Ceylon

Ceylon, to the South East of Madras Presidency

Ceylon, a large island and British colony in the Indian Ocean, separated on the N.W. from India by the Gulf of Manaar and Palk Strait. It lies between 5° 55' and 9° 51' N. and between 79° 41' and 81° 54' E. Its extreme length from north to south is 2 712 m.; its greatest width is 1371 m.; and its area amounts to 25,481 sq. m., or about five-sixths of that of Ireland. In its general outline the island resembles a pear, the apex of which points towards the north." The island is now called Sri Lanka.

History

The Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century, followed by the Dutch in the 17th Century with the British, as usual, arriving late - 1796 - when the British East India Company established control. In 1802 Ceylon became a British Crown Colony. The island was unified in 1815 (previously there had been three kingdoms) and the island finally gained its independence in 1948.

Military actions

• War against Dutch in Ceylon -1795-96
• 1st Kandyan War - 1803-05
• 2nd Kandyan War - 1815
• 3rd Kandyan War (Uva Rebellion) - 1817-18

Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps

The Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps was a Volunteer Corps established  in 1861. Initially the movement consisted of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers but by the 1900s also had Artillery, Medical, Engineers and Supply and Transport units. 

The CPRC sent a contingent to South Africa in 1902 along with a detachment of the Ceylon Mounted Infantry. In 1910 the force became known as the Ceylon Defence Force.

A Corps of 150 ‘fine young Englishmen’ left Ceylon in 1914, comprised not only of planters but also Government servants, Colombo businessmen and others. They served in Egypt and were then attached to the Wellington infantry Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the ANZAC division at Gallipoli. The high standard of the men led to virtually all of them receiving commissions and they went on to serve in other regiments  which meant this Corps then ceased to exist.

A number of men who were members of the Ceylon Volunteer Force, who were in Britain at the outbreak of WW1 were granted commissions by the War Office in the late-Summer/Autumn of 1914. Many went into the Rifle Brigade. These men, almost all of whom were involved in the plantation section, were sometimes referred to as Ceylon's "Home Contingent", to distinguish them from the "Ceylon Contingent", those in the paragraph above.

Records

• Except for the few short years when the East India Company was in control (1796-1802) records for Ceylon will not be found in the India Office Records at the British Library, but at The National Archives at Kew. For example, the description and succession books of the Ceylon Rifles covering years 1809-1872 are held under reference W025/638-641 (these include officers services) and reference WO23/158 includes the admission books for the Ceylon Rifles and Gun Lascars for the period May 1868-Sept 1876. Personal data may also be held amongst the National Archive's Administrative Records of Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
• The Ceylon Civil List. The title of some editions includes the wording showing the names and designations of the civil, military and other servants of government .... Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01000649015 where the catalogue record states "... 1863 (1870-1876, 1878, 1879, 1881 [etc.]). Prepared in the Colonial Secretary's Office. Imperfect; wanting the issues for 1864-1869, 1877, 1880. Not published in 1938, when its place was taken by “Civil Establishments,” pt. 1." Also available at the Library of Oxford University, where the holding, over 2 catalogue entries, is 1899-1948, but missing 1901; 1952-1962. (Examples of information available.)
• Ceylon Government Gazettes may be a source of information and are available at the National Archives in the series CO 58 1813-1946. Some editions are available online, refer below.
• Ceylon Blue Book. Available at the National Archives, Kew in the series CO 59/30 to CO 59/159, 1821-1945 in the series Blue Books of Statistics. The Blue Books for some countries contain information about Civil Service staff and this information may possibly be available in the earlier editions of the Ceylon Blue Book, prior to the separate publication The Ceylon Civil List from 1863. Limited online availability, refer below.
• Some birth marriage and death information in respect of civil registration from 1867 may be obtained by writing to Registrar General's Office, New Secretariat, Maligawatta, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka.

FamilySearch Catalogue Search, using keyword Sri Lanka contains multiple records from digitised microfilms from the Registrar General's Office, arranged according to Registration Division, then District. The language for most of these is categorised as Sinhalese and Tamil, although the Notes indicate some records may be in English. However, of the sample records viewed, no English records were seen, although the complete files may be very large, so there could be records in English included.

• In Holland, located in the same building as the National Archives at The Hague but a separate organization, is the 'Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie' (Central Bureau for Genealogy - CBG) , the Dutch information and documentation centre for genealogy, family history and related sciences. Researchers visiting this centre found some copies of records relating to British era Ceylon christenings, 1804 to 1840.

• See General Register Office, UK. Also includes information about records such as British Consular Returns, including online sources.
• See Chaplains Returns for British Army and (some) RAF personnel and their families.
• See The Kabristan Archives, External links, below. Search for free, baptismal, marriage and burial records, and pay to obtain full details.

FamilySearch (LDS) Records

For general details about FamilySearch (LDS) records, including microfilms, see FamilySearch.

FamilySearch database Sri Lanka, Colombo District, Dutch Reformed church records, 1677-1990 catalogue entry. Click though to indexes and film images. Note, it appears not all images have been indexed. For hints searching these images see FamilySearch - India records.

The North Parramatta Family History Centre in Sydney, Australia previously had the detailed indexes to the Baptisms and Marriages at the Dutch Reformed Church at Wolfendaal, Colombo, up to 1897. These were not FamilySearch microfilms but were spiral bound photocopies made from the journals and indexes at Victor Melder's Sri Lankan Library in Melbourne. Update October 2019. Parramatta FHC appears to have closed, see FamilySearch Centres for possible current location of this material.

FamilySearch digitized item "Tombstone information from Sri Lanka cemeteries" catalogue entry. Contains inscriptions from the following cemeteries in Sri Lanka: St. Mark's Church in Badulla, St. Andrews Church in Haputale, Christ Church in Bandarawela, Ragalla Church in Halgranoya, Holy Trinity Church in Pussellawa, Christ Church in Matale and St. James Church in Nallur, Jaffna.

FamilySearch catalogue entry for Lapidarium-Zeylanicum : being a collection of monumental inscriptions of the Dutch-Churches and churchyards of Ceylon by Leopold Ludovici, published 1877. Available as two digitised microfilms, one of which 1496387 is available to view on your home computer. Click on the camera icon and navigate to item 2, images 126-228.

Search the FamilySearch catalogue, using Keywords such as Ceylon, Sri Lanka, and filtering by Availability online, and language. There are many databases available classified as English language, of records from the Registrar-General's Department where the notes indicate the language to be “Sinhalese, English, Tamil”. Of a sample of records viewed, no records in English were sighted.

Online newspapers

• See Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories - South Asian Newspapers, 1864-1922 for details of a Readex subscription website which includes Ceylon Observer Colombo 1864-1922. This database is available at the British Library and is available on their home computers for individuals who are holders of a British Library Reader's pass.

Churches and cemeteries

A researcher advised a trip to Sri Lanka in 2010 "uncovered masses of records in churches in Kandy, Colombo, Galle and Matara that need to be photographed ASAP... The Methodist Church seems to have centralised all records prior to 1982 in Colombo". "The Anglican church records are at the Diocesan library in Colombo. The records are from churches all over the Island."

Several kinds of registers of the Dutch Reformed Church at Galle and Matara are to be found in the main office of the Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka, in Colombo. The volumes include baptismal (1677-1807), marriage (1744-1847) and burial registers (1770-1840s), all for Galle, and a baptismal register for Matara 1776-1800. No inventory is available and some of the material is heavily damaged. In the future, the collection may be transferred to the Wolvendaal Church

The Galle Face Burial Ground was opened in 1803 and located on the south side of the Fort. Trying to locate this cemetery which appears to have also been the Garrison cemetery, a researcher was told that a Roman Catholic church had been built on the site and all the tombstones moved to the Kanatte cemetery. She also visited the Garrison cemetery in Kandy which has been restored

FIBIS Resources

• Monumental Inscriptions from Columbo Cemetery, Ceylon FIBIS Database
• List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest, with an obituary of persons uncommemorated by J Penry Lewis in FIBIS database
• Images of Ceylon

Also see

• Dutch
• The Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon

External links

Maps

• 1850 Map of the Diocese of Colombo, with Plantations marked. The Colonial Church Atlas 3rd Edition 1850 National Library of Australia Digital Collections-Maps. Catalogue entry
• From University of Minnesota Libraries, Ames Library of South Asia
  • c 1865 Map of the hill country of Ceylon showing the positions of the principal coffee estates, &c
  • Map of the Island of Ceylon : (corrected to the beginning of 1868), exhibiting the principal roads, rivers & mountains with the Colombo and Kandy Railway and the proposed extensions.
  • 1873 Map of the central province of Ceylon : exhibiting the situation of coffee estates
  • 1909 Map of Ceylon in 4 sections N-W, N-E, S-W, S-E.
• 1956 Diagram of the planting districts of Ceylon showing the principal estates: tea, rubber, coconut, cacao, cinnamon, cardamom and citronella plantations, roads, railways, hospitals, rest houses, post offices and police stations. National Library of Australia Digital Collections-Maps Catalogue entry

Other

• Ceylon Wikipedia
• The Virtual Library of Sri Lanka lankalibrary.com, has a section "History", which in turn has a section "Colonial History, The British in Lanka (1796-1948)"
• Administrative Records of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - movinghere.org
• Registrar General’s Department, Colombo. Registration of births, marriages and deaths from 1867. Retrieved 15 September 2014
• Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie (Central Bureau for Genealogy - CBG) The Hague, The Netherlands. Retrieved 15 September 2014
• Sri Lanka Genealogy Website, rootsweb, archived version at 28 May 2016. To navigate the internal links in the Menu, depending on your browser, you may need to click on "Open Link in New Window". Possibly there may be a current rootsweb website with a different URL.
• Kabristan Archives-Ireland- Ceylon- India Genealogy Includes a Search, with a partial transcription of records. In addition to baptismal, marriage and burial records, there is a database Ceylon Roll Of Honour World War 1 1914-18 (in two parts), sourced from The Ceylon roll of honour and record of service in the Great War 1914-1918, published c 1919.
• Genealogy Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• Kyle Joustra’s International Ceylon Database, includes Military, with regiments and names
• Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon - Website contains much information including journals containing various family history. Example: Genealogy of the Family of Andree of Ceylon Volume 40, No 2 April 1950.
• History of Ceylon Tea Includes information about tea plantations. Also includes the category Publications & Articles which consists of many online publications, refer below, including Ferguson’s Ceylon Directories from 1871 to 1999 (broken range).
• Early tea cultivation in India and Sri Lanka Cambridge University Library’s Special Collections. Includes images.
• Select page 4, Column 4 for the article "On a Rubber Estate" The Glasgow Herald Nov 29, 1913. Google Newspapers.
• "Rubber, rain and rat snakes" by Michael Speer c 2003 sundaytimes.lk The author was born in Ceylon in 1938 and after the war, from 1946, his father managed rubber plantations, as a PD (periadurai or "big master") until the family left in 1959.
• Photographs: Images of Ceylon
• Collection of photographs: Colonial Buildings, Colombo by DBHKer flick.com. Includes some churches. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• Church of Ceylon - Diocese of Colombo. Anglican. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• Archdiocese of Colombo [Roman Catholic]. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• Colombo Fort February 19, 2006 ”F's Place” Retrieved 16 September 2014
• St Peters Church – [now] Mission To Seafarers. Retrieved 16 September 2014. Previously known as St Peter’s, Fort, or the Garrison Church
  • Photographs: St Peter’s Church, Colombo. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• The Wolvendaal Church, Colombo. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• "The country’s oldest Christian church" [and other churches in Ceylon] by Gaveshaka. The Sunday Times Newspaper in Sri Lanka. Sunday 28 November 2004. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• British Garrison Cemetery of Kandy October 18, 2013 amazinglanka.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014
• Under a Tropical Sun (Macquarie University) covers 1796-1821. Includes the historical background and contemporary accounts of the Officers of the 73rd Regiment of Foot (and their families) in Ceylon 1814-21.
• The 95th Regiment In Ceylon 1838-1847 “Moss Valley”. Retrieved 28 August 2014
• Volunteer Corps
  • Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
    • Short History of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps Compiled by Major Anton Edema, 2(V)SLLI scribd.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014
    • The Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps – Roll of Commanding Officers and Adjutants. Compiled by Major Anton Edema, SLLI scribd.com
    • "Tea Leaves." Ceylon Planters Corps. The Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1916 trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 16 September 2014
    • Ceylon Planter's Rifle Corps Correspondence on OHMS Postcards by Kathryn Johnson html version, pdf .collectorsclubchicago.org. Retrieved 16 September 2014
  • Brief History of the Ceylon Mounted Rifles Compiled by Major Anton Edema, SLLI scribd.com
    • Ceylon Mounted Infantry -Ceylon Mounted Rifles Xmas Number of the Times Of Ceylon, 1906. "C.M.I. - C.M.R. 1892. 1906" (by the officer Commanding Ceylon Mounted Rifles) scribd.com
    • The Ceylon Mounted Rifles - Regimental Roll. Compiled by Major Anton Edema SLLI. scribd.com
  • Ceylon Light Infantry Officers Since 1881 by Anton Edema scribd.com
  • Ceylon Light Infantry Bibiliography1 Compiled by Brigadier AER Abeyesinghe and Major Anton Edema scribd.com
  • Ceylon World War 1 Dead Compiled by Major Anton Edema, SLLI. scribd.com
  • Ceylon Roll of Honour World War 1 Compiled by Major Anton Edema, SLLI. scribd.com
  • Ceylon Defence Force Commandants Compiled by Major Anton Edema, SLLI. scribd.com
  • The Ceylon Volunteer Force The Ceylon Army Journal Volume 1- 1952 -Number 11 "The Volunteer Force" by Cyril van Langenberg scribd.com
  • Ceylon Defence Force Urugasmanhandiya Annual Camp compiled by Brigadier AER Abeyesinghe. A Description of the Annual Camp Venue at Urugasmanhandiya [better known as 'Urugas'] and the Governor’s address at the first camp 1890 – 1902 (From the History of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery formerly Ceylon Artillery Volunteers: Authors not credited), published 1927 with a List of Members, and available at the British Library. The Annual Camp site was subsequently moved to Diyatalawa, see below.
  • Further documents by Anton Edema on scribd.com.
  • Ceylon Mounted Infantry in the Boer War AngloBoerWar.com
• Boer Prisoners of War. Also see POW Camps in India-Boer War.
  • Anglo Boere Oorlog/Boer War (1899-1902) POW Ceylon geni.com
  • Sri Lanka, Diyathalawa, Boer War Memorial eggsa.org Click on images for larger version and list of names, if available
  • Diyatalawa by Major Anton Edema. POW Camp for Boers in Ceylon, which subsequently became the site of the Volunteers Annual Camp. scribd.com
  • Transcriptions by Pieter van der Merwe relating to Boer Prisoners boekmakierie.co.za, now an archived webpage. Contains
    • Articles from the Journal of the Dutch Burger Union of Ceylon: "The Boers At Diyatalawa" by E. H. Van Der Wall Volume XVIII January 1929 No 3. "The Boer Prisoner-Of-War In Ceylon (1900 – 1902)" by R. L. Brohier in Five Parts. Volume XXXVI July 1946 No 1 to Volume XXXVIII July 1947 No 1. The last Part includes a list of deaths. "Addendum.The Boer Prisoners Of War In Ceylon" by L.G. Poulier. List of Boer War Prisoners who died in Ceylon received from the Anglo Boer War Museum
• HMS Highflyer [Royal Air Force and Royal Navy In Ceylon c 1943] lankalibrary.com.
• 1941-1945 Eastern Travels, Parts 1-9 by Cecil John Callis, Royal Corps of Signals. in India and Ceylon. WW2People’s War. The author's posting to Ceylon is covered in Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
• A tale of two Mutinies: The Indian Ocean 1942 by Harry Fecitt from Harry’s Sideshows. Includes the mutiny by a detachment of No 1 Coast Regiment of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island, one of the Cocos-Keeling Islands.
• Bibliography of Ceylon Hunting Books shakariconnection.com
• "A Guide to Locating Photographs of Colonial Ceylon" Compiled by Benita Stambler, American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, November 2014. aisls.org
• "Trinity Kandy has been ‘Looking to the End’ since its beginning" by Sujitha Miranda August 18, 2013 sundaytimes.lk. Includes history of the school. "The Trinity College Kandy Archives" by Nanda P Wanasundera April 19, 2014. island.lk
• A review of the National Archives of Sri Lanka by Nadeera Rupesinghe, PhD Candidate, Institute of History, Leiden University, posted January 4, 2016. dissertationreviews.org
• The Furniture and Decorative Arts of Sri Lanka from Digital Library for International Research. These collections primarily consist of furniture from the Portuguese, Dutch and British Periods (17th to 19th centuries). Images and essays, including "Woods Used in Sri Lanka Furniture".

Historical photographs and images online

• A series of fifteen Views of Ceylon illustrative of Sir J.E. Tennent's work, from sketches made on the spot by Capt C. O'Brien, late Assistant Surveyor General, Ceylon, London 1864. Lithographs by Jonathan Needham . Available online from the British Library, but separately, not as collection. Examples are Town and lake of Kandy plate 1; Peacock Hill, Coffee Estate - Gampola in the distance plate 10; Nuera Ellia plate 12. Use Jonathan Needham as the search term in the Search at the top of the web pages for these images to locate the remaining images.
• University of Cambridge Digital Library contains the Royal Commonwealth Society Collection which contains many images/collections of Ceylon including
  • Faviell Collection of Ceylon Railway views, 1867 relating to the construction and opening of the Colombo-Kandy line.
  • Views of Ceylon circa 1860-circa 1899. Classmark: Y303B “This is an important collection whose subjects include the Colombo-Kandy railway construction; the tea industry; views of Colombo;” etc. See Contents for details
  • Ceylon 1886 Classmark: Y303P
  • Plumbago in Ceylon c 1886. Plumbago or graphite was an important mineral export from Ceylon.
  • The Royal visit to Ceylon, April 1901 Classmark: QM 2
  • Fisher Volume I : Outward journey and Ceylon October-December 1907 Classmark: Fisher 1

Historical books online

• National Digital Library Sri Lanka including Ceylon Government Gazettes 1889 to 1912 (as at 2019/06), but only some publication may be available for any given year. The website contains a Search, then relevant editions may be downloaded as a pdf. Some other publications require prior registration, and then a pdf must be requested, but the Gazettes appear to be available without prior registration.
• Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658 by P E Pieris, Ceylon Civil Service 1920 Archive.org

Ceylon and the Hollanders, 1658-1796 by P E Peiris, Ceylon Civil Service 1918 Archive.org. Reprint, of 3rd edition [1930] Archive.org

• The Fatal History of Portuguese Ceylon; transition to Dutch Rule by George Davison Winius 1971 Archive.org Lending Library.
• The Dutch in Ceylon: An Account of Their Early Visits to the Island, Their Conquests, and Their Rule Over the Maritime Regions During a Century and a Half, Volume 1 by R G Anthonisz, Formerly Government Archivist, Ceylon. Reprint edition, first published 1929. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• Instructions from the Governor-General and Council of India to the Governor of Ceylon, 1656-1665 Translated by Sophia Pieters. [The Government of Netherlands India]. 1908 Archive.org
• An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East-Indies: together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and… by Robert Knox , a Captive there near Twenty Years. 1681 Google Books
  • Article about the book and its author: "Knox-Knox: Robert Was Here!" by Rukshani Weerasooriya 3 May 2016 roar.lk
• A true and exact description of the most celebrated East-India coasts of Malabar and Coromandel; as also of the Isle of Ceylon…. by Philip [or Philippus] Baldaeus, Minister of the Word of God in Ceylon. 1703. Archive.org Translated from the High Dutch printed at Amsterdam 1672.
• "Ceylon" page 54 The New Universal Traveller: Containing a Full and Distinct Account of All the Empires, Kingdoms, and States, in the Known World by J Carver 1779 Google Books
• "Ceylon" page 183 The View of Hindoostan. Volume I Western Hindoostan by Thomas Pennant 1798 Archive.org.
• A description of Ceylon, containing an account of the country, inhabitants, and natural productions‬: ‪with narratives of a tour round the island in 1800, the campaign in Candy in 1803, and a journey to Ramisseram in 1804. Illustrated by twenty-five engravings from original drawings‬ by Rev James Cordiner, late Chaplain to the Garrison of Columbo. 1807 Google Books. Volume 1, Volume II The author was in Ceylon 1799-1804

There are chapters on Ceylon from page 139 A Voyage To India by Rev James Cordiner 1820 Google Books The author was in Ceylon 1799-1804.

• Narrative of the operations of a detachment in an expedition to Candy in the island of Ceylon in the year 1804 by Major Johnston, of the Third Ceylon Regiment 1810 Google Books. New edition 1854, with a biographical "Memoir" of the author. Google Books
• ‪The History of Ceylon: From the Earliest Period to the Year MDCCCXV; with Characteristic Details of the Religion, Laws, & Manners of the People and a Collection of Their Moral Maxims & Ancient Proverbs‬ by Philalethes (pseud) Google Books 1817. The author is generally identified as Rev Robert Fellowes.
• A Vocabulary, with Useful Phrases and Familiar Dialogues, in the English, Portuguese and Cingalese Languages by John Callaway, Wesleyan Missionary 1818. Google Books
• "Observations on the Campaign in Ceylon" The Naval and Military Magazine "Part 1: the Dutch War ending 1764" Volume 2, page 564 1827 Archive.org; Part 2: The British Campaign from 1803, involving the 19th and 65th Regiments of Foot, together with Royal Artillery and troops from Bengal. Volume 3, page 204 1828 Google Books
• The Golden Age Of Military Adventure In Ceylon 1817-1818 1933. Archive.org mirror version, originally from Digital Library of India. Full title: The Golden Age of Military Adventure in Ceylon. An account of the Uva Rebellion, 1817-1818, etc. by Richard Leslie Brohier.
• The Ceylon Gazetteer; containing an accurate account of the districts, provinces, cities, towns, principal villages, harbours, rivers, lakes &c. of the Island of Ceylon, together with sketches of the manners, customs, institutions, agriculture, commerce, manufactures, revenues, population, castes, religion, history of its various inhabitants 1834 Google Books
• An Appeal to the British Government in behalf the British Colony and Province of Ceylon: with an appendix containing various notices of the island by authors and travellers of the early and middle ages by William Peter 2nd Edition with Additions 1836. 1st Edition 1835 Google Books.
• Slave Trade (East India). [Also] Slavery in Ceylon. Correspondence between the Directors of the East India Company and the Company's Government in India, on the subject of Slavery. Communications relating to Slavery in the Island of Ceylon. House of Commons Parliamentary Papers 31 July 1838. Google Books

Slavery and the slave trade in British India: with notices of the existence of these evils in the islands of Ceylon, Malacca, and Penang, drawn from official documents Published 1841 Google Books

• Statistics of the Colonies of the British Empire from the Official Records of the Colonial Office by Robert Montgomery Martin 1839 Google Books. Book IV- Possessions in Asia "Chapter II Ceylon" pages 369-402
• Old Ceylon, Sketches of Ceylon Life in the Olden Time. With Illustrations by John Capper 1877 Archive.org. British Library Digital Collection where images may be better. Generally refers to a period 30 to 40 years prior ie c 1840s.
• Excursions, Adventures, and Field-sports in Ceylon: Its Commercial and Military Importance, and Numerous Advantages to the British Emigrant by Lieut,-Colonel James Campbell 1843 Volume I, Volume II Google Books. Volume I, Volume II British Library Digital Collections.
• The History of Ceylon from the Earliest Period to the Present Time: With an Appendix, Containing an Account of Its Present Condition‬ by William Knighton 1845 Google Books. Archive.org version

Forest Life in Ceylon by W Knighton, formerly Secretary to the Ceylon Branch, Royal Asiatic Society 1854 Volume I, Volume II. This work has been described as a novel, (but somewhat against this view see further comments.) William Knighton, biographical details, djo.org.uk

• Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society: Archive.org Multiple volumes from Volume 1 1845. Hathi Trust multiple volumes including restricted access, some of which, to c 1923, are probably available to those in North America.
• An historical, political, and statistical account of Ceylon and its dependencies by Charles Pridham 1849 Google Books Volume I, Volume II
• 98° versus 130°, or, the Infantry Soldier in the Tropics by ‪Jones Lamprey Assistant Surgeon, H M’s 15th Regiment. 1852 Google Books. [Remarks on the dress worn by the army in Ceylon].
• Ceylon, Past and Present by Sir George Barrow 1857 Google Books.
• Ceylon: An Account of the Island, Physical, Historical, and Topographical, with Notices of Its Natural History, Antiquities and Productions‬ by Sir James Emerson Tennent 4th edition, thoroughly revised 1860 Volume I, Volume II Volume II includes "Gampola and the Coffee Regions" page 222 and Map of Coffee Estates which requires strong magnification. Additional versions of the same map Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
• A Brief Account of Ceylon by L. F. Liesching [Louis], Ceylon Civil Service 1861 Google Books
• ‪The Wild Elephant and the Method of Capturing and Taming it in Ceylon‬ by Sir J Emerson Tennent 1867 Google Books
• Ferguson’s Ceylon Directories from 1871 to 1999 (broken range) and other online publications are available on History of Ceylon Tea, accessible from the Home Page, category Publications & Articles.
• The Duke of Edinburgh in Ceylon. A book of elephant and elk sport ... Illustrated with chromo-lithographs, etc. by John Capper 1871. British Library Digital Collection, British Library’s pdf version.
• A Handbook of Directions to the Ports in the Presidency of Madras and Ceylon by T. E. Marshall, First Assistant Master Attendant, Madras. 1874. British Library Digital Collection.

A Handbook to the Ports on the Coast of India between Calcutta and Bombay, including the Island of Ceylon by Herbert Samuel Brown, Lieutenant, R.N.R. Port and Customs Officer, Mangalore. 1897. British Library Digital Collection.

• Ceylon. A general description of the island, historical, physical, statistical. ... by an Officer, late of the Ceylon Rifles. [The preface is signed H. S. (i.e. Horatio John Suckling)] 1876. Volume I, Volume II Archive.org
• "The Eurasians of Ceylon" Calcutta Review Volume 63, 1876, page 173 Archive.org
• The Game Birds of India, Burmah, and Ceylon by Hume and Marshall 1879. With coloured plates. Archive.org. Volume I, Volume II. Volume III.
• A History of the Birds of Ceylon by Captain W Vincent Legge, R. A. 1880. With coloured plates. Volume I, Volume II, Volume III Archive.org
• The “Grand Tour” of the British Princes: the visit of ... Prince Albert Victor and Prince George to Ceylon Reprinted from the Ceylon Observer 1882 Archive.org

The Cruise of Her Majesty's ship "Bacchante", 1879-1882, Volume II- The East Compiled from the Private Journals etc of Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales 1886 Archive.org. Includes China, Singapore, Ceylon.

• Ceylon in xxxx with a number of online editions from 1883 to 1903, the latter title is Ceylon in 1903 describing the progress of the island since 1803, its present agricultural and commercial enterprises, and its unequalled attractions to visitors, with upwards of one hundred illustrations, by John Ferguson.

1883 Archive.org, 1883 British Library Digital Collection. 1884 Archive.org,1884 British Library. Jubilee Year 1887 Archive.org, Jubilee Year 1887 British Library. 1893 Archive.org, 1893 British Library. 1903 Archive.org. British Library images may be better, and they can be rotated if required.

• Orient Line Guide by W J Loftie 3rd edition 1888 Archive.org 5th edition 1894 British Library Digital Collection. Covers the voyage to Ceylon, including Suez, (then on to Australia).
• "A brief sketch of the medical history of Ceylon" by J L Vanderstratten page 306 The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland 1886 Volume IX, no 32 Archive.org
• Palms and Pearls: or Scenes in Ceylon by Alan Walters 1892 Archive.org.
• Henry S. King & Co.'s Hand book for homeward-bound travellers from India, Australia and the East 1893 National Library of Australia. Includes the telegraph code to be used, as words or phrases more than ten letters are charged double.
• Manual of the Province of Uva by Herbert White, of the Ceylon Civil Service. 1893. With a Map of the Province of Uva page 169. British Library Digital Collections
• Manual of the Nuwara Eliya District of the Central Province, Ceylon by Cecil John Reginald Le Mesurier 1893. British Library Digital Collections
• Manual of the Vaṇṇi Districts, Vavun̤iya and Mullaittívu, of the Northern Province, Ceylon by J. Lewis, (John Penry) 1895. British Library Digital Collection.
• A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (excluding Walapane) by Archibald Campbell Lawrie Archive.org
  • Volume 1, A-K 1896, Volume 2, L-Z 1898
• The Visitor's Guide to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya by S. M Burrows, Ceylon Civil Service, Fourth edition, revised and enlarged. Colombo 1897. British Library Digital Collection.
• History Of Ceylon by L. E. Blaze. Reprint of 1933 9th edition, Revised and Enlarged, first published 1900. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• A Guide to Kandy, with maps. A handbook of information, useful alike to the visitor and the resident by George J.A Skeen 1903 Archive.org. Includes Map of the Town of Kandy
• Golden tips. A Description of Ceylon and its Great Tea Industry by Henry W Cave 3rd edition 1904, first published 1900. With illustrations. Archive.org

The Book of Ceylon; being a guide to its railway system and an account of its varied attractions for the visitor and tourist by Henry W Cave 1908 Archive.org

The Ceylon Government Railway : a descriptive and illustrated guide, mainly extracted from the author's larger work "The Book of Ceylon" By Henry W Cave 1910 Archive.org

• Around the world via India : a medical tour by Nicholas Senn 1905. Contains chapters on India and Ceylon, including hospitals. Archive.org
• Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources by Arnold Wright, reprint edition, first published 1907 Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India. Includes '"Military and Volunteers" page 857. Sample pages are also available on Google Books.
• A New Geography Of The Indian Empire And Ceylon by Cameron Morrison. 3rd edition, revised and enlarged 1915, (first published 1906). Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection. Additional digital files available Archive.org
• In Old Ceylon by Reginald Farrer 1908 Archive.org. The first chapter includes a description of Colombo.
• India, Burma, and Ceylon. Information for travellers and residents Published by Thos. Cook & Son 1912 Archive.org.
• List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest, with an obituary of persons uncommemorated by J Penry Lewis 1913 Archive.org
• Memorandum Upon Recent Disturbances in Ceylon by Edward Walter Perera 1915 Archive.org. The 1915 Ceylon Riots.
• Riots and Martial Law in Ceylon, 1915 by P. Ramanathan. Reprint edition, first published 1916. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• The Empire at War edited for the Royal Colonial Institute by Sir Charles Lucas, in five volumes, with a catalogue contents description. (Volume 1 British Library Digital file) Volume 5, 1926, covers WW1 The Mediterranean colonies ; Egypt and Palestine ; Aden ; India ; Ceylon ; Malaya ; China. Volume 5, British Library Digital file, Contents. Also available Vol-vth Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India.
• The Ceylon Roll of Honour and Record of Service in the Great War 1914-1918 by Thomas Southorn, Publisher: Colombo : Times of Ceylon Company, [1919?] is available in a reprint ebook edition to purchase under the title Ceylon Roll of Honour World War 1 1914-18.
• Ceylon Past and Present by Major C. M. Enriquez. c 1927 (not 1815, as catalogued) Archive.org.
• Romantic Ceylon: Its History, Legend And Story by R. H. Bassett. Reprint edition, first published 1929, 2nd edition 1934. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• The Real Ceylon by C. Brooke Elliott. Reprint edition, first published 1938. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• "Periodicals and Newspapers in Ceylon" Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon Volume XXXI No 4 April 1942, page 137-152. thedutchburgherunion.org.
• Ceylon: Island Of Gems by Elie L. Menasche. Reprint edition, catalogued 1954 original. Archive.org, Historical Resources of India Collection.
• Articles on Christianity and Christian Missions in Ceylon by C. N. V. Fernando from University of Ceylon Review 1948-1951. Pdf downloads, Digital Library of University of Peradeniya.
• Martial Law in India, Pakistan and Ceylon by Joseph Minattur 1962. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• The Colonial Office List for ... Includes a section on each country, and the Colonial Office List at the end of each volume. Google Books, HathiTrust Digital Library and Archive.org.

1862: First publication; 1867, 1877; 1878; 1879; 1881; 1889; 1901; 1902; 1903; 1904; HathiTrust Digital Library editions to 1922 viewable in restricted areas such as North America: A and B

In addition, Colonial Office List, 1863 and Colonial Office List, 1870 are available in the findmypast (pay website) dataset "Britain, Directories & Almanacs" located in Newspapers, Directories & Social History/Directories & Almanacs.

FamilySearch has a catalogue entry for a series of microfiches of the Colonial Office List, (produced by Chadwyck-Healey, 1987), currently (2019/06) available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, with however the potential to be digitised in the next few years, and perhaps be more widely available, or at least searchable. The same microfiche series may also be available at some other libraries, or to a very limited extent at some other FamilySearch Centres.

Colonial Office List (to 1925) and the later title The Dominions Office and Colonial Office List are available at the British Library UIN: BLL01002841625 and UIN: BLL01007173533

• Article: "The Ceylon Blue Books" by Dilini Liyanage 15 October 2017 sundayobserver.lk. Gives details of the contents which can be expected.

Ceylon Blue Book, 1916 Pdf download Digital Library Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka.

Ceylon Blue Book for the years 1892 (catalogued 1982), 1900-1901-1902, 1904, 1906, 1912 Supplementary, 1913-1914-1915-1916, 1919. There are also some Ceylon Administration Reports. Granth Sanjeevani, The Asiatic Society, Mumbai. Access to the digital collection requires a paid Membership Plan, unless your Library has a subscription.

Personal accounts

• Travels on Foot through the Island of Ceylon [in 1783] by J. Haafner (Jacob), 1821. Translated from the Dutch. Archive.org.

Article: "Jacob Haafner. Travels through the Island of Ceylon In 1783" by Paul Van Der Velde and Jaap De Moor.

• A voyage in the Indian Ocean and to Bengal, undertaken in the years 1789 and 1790. Containing an account of the Sechelles Islands and Trincomale ... To which is added, a voyage in the Red Sea. Including a description of Mocha, and of the trade of the Arabs of Yemen ... by L de Grandpré, an officer in the French Army. 1803. Volume I, (Volume II). Volume I contains some text about Ceylon c 1790-2. Also published with a slightly different title. Archive.org
• Voyages and travels to India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia, and Egypt, in the years 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1806 by George, Viscount Valentia 1809 Archive.org. Volume I, (Volume II, Volume III).
• Travels in India Ceylon and Borneo by Captain Basil Hall RN, FRS. Selected and edited by Professor H G Rawlinson 1931 Archive.org. Selected from Fragments of Voyages and Travels (in nine volumes). Captain Hall was appointed to the East India Station, Royal Navy in 1812. Basil Hall Wikipedia.
• Rambles in Ceylon by Lieut. De Butts [Augustus] 1841 Google Books. The author was in Ceylon 1836- 1839.
• The Memoirs of the Gemini Generals; Personal Anecdotes, Sporting Adventures, and Sketches of Distinguished Officers by Major-Generals Osborn Wilkinson and Johnson Wilkinson. 1896 Archive.org. Twin brothers Osborn and Johnson Wilkinson were born 1822. The former joined the Bengal Cavalry in 1844, and served initially in the 10th Light Bengal Cavalry, and subsequently the 2nd Bengal Cavalry, (and perhaps other cavalry regiments); the latter HM 15th Regiment of Foot, which went to Ceylon in 1845, with a period at Poona.
• The Bungalow and the Tent, or a Visit to Ceylon by Edward Sullivan 1854 Google Books
• The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon by Samuel W Baker 1854 edition Google Books. New edition 1874 Archive.org

Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon by Samuel White Baker 1855 Google Books. New edition 1890 with title Eight Years in Ceylon Archive.org.

• Fifty Years in Ceylon: an Autobiography by the late Major Thomas Skinner, Commissioner of Public Works Ceylon. Edited by his daughter Annie Skinner 1891 Archive.org. Born 1804, he arrived in Ceylon in 1818, aged 14, where his father was stationed. Soon he was appointed as an officer in the Ceylon Regiment. He retired from Ceylon in 1867.
• India and Ceylon by Ernst Haeckel, translated by Mrs S E Boggs. 1883 Archive.org. The author was professor of Zoology at the University of Jena, Thuringia, Germany. “A coherent, if not strictly literal translation” of Indische Reisebriefe (Letters of Indian Travel). 1883 Archive.org. Most of the book is about Ceylon.
• A Parson's Holiday : being an account of a Tour in India, Burma, and Ceylon, in the winter of 1882-83 by W Osborn B Allen 1885 Archive.org
• Two Years in the Jungle : the Experiences of a Hunter and Naturalist in India, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula and Borneo by William T Hornaday, Chief Taxidermist, US National Museum 1885 Archive.org
• About Ceylon and Borneo : being an account of two visits to Ceylon, one to Borneo, and how we fell out on our homeward journey by Walter J Clutterbuck 1891 Archive.org. British Library Digital Collection with rotatable images. A visit mainly in 1890, and memories of a residence c 1877.
• From Adam's Peak to Elephanta: sketches in Ceylon and India by Edward Carpenter 1892 Archive.org. Britsh Library Digital Collection Images may be rotated.New Edition, revised 1903, reprinted 1921 Archive.org
• Two Happy Years in Ceylon by C F [Constance Frederica] Gordon Cumming with Illustrations New Edition 1901, first published 1892 Archive.org
• Recollections of a Boer Prisoner-Of-War at Ceylon by J N Brink, "late adjudant of General Crowther" 1904 Archive.org
• Hunting & Shooting in Ceylon by Harry Storey 1907. Archive.org. Includes elephant shooting.
• Jungle Sport in Ceylon from Elephant to Snipe by Marcus W Millett, an Old Ceylon Shikari. 1914 Achive.org
• A Prisoner in Turkey by John Still 1920 Archive.org. The title page contains a handwritten note “Ceylon Civil Service (Forests)”

Poems in Captivity by John Still 1919 Archive.org. Includes poems about Ceylon.

• A visit to Ceylon: Page 169 India of the Rajahs by Major S E G Ponder 1940 Archive.org, Public Library of India Collection.
• Also see accounts in the following section.

Planters, the Planting and Other Industries

• Life in the Jungle or Letters from a Coffee-Planter in Ceylon to his Cousin in London by Sampson Brown. Simmond's Colonial Magazine and Foreign Miscellany, Volumes 10 and 11 1847. Google Books and Hathi Trust. Page 13, page 150, page 323, page 376, page 14, page 155, page 401. First published as a book in Colombo 1845 under a slightly different title: Life in the Jungle or Letters from a Planter to his Cousin in London Google Books. (Print quality is poorer in the latter version). British Library digital file Same underlying file, but print may be clearer.
• "Ceylon. Coffee Planting" page 191 Supplement (No.I) to the Eight Report from the Select Committee on Sugar and Coffee Planting. British Parliamentary Papers. Reports 1847-8. Seventeenth Volume –Part IV. Also called Volume 23, Part 4‬. Index. Google Books
• Coffee-planting in Ceylon by Aliquis [Stewart Jolly] 1861 Google Books. Verses
• Coffee: its physiology, history, and cultivation adapted as a work of reference for Ceylon, Wynaad, Coorg and The Neilgherries by Edmund C.P. Hull 1865 Google Books
• A concise essay on the medical treatment of Malabar coolies employed on the coffee estates of Ceylon and India by J. Thwaites M D 1865 Archive.org
• Coffee Culture in Ceylon. Manuring of estates ... being the essay which obtained the first prize offered by the Planters Association of Ceylon Arnold H. White 1875 Google Books.
• Coffee planting in Southern India and Ceylon by ECP Hull 1877 Archive.org
• The Cinchona Planter's Manual by T C Owen. Printed at Colombo (A. M. & J. Ferguson) 1881 Archive.org
• Prize Essay on Cinchona Cultivation Written for the Dikoya Planters' Association [Ceylon] by Thomas North Christie 1883 Archive.org
• Ceylon & Her Planting Enterprize: In Tea, Cacao, Cardamoms, Cinchona, Coconut, and Areca Palms Published 1885 by A.M. & J. Ferguson. Archive.org
• Fickle Fortune in Ceylon by F. E. F. P[enny] 1887 Archive.org version; British Library Digital Collection - images may be better. The author, in the book, was stated to be the wife of a tea planter, whose name is given as "Penny, Fanny Emily, (Farr), Mrs" in the National Library of India catalogue entry. Mrs Penny however, was married to a Chaplain of the Madras Presidency, so it appears at least some aspects of this book may be fictional.
• All About Rubber and Gutta-Percha : the Indiarubber Planter's Manual with the latest Statistics and Information by J Ferguson Colombo A.M. & J. Ferguson 1899 Archive.org
• India Rubber, Gutta-Percha, and Balata: occurrence, geographical distribution, and cultivation of rubber plants; manner of obtaining and preparing the raw material, modes of working and utilizing them, and statistics of commerce by William T Brannt 1900 Archive.org
• Notes on aloe, sisal, and ramie fibres, dye and tanning products, drugs, etc. A. M. & J. Ferguson 1901 Colombo. Archive.org. Also may be available on Repositori Digital, National Library of Malaysia as a pdf download, however this site is at times not available. Note, the download may possibly be only a chapter.
• All about Cinnamon: including Practical instruction for planting, cultivation and preparation for market published by A.M & J Ferguson, Ceylon 1902. Archive.org. Originally from, and available to read online at Kerala State Central Library Rare Books Online. Catalogue no.16433
• All about Pepper: Including Practical Instructions for planting, cultivation and preparation for market published by A.M & J Ferguson Ceylon c 1901. Archive.org. Originally from, and available to read online at Kerala State Central Library Rare Books Online. Catalogue no. 16434
• All about 'Coconut Palm' (Cocos Nucifera): Including Practical Instructions for planting and cultivation by J Ferguson (Comp.) 3rd edition 1904 Archive.org. Originally from, and available to read online at Kerala State Central Library Rare Books Online. Catalogue no. 16435
• Coconut planter's manual. Ferguson's "All about the coconut palm" (Cocos nucifera). Treating of the history and cultivation, chemistry and physiology of the palm, and about its commercial products by J Ferguson 5th edition 1923 Archive.org
• "Preparing “Para Rubber” in Ceylon" page 192 The India Rubber World March 1, 1903 Archive.org

"The Rival of "Para" Rubber in the East" page 219 The India Rubber World April 1, 1903 Archive.org

"Rubber Planting in Ceylon and the Malay States" page 225 The India Rubber World April 1, 1904 Archive.org

• My Tour in Eastern Rubber Lands by Herbert Wright 1908 Archive.org Ceylon, Malaya, Java, Sumatra
• Rubber-Planter's Notebook by Frank Braham 1911. Pdf download KrishiKosh, Institutional Repository of Indian National Agricultural Research System. Full title: The Rubber Planter's Notebook : a handy book of reference on Para rubber planting with hints on the maintenance of health in the tropics and other general information of utility to the rubber planter : specially designed for use in the field. Review, page 242 Nature December 21, 1911 Archive.org
• Online publications of the Planters' Association of Ceylon, in addition to Ferguson’s Ceylon Directories from 1871 to 1999 (broken range) are available on History of Ceylon Tea, accessible from the Home Page, category Publications & Articles.

From the same website, under Publications and Articles /Other Publications are many miscellaneous titles, mainly relating to tea and rubber, including

The Pioneers 1825 - 1900 : The Early British Tea and Coffee Planters and Their Way of Life by John Weatherstone. 1986. historyofceylontea.com. Also available as a pdf download, Repositori Digital, digital repository of the National Library of Malaysia.

• The Tropical Agriculturist And Magazine Of The Ceylon Agricultural Society. Title varied over time: The Tropical Agriculturist : Journal Of The Ceylon Agricultural Society; The Tropical Agriculturist : The Agricultural Journal Of Ceylon. Volume 15 has additional title: A Monthly Record Of Information For Planters of Tea, Coffee, Cacao, Cinchona, Sugar, Rubber, Tobacco, Palms, Spices, Rice, And Other Products Suited For Cultivation In Tropics.

Pdf downloads KrishiKosh: Institutional Repository of Indian National Agricultural Research System Page A and Page B. Editions from 1881 to 1960 (broken range). Archive.org editions, mainly some, but not all, mirror files from Digital Library of India

• Other Industries
  • An Account of the Pearl Fisheries of Ceylon by James Steuart, Master Attendant at Colombo… and formerly Inspector of Pearl Banks 1843 Google Books.
  • All about Gold, Gems, and Pearls in Ceylon. Compiled by the publishers from every available authority, with special reference to establishment of a goldmining industry, as well as the extension of the present gem-digging enterprise in the colony Published by A.M and J Ferguson, Colombo 1881. Archive.org
  • Notes on the Pearl and Chank Fisheries and Marine Fauna of the Gulf of Manaar by Edgar Thurston. 1890 Archive.org
  • Report to the Government of Ceylon on the Pearl Oyster Fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar by W A Herdman, (William Abbott) With Supplementary Reports upon the Marine Biology of Ceylon by Other Naturalists. Part I 1903, Part II 1904, Part III 1905, Part IV 1905, Part V 1906, with a description of the contents page v, Volume V. Archive.org
  • "Studies on Pearl-Oysters and Pearls.-I. The Structure of the Shell and Pearls of the Ceylon Pearl-Oyster (Margaritifera vulgaris Schumacher): with an Examination of the Cestode Theory of Pearl-Production" by H Lyster Jameson pages 260-358, Proceedings of The Zoological Society of London, 1912. Archive.org. In which Dr Jameson disagrees with the theories of Prof. Herdman.