MOUNT LAVINIA : IS IT FROM GOVERNOR MAITLAND’S SOULMATE “ LAVENIA “? By Hemantha Situge

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 19^th 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 4^th  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.