Introduction to Book One – Medals of Ceylon – 1795 to 1972 - Orders of Knighthood and their Medals

This first volume in the Medals of Ceylon 1795–1972 series examines the British Orders of Knighthood and their associated medals as they relate to Ceylon. Within the British honours system, the nobility is headed by the Sovereign, followed by the Royal Family—princes and princesses. Below them are the five ranks of the peerage: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

A Baronet, although not a peer, holds a hereditary dignity granted by the Sovereign and is entitled to the style Sir and the post‑nominal Bt. Unless previously knighted, a Baronet is not automatically a Knight Bachelor. A Knight Bachelor, who ranks below a Baronet, is also styled Sir and uses the post‑nominal Kt.

In addition to the peerage, there are six official British Orders of Chivalry. The two oldest—the Most Noble Order of the Garter (England) and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (Scotland)—confer knighthood and are typically bestowed upon members of the Royal Family or the higher nobility. They are not included in this book as there were no awards relating to Ceylon (other than to Lord Mountbatten, mentioned under GCB). The remaining four Orders—the Order of the Bath, the Order of St. Michael and St. George, the Royal Victorian Order, and the Order of the British Empire—each comprise multiple classes and are included here. In all four, the top two classes confer knighthood. Recipients are first created Knights Bachelor before receiving the insignia of the Order and are thereafter entitled to the style Sir. I have also included the Order of St. Patrick (Ireland), the Royal Guelphic Order, the Order of the Star of India, the Order of the Indian Empire, the Order of the Companions of Honour and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The last Order is not awarded by the crown but by the Order itself on the authority of the Sovereign.

Honours were conferred twice annually: at the beginning of the year (New Year Honours) and in June (Birthday Honours). Investitures in Ceylon were held at Queen’s House, the Governor’s residence, and the names of recipients appeared in both the London Gazette and the Ceylon Government Gazette. As Ceylon was a Crown Colony (1795–1948) and later a Dominion (1948–1972), both native Ceylonese and Britons resident in Ceylon were eligible for these honours.

In the early period, most awards went to British civil and military administrators—Governors, General Officers Commanding Troops, civil servants, judges, police officers, and educators. As increasing numbers of native Ceylonese entered the civil service, military, police, judiciary, and educational institutions, they too were nominated in recognition of loyal service to the Crown. Many awards also recognized philanthropy and humanitarian contributions. After independence in 1948, nominations of Ceylonese increased significantly. However, in 1956 the government of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike ceased nominating Ceylonese for British honours. Thereafter, awards were largely limited to Britons resident in Ceylon or to persons born in Ceylon who had taken British citizenship and were recognized for service to the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth.

This volume documents more than 1,300 awards, including multiple awards to some individuals, and provides biographical details for over 1,000 recipients—ranging from concise notes to extensive entries. It includes 670 photographs (some in colour, most in black and white, and of varying quality). Even poor‑quality newspaper images have been included to ensure completeness. Most photographs originate from the Times of Ceylon and the Ceylon Daily News (pre‑1953), public‑domain sources (including Wikipedia), and recipients’ families. The book also features over 150 full‑colour images of Orders and medals courtesy of Noonans Mayfair [noonans.co.uk], and more than 160 photographs of recipients’ medals and related items.

The recipients represented include approximately 600 Britons, 400 Sinhalese, 130 Tamils, 35 Muslims/Moors/Malays, and 125 Burghers. Awards listed within were granted both for service in Ceylon and for service rendered elsewhere by Ceylonese individuals. Some entries relate to British civil servants or military personnel who began their careers in Ceylon and later received honours in other colonies, or vice versa.

This volume is, in many respects, a Who’s Who of British Ceylon. Many local knights were household names in their time—and some remain so today—including Sir John Kotelawala, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Sir Nicholas Attygalle, Sir Muthu Coomaraswamy, Sir Henry Kotelawala, Sir Solomon Christoffel Obeyesekere, and Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka.

C.M.S.A.