Early Life
Crestoper William Wijekoon Kannangara was born on October 13, 1884, in Randombe, a rural village between Balapitiya and Ambalangoda in the south of Sri Lanka. The son of John Daniel Wijekoon Kannangara, the Deputy Fiscal Officer in the Balapitiya Courts, and Emily Wijesinghe, he had his primary education at the Wesleyan Missionary School in Randombe.
Kannangara showed great educational promise as a child, and his achievements were recognized by Rev. J.H Darrel, the Principal of Richmond College, Galle who was the chief guest at a prize giving of the Wesleyan Missionary School. After noticing that Kannangara won most of the available prizes, he is said to have remarked “Son, you may have to hire a bullock cart to take home the books you collected at this prize giving.” Darrel also gave Kannangara a chance to sit for a Richmond College Foundation scholarship exam. Excelling in Mathematics in the exam, he won the scholarship, receiving an award for free board and lodging at Richmond College. There he received the education of an elite school of the times, far superior instructions to that offered at his rural school.
Kannangara was regarded as an excellent all-round student at Richmond, leading the Ceylon and British Empire list in Mathematics at the Cambridge Senior Examination in 1903. He also captained Richmond College in first eleven cricket in 1903, and was a member of the school soccer team the same year, winning colors for his performances. He was also regarded as a fine debater and actor. After leaving school, he taught Mathematics first at Richmond College and then Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa and Wesley College, Colombo. While teaching he studied law, passing out as an Attorney at law in 1910. He set up his first law practice in Galle the same year. He married Edith de Alwis Edrisinha in 1922.
Read more about this topic: C. W. W. Kannangara
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