Francis de Zoysa


Francis Sreenath de Zoysa Abeysiriwardena, KC was a Ceylonese lawyer and statesmen. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon and a President of the Ceylon National Congress.

Legal career

Born in the coastal village of Balapitiya, to Demuni Dedrick de Zoysa Abeysiriwardena of Gamakarana Walauwa and Clara Wirasekara from Galhera, Ahungalle. Francis de Zoysa qualified as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. He established a successful legal practice and was appointed a Kings Counsel.

Political career

A President of the Ceylon National Congress, he was elected to the 2nd State Council of Ceylon from Balapitiya in the 1936 general election. In the State Council he introduced the Bribery Act.

Family

He married Ethel Perera Amarasekera Siriwardena of Ragama Walauwa. Their children were Sydney de Zoysa, A. C. "Bunty" de Zoysa, Violet Rajapakse, Olga de Zoysa, Dickie de Zoysa, Gwendoline de Zoysa, Stanley de Zoysa, Lucien de Zoysa, Douglas de Zoysa, Capt Kenneth De Zoysa, Iris Wickremasinghe, Olive Amarasekera.