Paul Pieris

Born to John Martinus Pieris Sriwardhana and Don Johannes Dias Bandaranaike, Pieris was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mutwal and in 1889 was judged the most successful candidate at the Cambridge Local Junior Examination in the under-sixteen group, passing out in the first division with distinctions in English, Latin, Greek, Mathematics, Botany, and Drawing. In 1890, he repeated his former success with distinctions in several subjects, including Religious Knowledge, and in the following year, again, with five distinctions. He then became the first Asian to be admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, and after a distinguished performance as an undergraduate he was admitted as a barrister of the Inner Temple in 1895. Having passed the Civil Service exam in London, on his return to Ceylon, Pieiris was enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and joined the Ceylon Civil Service.

In 1896 he joined the Ceylon Civil Service and served until his retirement in 1935. During this time he had served as District Judge Matara, District Judge Kegalle, District Judge Kandy, District Judge Kalutara, and Trade Commissioner for Ceylon in England. At the time of his retirement he was serving as the Public Trustee.[1] After several judicial appointments he became the Public Trustee of Ceylon and representative of Ceylon in London. As a district judge he presided over a number of prominent cases, including the Gampola Perahera Case as District Judge of Kandy in 1914.

It has been remarked that Pieris was never given a position in the Civil Service that was commensurate with his intellect and ability, and as such he turned his attention toward in depth historical research on the European occupation in Ceylon from the 16th Century onwards. Pieris carried out extensive historical research in Ceylon and he was several times elected the President of the Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon having last held the role from 1932 to 1934.[2] to whose journal he contributed frequently from 1904 to 1948. He further single-handedly edited the journal during the years of World War II when the society's functions were greatly disrupted by external factors.

Pieris received numerous awards during his life time. These include;

• The first Asian to receive a Doctor of Letters from the University of Cambridge[3]
• King's Birthday Honours 1933 - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for service as Public Trustee
• The Royal Asiatic Society Medal for distinguished service in 1946[4]
• Queen's Birthday Honours 1952 - Knight Bachelor for social service.

He married Hilda Obeyesekere, daughter of James Peter Obeyesekere I. Lady Hilda Obeyesekere Pieris, was an active social worker, who endowed the Hilda Obeysekera Hall, the ladies residency hall at the University of Peradeniya. His brothers-in-law included Donald Obeyesekere and Sir James Peter Obeyesekere II. They had three sons, the zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala; the painter, Justin Pieris Deraniyagala; Ralph St. Louis Pieris Deraniyagala, CBE and one daughter Miriam Pieris Deraniyagala, herself an artist, who married Robert de Saram. Sri Lankan cellist Rohan de Saram is their grandson. Following their retirement from the civil service, Sir Paul Pieris and Lady Obeyesekere Pieris, built the Nugedola Wallauwa in Pasyala, Gampaha District, where they spent their retirement.[5]