History

Wesley College began its life in Dam Street Pettah and was founded by Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira on the 2nd of March 1874. He became its first Vice Principal during the Principalship of Rev. Samuel Rowse Wilkin. Dam Street takes us back to the Dutch period. During the early days Pettah was a respectable residential area and its streets were lined by tall trees. Messenger Street was called ‘Rue de Massang’ by the Dutch as there were many Massang trees. Even today it is called Massang Gas Vidiya. Earlier Dam Street was called ‘Damba Street’ as Damba trees lined its path. The school had its beginnings on the dusty verandahs of the old Methodist Church at Dam Street, Pettah. Following is a notice published in the Weekly Christian Journal- Satyalankaraya or The Beauty of Truth on the 21st of January 1874.

Closely associated with Rev Pereira was Jan Crozier, a kindly Boer from the South African Rand. The Pettah merchants of mixed race and religions sent their children to receive their education in this school.

Daniel Henry Pereira was much loved by the people and his pupils. He laboured thus for years in the dust and the heat of Pettah. When Rev Highfield arrived In 1895 Pettah was rapidly becoming industrialized and he saw the need for quieter surroundings for his school with room to expand. Wesley College was moved to its present site in 1905 with the help of the dynamic Rev. Henry Highfield.

In a Journey; back in time; to the environs of the dusty noisy Pettah, we go over to the Wesleyan Mission premises in Dam Street, where we find a group of children at the feet of a benign Minister, the Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira. It certainly was no place for a school but in spite of the many difficulties, no doubt inspired by the Lord’s invitation “suffer the little children to come unto me” this man kept his grace. Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira, born (circa) 1926 was the eldest son of the Rev. Don Daniel Pereira, who started life as a young school master and taught in a school built by the Rev. Benjamin Clough. On joining the Ministry he followed deep evangelistic trends. He was called “the apostle of Kurana – Negombo “. The Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira had a younger brother, who was Rev. Peter Bartholomeusz Pereira.

Young Daniel Henry was keenly interested in teaching and at a very early age took an equally great interest in the snakes which he studied identifying their species and habits under a famous South Indian Snake Specialist who reserved no secrets as he instructed his pupil. Daniel Henry was quick to absorb the life pattern of these ophidian reptiles. In fact, in later years, he had edited a catalogue in Sinhala and had contributed to journals. He submitted papers to the Ceylon Friend a journal associated with the Wesleyan Church. His contribution to these many journals gave rise to research. He was also an authority on ants in Ceylon.

He had great hopes of being a scientist, but in response to his dying mother’s wish he entered the Ministry in 1851. In addition to his knowledge of reptiles, ants, snails and slugs as a nature scientist he was also proficient in English, Sinhala and Portuguese. His fluency and masterly use of these languages kept his congregation spellbound. He had also knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. He had a brilliant mind displaying itself in his clarity of expression. Certainly he would have been on par with the Western Missionaries of evangelistic fervour. He was a pupil of the famed Oriental Scholar, the Rev. Don John Gogerley who was in charge of the Institute of Colombo, which was an early “Divinity School”. His interest in teaching, combined with his parish work and his deep interest in natural science, made him eminent. In his Parish work he served in many stations for over 25 years. Moratuwa, then a very large Parish which he took over from the Rev. G. G. de Zilva, saw him work with zest and vigour. He founded an English School at Gorakagaha in Mankada, conducting cottage meetings in the homes of those Methodists whilst he resided at Rawattawatte. He contributed largely to the spiritual revival at Moratuwa. When he fell ill his work was taken over by the Rev. Robert Hardy. The school at Dam Street marked the beginning of Wesley College which was founded on the 2nd March 1874 of which he was the first ever Vice Principal, with the Rev. Samuel Rowse Wilkin its first Principal (from 1874 -1879) followed by the Rev. Arthur Shipham (1880 – 1883), with whom Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira worked till the latter’s retirement. The Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira’s son, William H. D. Pereira, studied at Wesley. He was later an Assistant Accountant in the Colombo Port Commission. On his retirement as a Minister in 1882 Rev Daniel Henry Pereira settled in Hambantota. Though not in the best of health, he visited homes of those persons who had surrendered their lives to Christ. They were greatly helped by this erudite but simple priest with his life style, though plain, rich in the -scriptures and its application. His was a life of deep prayer and faith of wide labour and concern, ever with an alert mind. His old friend Rev. Arthur Shipham who was stationed at Matara, no doubt may have had communication with each other. The last few months of his life had been a challenge. His health was failing but his discipline and training and his deep reliance on his Saviour had increased his faith. He faced the storm, yet on an even keel, though confined to his home with restricted movement.

A large number of villagers visited him. It was on the 22nd November 1886 that death took him. His was a life that laboured and was well spent in the Lord’s vineyard as answering the Master’s call ”come follow me”.

Wesley commemorates the memory of her Founder, the Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira, annually on Founder’s Day – March 2nd. This is the most important event in the School’s calendar. A three-storied imposing building dedicated to his memory, the “D. H. Pereira Memorial Building”, built to accommodate the junior school, was constructed during the Principalship of Dunstan Fernando. No doubt the labours of the Rev. Daniel Henry Perera, servant of God, has nurtured a rich crop of which we in this present age are beneficiaries; no doubt this harvest will be reaped by generations  yet unborn.

The present site on which Wesley College stands and the surrounding land was once owned by Charles Ambrose Lorensz. The Burgher intelligentsia in the 1860s was led by a young man who hailed from Matara – Charles Ambrose Lorensz. Being a brilliant lawyer he was popularly known as the “morning star of Hulftsdorf”. Together with a group of young Burghers like Leopold Ludovici, Francis Bevan, Samuel Grenier and James Stewart Drieberg they produced a leading local literary journal called Young Ceylon.

In 1859 Lorensz and a syndicate purchased the Ceylon Examiner which became the first Ceylonese newspaper. Until his death in 1871, at the age of forty two, Lorensz wielded the powerful influence of his pen for social reform, championing democratic causes and courageously criticising the British colonial government, the Governor and his Executive Council. The Principal’s bungalow was built around 1860. The architecture of the building is typical for that period with tall cylindrical columns supporting a large porch, a wide verandah and the lovely lounge with many spacious rooms. Part of the beautiful front garden has been taken over for the Chapel, a useful addition.