C. H. Z. Fernando

Charles Hubert Zaleski Fernando was a Ceylonese lawyer and colonial era politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the Colombo Municipal Council.

Hon. Charles Hubert Zaleski Fernando
Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
In office 1924–1929
Personal details
Nationality	Ceylonese
Political party	Ceylon Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Daisy M. née Fernando
Relations	R. A. de Mel
Children	P. C. S. Fernando
Residence	St Catherine, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo
Alma mater	University of Cambridge
Profession	Advocate

Early life and education

Born to Charles Matthew Fernando, a Crown Counsel and Jane Maria Caroline, third daughter of Charles Henry de Soysa, Sir Marcus Fernando was his uncle. He was educated at Royal College, Colombo and having graduated from the University of Cambridge, with a BA and a LLB, on his return to Ceylon, Fernando became an Advocate.[1]

Business career

He soon took to business with holdings in tea and rubber plantations, plumbago (graphite) mining and shipping, which he consolidated in the holding company C. H. Z. Fernando & Co. He was the Chairmen of the Ceylon Import Merchants Association and a member of the Low-Country Products Association.[2]

Political career

He became a founding member of the radical political association named Young Lanka League in 1918 and together with A. E. Gunasinha, E. A. P. Wijerathne, A. P. Thambayah and Valentine S. Perera, going on to formed the Workers’ Welfare League in 1919.[3] He was elected to the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1924 from Chilaw as the member for the Western division of the North-western province defeating Charles Edgar Corea.[4] In the Legislative Council he presented the motion to repeal the Poll tax, which lead to its repeal in 1925. He was a founder of the Ceylon Labour Party in 1928 and in July 1928 he along with A. E. Gunasinha represented Ceylon at the British Empire Labour Conference in London. Fernando was a strong campaigner for universal suffrage, which was introduced by the Donoughmore Constitution in 1931. He became the only Ceylonese to have met Lenin.[5][6][7][8][9][7][10] In the 1930s he was elected as a member of the Colombo Municipal Council and served as a member of the Rubber Research Board, the Ceylon Coconut Board and the Plumbago Trade Wages Board. He was made a Chevalier of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.[11][12]

Family

He married Daisy M. Fernando daughter of Hethakandage Bastian Fernando, their son was P. C. S. Fernando. R. A. de Mel was his brother-in-law.[10]

References

1. "Back Matter". The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. Vol. 31, No. 81, Parts I., II., III., and IV. 1928. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
2. "1937 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory". historyofceylontea.com. Ferguson's Directory. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
3. Sanmugathasan, N. "A Marxist Looks at the History of Ceylon". www.marxists.org. marxists.org. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
4. Gunawardena, R. H. R. (1995). "The Activities of the Radical Political Associations of Sri Lanka: The Young Lanka League" (PDF). Rohana. 6, 167- 81. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
5. Who’s Who of Sri Lanka: The lives and times of forty eight personalities, Gamini Akmeemana (Daily Mirror) Retrieved 8 January 2016
6. CEYLON'S BATTLE, The Straits Times (13 November 1929) Retrieved 2 November 2015
7. Traversed new paths making History, Ananda E. Goonesinha (The Island) Retrieved 2 November 2015
8. “Sons of the Soil and Strangers within the gates”, Joe Simpson (rootsweb) Retrieved 4 November 2015
9. CEYLON'S BATTLE, The Straits Times (13 November 1929) Retrieved 2 November 2015
10. "1951 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory". Ferguson's Directory. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
11. "REPORT OF THE WORK OF THE RUBBER RESEARCH BOARD IN 1934-" (PDF). rri.nsf.ac.lk. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
12. "CEYLON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE" (PDF). National Archives of Sri Lanka. National Archives of Sri Lanka.