Milestones in the History of Jaffna Central College

29th June    1814 :   Landing of the Methodist Missionaries in Galle.

10th August 1814 : Arrival of Messrs. Lynch and Squance in Jaffna.

01st August 1816 : Purchased the Site for the School from the Government by Rev. James Lynch.

1817 : Jaffna Wesleyan English School founded.

1825 : The school transferred to Vembadi Site.

1826 : Arrival Of Rev. Dr.Peter Percival.

1834 : Re-named the School, "The Jaffna Central School"

1839 : Visit of His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. J.A. Stewart Mackenzie.

Receipt of First Government Grant of Stg.150/-

1851 : Rev. Dr. Peter Percival retired

1852 : Preparatory Department opened at St. Paul’s, Chapel Street

1853 : Vannarponnai English School started

1854 : Boarding Department housed at "Hope Cottage" (the present site of Wesley House")

1855 : Mr. Samuel Grenier appointed as the Head master who later became the First Supreme Court Judge of Ceylon.

Rev. William Barber appointed Principal

1859 : The First Public Examination and Prize-Giving

1860 : Rev. William Talbot appointed Principal

Mr. William Nevins appointed Head-master

1862 : Rev. John Mitchell appointed Principal

1867 : Mr. John O. Rhodes appointed Principal

Latin introduced as a Subject

1869 : Affiliated to the Madras University

1870 : Collegiate Department formed

Rev. D. P. Niles acted as Principal

1873 : Rev. S. R. Wilkin appointed Principal

1874 : Rev. William R. Winston appointed Principal

1877 : Mr. Edward Strutt appointed Principal

1879 : Rev. F. M. Webster, B.A., appointed Principal

1881 : Rev. F. M. Webster introduced Cricket for the first time into Jaffna.

1882 : Thomas Little Esqr., appointed Principal

1883 : Mr. William J. G. Bestall appointed Principal

1884 : Joseph West , Esqr., appointed Principal

1885 : Rev. A. E. Restarick appointed Principal

College Y.M.C.A. founded College Literary Association inaugurated

1886 : Mr. William Nevins retired

Rev. D. P. Niles returned

1888 : Rev. Sheldon Knapp appointed Principal

1890 : Rev. E. M. Weaver appointed Principal

1891 : Rev. W. T. Garret, B.A., appointed Principal

1894 : Rev. Gabriel Leese appointed Principal

Football (Soccer) introduced Mr. J. K. Chanmukam , B.A., L.T., appointed Head-Master

1896 : Rev. W. T. Garret, B.A., returned as Principal

1897 : Affiliated with the Calcutta University

1898 : Won the Gymkhana Cup

1899 : Rev. G. B. Robeson acted as Principal

1900 : Rev. E. O. Martin acted as Principal

1901 : Rev. A. Lockwood acted as Principal

Rev. W.T. Garret B.A., returned as Principal. Mr. W.R. Cooke arrived.

1902 : Visit of Mr. (Sir) S. M. Burrows, director of Public Instruction

1903 : Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes, B.A., L.C.P., appointed Principal

1904 : College Magazine " The Central" published

The Central Crest and Colours designed Inauguration of a College building fund

1905 : T. Saravanamuttu passed the F.A. of the Calcutta University obtaining First

Class Honours and coming 16th in order of merit Visit of Sir Henry Blake, Governor of Ceylon

1906 : Visit of Dr. and Mrs. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy

Mr. W. Romaine Cooke went on furlough Cambridge Junior Local Class formed

28th December 1906 : Inauguration of Old Boys Association - Jaffna Branch.

1907 : Mr. W. R. Cooke returned

First Old Boys’ Day Celebrations Cambridge Senior local Class formed T. Cooke Jayaratnam obtained

a First Class in the Cambridge Junior Local, Coming 8th in order of merit in the Island

1908 : Won the Prize Football Cup

Visit of Sir Henry McCallum, Governor of Ceylon Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes transferred to Point Petro Rev. H. A. Meek , B.A., appointed principal

25th September 1908 : Foundation laid for the present Assembly Hall

1909 : Prize Football Cup won 2nd time

1910 : Prize Football Cup won 3rd time

Rev. H. A. Meek, B.A., retired Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes, B.A., returned as Principal Opening of the New Building by Mrs. G. J. Trimmer Staging of the

First English Play completely at Central

1911 : A. R. Rasiah won the Hewavitharne Science Prize

1911 : Won the Union Jack at the Sports Meet

1913 : Colombo Branch of the O.B.A formed

1915 : Won the Doraiswamy Cricket Cup

Visit of Sir (Lord) Robert Chalmers, Governor of Ceylon

1916 : Rev. W. M. P. Wilkes retired

Rev. E. T. Selby acted as Principal Scout Movement inaugurated Mr. J. W. Arudpragasam, B.A., joined

1917 : Rev. H. Bullough, M. A., B.Sc., arrived

W. R. Cooke, Esqr., retired Muttucumaru Football Cup won

1918 : Opened a New Dormitory (the present Dining Hall)

Bracketed Champions in the Inter-Collegiate Gymkhana Meet

1919 : Visit of Sir William Manning, Governor of Ceylon

Visit of Sir John Randles, M.P. Death of Mr. S. A. Edward, B. A., L.T. Cup Pack organised Muttucumaru Football Cup won (Final)

1920 : Percival Hall opened

Commercial class formed

1921 : Inter-Collegiate Athletics Championship won

Rev. H. Bullough retired Rev. H. R. Cornish acted as Principal

May 1922 : Rev. Percy T. Cash, B.A., B.Sc., (London) arrived

1922 : Mr. L. P. Spencer, B. A., transferred to Kilner College

Union College started

1923 : London Intermediate Classes formed.

Botany introduced as a subject. House System organised. New Building scheme inaugurated. Foundation laid for the Two Storied Building.

A. Kulanayagam

won the Sir Marcus Fernando All-Ceylon Agricultural. Scholarship. The Tamil Kazhagam inaugurated. Y.M.C.A. affiliated to the Student

Christian Movement

of India, Burma, and Ceylon. Social Service League inaugurated The Master’ Fellowship formed The Temperance League inaugurated Visit of

Sir William Manning, Governor of Ceylon

1924 : T. M. Z. Mahamooth , P. C. Selvaratnam and

W. A. Wijayaretnam chosen to represent Ceylon at the International Scout Jamboree held in Wembley, London.

1925 : Sanskrit and Music introduced as subjects

Teachers’ Guild inaugurated Visit of Rev. W. T. Barber, M.A., D. D. Visit of Sir Cecil Clementi (Acting Governor)

1926 : Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of Ceylon opened :-

The William Paul Botanical Laboratory The William Romaine Cooke Library The Geographical Laboratory The Art Room

1927 : Mr. J. K. Chanmukam, B.A., L.T., acted as Principal

Rev. Percy T. Cash went on furlough

27th November 1927 : Visit of Mahatma Gandhi

1928 : Rev. Percy T. Cash returned

Mr. J. K. Chanmukam retired

1929 : Mr. J. W. Arudpragasam, B.A., and Mr. O. L. Gibbon, M.A., appointed Co-Vice Principals

Rev. W. J. Noble visited the College

1930 : Death of Mr. J. K. Chanmukam

Vembadi-Central Recreation Club formed. Sir Herbert Stanley, Governor of Ceylon , presided at the College Prize Distribution

Hon. Mr. M.T. Akbar, K.C., visited the College

1931 : New Hostel Buildings opened

1932 : W. R. N. Nathaniel won the Sir Marcus Fernando Scholarship

Malayan Branch of the Old Boys’ Association formed Hon. Mr. P. J. Macdonnel, Chief Justice of the Island, visited. Death of Mr. G. W. Tamber.

Rev. Percy T. Cash went on furlough.

1933 : Mr. R. J. Seal, M.Sc., acted as Principal

V. S. Ariaretnam won the Sir Marcus Fernando Scholarship S. Kandiah represented the Northern Province Boys’ Scout Association at the

International Jamboree held in Budapest

1934 : Rev. Percy T. Cash returned as Principal

June 1935 : Centenary of the renaming of the school as Jaffna Central School in 1834 was celebrated on a large scale.

1936 : "Jaffna Central College": Centenary Memorial Edition was published.

1940 – 1942 : Mr. R. S. D. Williams B.A., Dip. Ed., as Principal

1945 October : Free Education scheme of the Government was adopted at the College.

1952 February : Our student N Ethirveerasingham at the age of 20 particiapated in high jump at the Olympic Games geld in Helsinki,Finland, representing

the country and the only student.

1955 December : Rev. Dr. D. T. Niles became Principal of the College.

1956 : The Golden Jubilee celebration of the Old Boys’ Association.

1960 December : All schools in the island other the ones opted to be private were taken by the state.

1962 : A.E. Tamber became the Principal.

1962 April : The property of the school was vested in the crown by Gazette notification.

1964 : A non-Centralite or Wesleyan Methodist, Mr. E. Sabalingam, was made principal.

1981 : The centenary of the introduction of Cricket into Jaffna by Rev. F. Webster, Principal, was celebrated.

1990 November : The college and its building were almost totally damaged or destroyed by aerial bombing. Mr. N. K. Shanmuganathapillai was appointed

as Principal.

1993.01.05 : The special committee appointed by the Old Boys’ Association to determine the date of founding of the College concluded its finding.

First of August 1816 as the date of founding of the college.

1994 : The college was made a National School.

1996.09.07 : The Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts issued a postage stamp (with the denomination of Rs. 2) and a First Day Cover to

commemorate 180 years of the founding of Jaffna Central College.

1996 November : Mr. K. Rasathurai was appointed as the Principal