User:Vernon.nanayakkara/sandbox

Early Origins
The origin of the name Nanayakkara from Tamil Nanaim, meaning wealth. According to a popular derivation, because it was the duty of the Nanayakkara Wasam to attend the King on the wars as paymasters and treasurer. For this reason it is said that they never lost their nobility of blood like the Wasala (later guards) and the Attapattuwe Appuhamis who lost it in 7 generations and required a new creation to revive it. The 9A Wasala and B Attapattuwe for the grades of the appuhamis who were free and honourable, duties to perform in the low country. This class was tiled Sufframadu (Port selected) Appuhamis by creations distinguished by the Nanayakkara Appuhamis by birth, the latter or the class corresponding in it came to be merely called Appuhamis in Dutch times.

The Nanayakkara Banner
A plain field of light blue silk. It was borne before the Nanayakkara Appuhamis were originally the descendants of the great chiefs, and they held lands on the free and honorable tenure of a mere payment of tithe, without rendering any services for their lands. They constituted the nobles of the highest grade. From them were chosen candidates for the most honorable offices under the crown and traditionally they had the privilege of carrying the beir of he sovereign to the pyre. The great grant of Fiefs and Nanayakkara Wasam (Tenure) was continued in the low country by both the Portuguese and the Dutch. The Nanayakkara Lekam was an important Kandyan Official up to the last.

Descendants
Nanayakkaras were descendants of the Kandyan Nayaka dynasty who were the rulers of the kingdom of Kandy from 1739 to 1835. The Nayaks were from the Royal Family of Madurai. The Nayaks established the tradition among Sinhalese monarchs of marrying from South Indian nobility.

Nanayakkara Family History
K. D. Nicholas Nanayakara was born in Kurukulawa on 10th September 1875 and died on 23rd January 1956. Later he took up his residence in Eeriyagama, Peradeniya in Kandy. He was a school principal and was highly respected and loved by his teachers and pupils. He was a strict disciplinarian. After his retirement, he took up to Astrology. He was a famous Astrologer in Sri Lanka for almost 2 decades, from 1940 to the late 1950s. He was consulted by leading politicians, eminent persons and from people from all walks of life. His predictions were accurate and came true. He married Mary Jane Louisa Wickramasinghe, who was born on 14th October 1875 and died on the 3rd June 1957. She was from the famous Wickramasinghe family in Matara. Her mother was the first lady Notary Public in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). They had 7 children, Cyril (26/02/1901-16/06/1988), Victor Aerwin (06/03/1902-11/01/1982), Mary Josephine, Joseph, Lavinia, Leopold, and Noel.

Cyril married Daisy Perera and had four children, Annette, Malini, Florian, and Rangith. From his second marriage to Anna Perera, he had three children, Kanthi, Indrani, and Jagath.

Victor Aerwin married Mary Imelda Weerakkody. Her father was K. D. A. H. William Weerakkody and her mother, Mary Celeste Perera. Her grandfather was a well known landed proprietor in Kandy. Two of her brothers, Father Jerome Perera and Father Justus Perera were respected priests in the Kandy Diocese, and one of her sisters a reverend mother, Gertrude Perera, was he co founder of the Holy Angels together with bishop Reith. She was the first Superior General of the Holy Angels Sisters in Sri Lanka.

Victor Aerwin Nanayakkara had seven children, the eldest, Vernon Evaristus (26/10/1936), Felician Nimal, born 18th July 1938 met with a tragic accident, was run over by a bus and died on 14th June 1944 at the age of 6 years, Meriam Gertrude (12/11/1941), Florence Celine (27/10/1943), Lucille Modesta (04/11/1946), Jerome Augustus (28/05/1949) and Anslem Flavian (22/12/1952).

Vernon Evaristus married Marcelina Florence Shirley Perera (born on the 2nd of June 1947). Vernon married Shirley on 18th October 1971 at All Saint's Church, Borella. Shirley was the daughter of B. D. M. Marshal Perera and Daisy Goonewardene. They had one son, Gerard Shihan born on the 17th of December 1972. Shihan married Dulini Kumari Jayasinghe on 23rd of May 199 at St. Athony's Cathedral, Kandy. They have two sons, the eldest Gerard Ruchin Randil born on 31st December 1999 and Ruhan Venuja born on the 10th of June 2003.

Meriam married H. A.D. Richard Haturusinghe on 20th June 1963 at St. Anthony's Cathedral, Kandy. Richad was a Government agent, District Secretary and Provincial Secretary. He died on 11th December 2006. They had two children, Renuka Nirmali (14/03/1964) and Prasanna Chamath(24/12/1968). Renu married Lakshman Perera and had one daughter Tharushi. Prasanna married Kushlani Algama and has two daughters, Keshi and Shenali.

Celine married Chrysanthus Gunesekara. They had two children, Ayomal and Romesha. Ayomal married Rochelle Gomez and has two daughters.

Augustus married Celine perera on 21st June 1984, they have 2 children, Himashini who married Hiran Cooray and Dilusha who married Anna Perera.

Anslem Flavian married Nelum Perera on 21st June 1986. They have two sons, Shanaka Flavian and Niran. Shanaka married Ruckshani Fernando on 23rd October 2014 and have one son Ruckshana.