BISHOPS IN METHODISM

                               25th July 1814 and Richmond College Galle

                                                                

                                                            

 On the 25th of July 2023, marked the 209th Founders Day of the Richmond College, Galle. A documentary survey conducted by late Ananda Dias Jayasinghe titled FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF RICHMOND COLLEGE unearthed several Methodist Missionary reports, Wesleyan Missionary Society notices and letters of early missionaries including the Journal of Benjamin Clough (one of the first Methodist Missionaries that arrived in Galle on 29th June 1814).

 

WELL PRESERVED DOCUMENTS FOUND

The above-mentioned documents mostly not found in the archives of the Methodist Church Headquarters in Colombo, were traced by the late Ananda Dias Jayasinghe which had been safely preserved at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London; Bodleian Library of the Oxford University; New York Public Library and Google Inc. In reading and studying these documents together with Scholars, the Methodist Church Sri Lanka through its Standing Committee and the annual Conference held in August 2017 decided and declared that the corrected founding date of Richmond College Galle is 25th July 1814.

 

FIRST METHODIST SCHOOL OF ASIA AND SRI LANKA

The forerunner to the Richmond College Galle was called The Galle School. On the 25th July 1814, Mudliyar Don Abraham Dias Abeysinghe offered to Methodist Missionary Benjamin Clough, the DOONBERG Wallauwe situated in upper Dickson Rd., Galle. According to mission records Rev. Benjamin Clough having inspected the Wallauwe on the 25th of July 1814, moved into the premises the same day and immediately began his school. It became the first Methodist Education institute started not only in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) it is also the first Methodist School in the whole of Asia. The first students of the school were the four sons of the Mudaliyar, his nephew and the Mudaliyar himself.

 

THE SCHOOL IS SHIFTED TO GALLE FORT

Rev. George Erskine who succeeded Rev. Benjamin Clough that left for Colombo after 9 months of ministry in Galle, purchased the first property of Wesleyan Missionary Society in Galle Fort which is the present Southlands Girls’ College. The Galle School had been shifted by Rev. Erskine to the same premises and the school continued and expanded further.

 

THE GALLE SCHOOL IS “DOVETAILED”

In 1843 the Galle school was joined together with the school in Magalla. It has been referred to by several names such as “The Galle School”, “Boy’s School in Galle”, “Wesleyan Boy’s School” etc.

 

REQUEST FOR A NEW SUPERIOR SCHOOL

In 1857 Seymore Hill, later renamed Richmond Hill was purchased by Rev. Joseph Rippon. In 1858 Rev. Rippon proposed to the Methodist Conference in Britain seeking approval to start a new superior school at Richmond Hill. He even went on to construct new classrooms for the new superior school. The request for a superior school was made by Rev. Rippon due to Galle not having a Wesleyan Missionary school to provide higher education for the scholars of the vernacular schools. Because of this, the scholars had begun to leave the Wesleyan Schools looking for superior schools needed for their higher education.

However, the British Conference did not agree to Rev. Rippon’s request but decided to move all the children from Several places of “tutoring activities” to Richmond Hill. The new buildings that were already constructed by Rev. Rippon accommodated the scholars moved from several schools in Galle. “It made no sense to rent several houses or buildings for schools in Galle when the school - rooms in the hill had adequate accommodation. It also facilitated the efficient administration of the school”.

In 1860 Rev Joseph Rippon, who had a vision of a new school at Richmond Hill to facilitate higher education, returned to England due to failing health.

In November 1860 Rev. Dr Fredrick Jobson (one of the principal secretaries of the Wesleyan Methodist Society in Englan) visited Galle and was received by Rev. John Scott and his sister Catherine Scott (founder of Methodist College Kollupitiya) who had succeeded Rev. Rippon. According to a letter written by Rev. Jobson, he had visited the native day school which was already on Richmond Hill. In his journal, he recorded that the scholars at the school at Richmond Hill were taught in English and also in their language (Sinhala). They also learnt about astronomy.

 

THE GALLE SCHOOL ELEVATED TO A HIGH SCHOOL

During the Principalship of Rev. Baugh who succeeded Rev Scott worked tirelessly to upgrade the School but there were long delays from the Wesleyan Conference in Britain. However, Rev Baugh “gradually has been altering its character”.

On the 1st of May 1876, The school at Richmond Hill was elevated to Galle High School. The date becomes important because the already existing school at Richmond Hill was elevated to a High School. Rev. Samuel Langdon was appointed as the Principal of the Upgraded Galle High School.

 

THE GALLE HIGH SCHOOL RENAMED AS RICHMOND COLLEGE

In 1881 the Rev. Samuel Hill, the Principal from 1879 suggested changing the name of the Galle High School to Richmond College. The district meeting of the missionaries agreed to it and in 1882 the name was changed to Richmond College.

 

THE EVOLVEMENT THROUGH HISTORY

The Methodist Church Sri Lanka in receiving and studying the documents which the late Ananda Dias discovered took grade pride at the 2017 Annual Conference to declare that the Richmond College Galle had a forerunner since 1814 July 25. 

The Methodist Church Sri Lanka became what it is today in 1964 when the British Methodist Church granted us the autonomy to manage ourselves under an annual Conference of our own. It was inaugurated on the 18th of June 1964 at the Kollupitiya Methodist Church with the signing of the DEED OF FOUNDATION OF THE CEYLON CONFERENCE (which is still preserved in the President Bishop’s office, Colombo). Very strangely 18th June 1964 is never remembered in any of our Methodist Churches here. The date we celebrate is the 29th of June 1814, the day our first Missionaries arrived 208 years ago. From 1814 onwards our church evolved as North Ceylon District, South Ceylon District, All Ceylon District and finally as All Ceylon Conference in 1964 which is now known as Methodist Conference Sri Lanka. The unbroken silver line through all stages of history since 1814 is treasured by all Methodist People. May the unbroken silver line from the Galle School through Galle High School to Richmond College from 1814 to 2023 be understood by all who love Richmond College, Galle

 

Nisi Dominus Frustra -"Without the Lord, everything is in vain" - adapted from Psalm 127

Rev. Asiri P. Perera
Retired President Bishop
Methodist Church Sri Lanka
July 25th 2023