Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe [SEP] date of death
Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe
Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe Amarasekere Maha Mudaliyar, (Sinhala: නිකලස් ඩයස් අබේසිංහ අමරසේකර) (8 May 1719 - 10 May 1794) was a Ceylonese Dutch colonial administrator. He was appointed as the Maha Mudaliyar (Head Mudaliyar) of Dutch Ceylon, hence he was one of the most powerful personalities in the country.
He received Mudaliyar medal from Governor Jan Schreuder in 1768 and later received the Head Mudaliyar Gold medal on 31 May 1785 from Governor Van de Graaf, as a recognition and reward for his fidelity
towards the Dutch East India company. A "Mala Padakkama" is also said to have been conferred on him by the Kandyan King of the era.
Family and residences.
Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe was born in 1719 to the family of Mohandiram Don Joan Dias Abeysinghe and Dona Gimara de Silva of Galle. He was married to Dona Clara Goonaratne, daughter of Domingu Jayathileke Goonaratne, Mohandiram Atapattu of Galle and to Adriana Gertruda Ilangakoon, daughter of Ilangakoon Mudaliyar.
He had a son and a daughter from his first marriage