.
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