page_title: James Alfred Ernest Corea
section_title: Family
hierarchical_section_title: James Alfred Ernest Corea / Family
caption_attribution_description: English: The historic home, Corea Court in Madampe - several generations of the Seneviratne and Corea Families lived here. The estate was given to Mudaliyar Seneviratne's family by the King of Sri Lanka in 1758. Among those who have lived in this historic building are Dr.James Alfred Corea and latterly his children Gwendoline Seneviratne and Reverend Canon Ivan Corea. J.A.Corea, Mohandiram of Madampe son of Mudaliyar Henry Richard Corea has also lived in Corea Court.
context_page_description: Dr James Alfred Ernest Corea was a Sri Lankan public official. He was born in 1870. His father was Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea who was a Proctor of the Supreme Court. His mother was Henrietta Seneviratne. J.A.E Corea's father died in 1872 when his youngest son Victor was just one. His wife Henrietta was a widow from the age of 21.
context_section_description: He was the brother of Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea, Agnes Corea and Evangeline Corea. Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea were freedom fighters in Sri Lanka during British rule. C.E. Corea was elected president of the Ceylon National Congress in 1924. Both brothers were also elected members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.
  The Sunday Times newspaper of Sri Lanka writing about the three brothers, noted: 'Of the three boys, the eldest, Charles Edgar Corea, was educated at Royal College and having excelled in studies and cricket, he passed out as a proctor of the Supreme Court, took to politics and in 1924 was elected president of the Ceylon National Congress. Warden Stone of S. Thomas' College described old Royalist C.E. Corea as one of the finest speakers of the English language. The second boy in the family was Dr. Alfred Ernest Corea who was educated at S. Thomas' College. He passed out as a doctor of medicine and chose to practise in Chilaw. He was a clever doctor and what was unique about him was that he charged no fees from the poor for his services. '  
  The English author, Arnold Wright in 'Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon,' published in 1907 wrote: 'Charles Edward has left three sons, the eldest of whom, Charles Edgar, a Proctor, is the unofficial leader of the Chilaw Bar, a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, and Chairman of the Chilaw Association. In 1899, he was elected by the various native associations of Ceylon, and a public meeting in Colombo, to proceed to England as a delegate of the people of Ceylon, to lay before the Imperial Government a representation against the Waste Lands Ordinance. The second son, Alfred Ernest, is a physician, and the youngest, Charles Edward Victor, is an Advocate of the Supreme Court.'   
  Sri Lankan author Kumari Jayawardena, writing about the Coreas noted: 'Unconnected to the liquor trade but making their money on plantation ventures was the Corea Family of Chilaw, an influential goyigama group with a history going back to Portuguese rule when they were warriors to Sinhala kings. During Dutch and British rule, members of the family were officials serving the state in various ways and rewarded with titles. Some members of the family took to the legal and medical professions, most notably the sons of Charles Edward Corea (a solicitor), who were active in local politics and in the Chilaw Association which campaigned against British land policies - especially the Waste Lands Ordinance, and for political reforms. 
  The most active of Corea's sons was C.E.(Charles Edgar) who spoke up for peasant rights and was militant in his stand against the government. He was President of the Ceylon National Congress in 1924. C.E.Corea's brother, Alfred Ernest, was a doctor and the youngest Victor Corea was a lawyer who achieved fame for leading a campaign (and going to jail) in 1922 to protest the Poll Tax on all males; he was the first President of the Ceylon Labour Union led by A.E.Goonesinha and was active in the Ceylon Labour Party. While being professionals and political activists, the Coreas were also important landowners. '  
  Reverend Canon Ivan Corea, the second son of Dr. James Alfred Ernest Corea was appointed the Rural Dean of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon. He was also Chaplain to the Bishop of Colombo.
caption: Members of Dr.James Alfred Ernest Corea's family stayed in Corea Court in Madampe, Sri Lanka - the estates were given to the Seneviratne Family by the King of Sri Lanka in 1758.
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