Walter Pereira

James Cecil Walter Pereira (10 September 1856 - 9 June 1915) was the 4th Solicitor General of Ceylon. He was appointed on 1906, succeeding Ponnambalam Ramanathan, and held the office until 1912. He was succeeded by James Van Langenberg.[1][2]

James Cecil Walter Pereira was born on 10 September 1856, the second son of John Pereira, a school master at Queen's College and Susan Sally née de Haan.[3] He was educated at the Colombo Academy, St. Thomas' College and graduated from Calcutta University.[3] In 1878 he was admitted as a proctor of the District Court of Colombo, having served an apprenticeship under Frederick Charles Loos. In 1880 he enrolled as a proctor of the Supreme Court of Colombo. In late 1885 he travelled to England and was admitted to the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in early 1887.[3][4] The same year he returned to Ceylon and was admitted as an advocate of the Supreme Court. He was admitted as a advocate of the High Court of Madras. In 1904 he was made a King's Counsel.[3]

Pereira was a prominent member of the Ceylon National Association and was a founder of the Orient Club, the first Ceylonese only social club in the country.[3][5]

In 1895 he married Helena Blanche née McCarthy (1875-1961) and they had three children: Aelian Walter Woodward (b. 1896); Aileen Helena Suzette Woodward (b. 1899) and Christine Helen Wilhelmina Woodward (b. 1905).