Benjamin Bawa
Major Benjamin William "Benny" Bawa, KC, VD (1865 – 1923) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) lawyer. He served as the acting Solicitor General of Ceylon, as well as the private secretary and extra aide-de-camp to the Governor of Ceylon.
Benjamin Bawa | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Ceylon |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Ceylon Light Infantry |
| Commands held | Aide-de-camp to the Governor of Ceylon |
| Alma mater | Royal College Colombo, Middle Temple |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha Marian Campbell Schrader |
| Children | Bevis, Geoffrey |
| Relations | Ahamadu Bawa (father), Georgina Mathilda née Ablett (mother) |
Early life and education
The son of Ahamadu Bawa, a Muslim proctor from Galle, and his French wife, Georgina Mathilda née Ablett (1833-1903).[1] He was educated at S. Thomas' College and Royal College Colombo. He played at the Royal–Thomian and won the Turnour Prize.[2]
Legal career
Practicing law under James Van Langenberg, he was called to bar in 1887. Developing a practice in Kegalle and Colombo, he traveled to England in 1903 entering the Middle Temple and was called to the English Bar in 1904. On his return he developed lucrative legal practices gaining appointment as a King's Counsel. He was a member of the Council of Legal Education.[2]
Military career
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ceylon Light Infantry in 1899 and was promoted to captain in 1905. While in England he attended the School of Instruction for Officers of the Auxiliary Forces at the Chelsea Barracks. He commanded the Q (Legal) Company of the Ceylon Light Infantry.[2] He was appointed as aide-de-camp (ADC) to Brigadier-General Sir William Manning, Governor of Ceylon, serving as his private secretary until 1923.
Family
Bawa married Bertha Marian Campbell née Schrader, daughter of a surgeon from Kandy. His sons where Bevis Bawa who like his father was appointed ADC to the Governor, later becoming a renowned landscaper and Geoffrey Bawa, who followed his father's profession and became a lawyer, yet soon became a renowned architect.[2]
Death
Bawa was diagnosed with Bright's disease in 1922 and traveled to England for treatment with his family. He died in 1923 while convalescing in Harrogate.
References
- Simpson, Joe (5 March 2006). "Preserving the Spirit of a Forgotten World – Anecdotal glimpses of the New Oriental Hotel, Galle Fort". LankaLIbrary.com. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce .. By Arnold Wright