Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 October 3

Burghers

Regions with significant populations
Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Languages
English, Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Indo- Portuguese Creole, Dutch
Related ethnic groups
Portuguese Burghers, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Colombo Chetty

The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) and local women.

Today the mother tongue of the Burghers is English, but historically other languages were spoken by the community, in particular the Sri Lanka Indo-Portuguese, a creole language based on Portuguese and both Sinhala and Tamil.

Demographics

In the census of 1981, the Burgher population of Sri Lanka was enumerated at 39,374 persons and it is still less than 1%. The highest concentration of Burghers is in Colombo (0.72%) and Gampaha (0.5%). There are also similar, significant communities in Trincomalee and Batticaloa, but due to conflict in those areas during the 2001 census, figures are not available. To define the world population (mostly in Sri Lanka, Australia, the US, the UK and Canada) of Burghers would be incorrect as the term Burgher was used for the older generations some of whom still survive today. It would be more accurate to say that those people who have ancestors of Dutch Burgher or other Burgher denominations are spread far and wide into many communities throughout the world.

Legal definition

The Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with the establishment of a legislative Council in Ceylon. It was decided that in order to be defined as a Burgher, one's father had to have been born in Sri Lanka, with at least one European ancestor on one's direct paternal side, regardless of the ethnic origin of one's mother, or what other ethnic groups may be found on the father's side. Because of this definition, Burghers almost always have European surnames (mostly of Portuguese, Dutch and British origin, although it is not uncommon to also find German, French or Russian surnames).

History

Percentage of burghers per district based on 2001 or 1981 (cursive) census.

Main article: Dutch period in Ceylon

Main article: Portuguese Ceylon

The Portuguese arrived in what was then known by outsiders as Ceylon, in 1505. Since there were no women in the Portuguese navy, the Portuguese sailors married local Sinhalese women. This practice of intermarriage with local people was encouraged by the Portuguese, not only in Ceylon, but also in their other colonies, such as Macau in China and Malacca in Malaysia.

When the Dutch took over in 1653, they expelled all the Portuguese. However, they permitted a few stateless persons of Portuguese-Jewish (Marrano) descent, and of mixed Portuguese-Sinhalese ancestry to stay. Many people having a Portuguese name were a result of forced conversion of local/native people in order to work for the Portuguese. As a result, Burghers with Portuguese names are most likely to be of Sinhalese ancestry, with a very small portion being actually Portuguese or mixed Portuguese-Sinhalese ancestry. Those of a Jewish Religious background in origin can be traced in various forms or surmised from their surname.

During the Dutch period, all Dutch colonial operations were overseen by the VOC, ('Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie' or Dutch East India Company). Virtually all Burghers from this period were employees of the VOC. The VOC employed not only Dutch nationals, but also enlisted men from the Southern Netherlands, the German states, Sweden, Denmark and Austria. It is therefore not unusual to find ancestors from these countries in many Dutch Burgher family trees.

The word 'Burgher' comes from the Dutch/German word Vrij Burgher, meaning "free citizen" or "town's dweller", and is cognate with the French and English word "bourgeois". At this time feudalism in Europe had disintegrated and instead of there being just two classes, i.e the nobles and the peasants, we see the emergence of a group between these two, a middle class, consisting of people who were neither aristocrats nor serfs. These were the traders and businessmen, who lived in towns and were considered free citizens. In Europe they were called Burghers, and they were encouraged to migrate to the colonies in order to expand their business horizons. Thus in Dutch Colonial Ceylon we see two classes of people who were of European descent: those who were paid by the VOC and were referred to as Company servants (i.e. employees) and those who had migrated of their own free will in order to carry out their trade, they were not referred to as burghers in Ceylon, but rather by their rank, position or standing in Ceylon. During British colonial rule, they were referred to by the British as 'Dutch Burghers' and formed the European civilian population in Ceylon. To some degree this term was utilized as a derogative term in order to divide and conquer the population, it distinguished between British and other races or positions throughout the island. It is the actions and achievements of the 'Dutch Burgher' community that gave pride to the term and a desire to know and hold onto their European ancestry. A number of Dutch Burgher Union Journals have been created over a period of time, these are a good starting point and do not mean they are of Dutch Origin but rather incorporate European (Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian, French, Swedish etc), United Kingdom, Portuguese Mix, Tamil and Sinhalese lines.

When the British took over in 1796, many VOC employees chose to leave. However, a significant number chose to stay, mostly those of mixed descent. Some choose to go to Batavia, which was the headquarters of the VOC, but it is said that about 900 families, both free citizens and Dutch East India Company employees, decided to remain in Ceylon. Under the British they were all referred to as 'Dutch Burghers'. One condition of their being allowed to stay was that they had to sign a Treaty of Capitulation to the British, and many 'Dutch Burghers' can find their ancestors' names in this treaty. At the time of the British conquest, there were about 900 'Dutch Burgher' families residing in Ceylon, concentrated in Colombo, Galle, Matara and Jaffna. This included members of the Swiss de Meuron Regiment which were a mercenary unit employed by the VOC and after diplomatic negotiations in Europe with which Count de meuron pledged allegiance to the British in exchange for back pay and information. This allowed the British to get detailed fortification information and reduce the fighting strength of Ceylon prior to 1796. The de Meuron Regiment refused to fight the Dutch due to the relationships forged whilst on the island of Ceylon and South Africa. Post 1796 members of the de Meuron Regiment stayed in Ceylon whilst the regiment itself went off to fight and distinguish itself in India and later in Canada.

Culture

Until the early 1900s, as well as English, many Burghers also spoke a form of Portuguese Creole, even those of Dutch descent. It is now only spoken in parts of the coastal towns of Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Most of its vocabulary is from Portuguese, but its grammar is based on that of Tamil and Sinhalese.

Burgher culture is a rich mixture of east and west, reflecting their ancestry. They are the most westernised of the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. Most of them wear western clothing, although it is not uncommon for a man to be seen wearing a sarong, or for a woman to wear a sari.

A number of elements in Burgher culture have actually extended to become part of the cultures of other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. For example, baila music, which has its origin in the music of 16th century Portugal, has found its way into mainstream popular Sinhalese music. Lacemaking, which began as a domestic pastime of Burgher women, is now a part of Sinhalese culture too. Even certain foods, such as love cake, bol fiado (layered cake), ijzer koekjes, and frikkadels (savoury meatballs), have become an integral part of Sri Lankan national cuisine.

Burghers are not physically homogeneous. It is possible to have a blond, fair-skinned Burgher, as well as a Burgher with a very dark complexion and black hair. Fair-skinned and dark-skinned children can even appear as brother and sister in the same family of the same parents. Burghers share a common culture rather than a common ethnicity. While the older generations of Burghers tried to dismiss the obvious Asian side of their ancestry, many younger Burghers today highly value this variety in their heritage.

Burghers have a very strong interest in their family histories. Many old Burgher families kept stamboeks (from the Dutch for "Clan Books"). These recorded not only dates of births, marriages and deaths, but also significant events in the history of a family, such as details of moving house, illnesses, school records, and even major family disputes. An extensive, multi-volume stamboek of many family lineages is kept by the Dutch Burgher Union.

Individual families have traditions which reflect their specific family origins. Burghers of Dutch origin sometimes celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas in December, and those of Portuguese-Jewish origin observe customs such as the separation time of a woman after childbirth (see Leviticus 12:2-5), the redemption of the Firstborn (Pidyon ha-Ben), and the purification bath (taharah) after a daughter’s first period (see niddah). Most of the latter Burgher families, being unaware of the Jewish origins of these customs, have given them a Catholic slant.

However, some of these so-called Jewish left-over traditions can also be explained as borrowings or retention from neighboring Tamil and Sinhalese communities with whom many Burgher families also share ancestry and culture. For example, the purification bath after a girl’s first period is a common cultural feature of the Tamil and Sinhalese communities of Sri Lanka and neighboring India. Hence its prevalence amongst some Burghers families of Sri Lanka is not necessarily of Jewish origins.

Some would even say that a certain attitude has become part of Burgher culture, that of tolerance. While inter-communal strife has sadly become a feature of modern Sri Lankan life, Burghers have on the whole worked to maintain good relations with other ethnic groups. It is safe to say that racial and religious tolerance is an integral part of Burgher culture too.

A new development as regards the Burghers is the establishment of The Burgher Association on 13th October 2001 with headquarters situated at No.393, Union Place, Colombo 2 Sri Lanka.

Genealogy

The maintenance of stamboeks, or genealogical stem-books, was already mentioned in a previous section, and it should be noted that errors and ommissions can be found in most of these and therefore should be used as a starting point in conjunction with crossreferencing of other available material. Today, thanks to the internet, Sri lankan Burgher family genealogies can be accessed electronically. Thus the Family No. 1010, Neydorff-Van Dort, or many other family genealogies can be looked up. Interestingly, Family#1001 gives the lineage of Don Simon de Liveras, de Sarams and others who assimilated with the Bandaranaike family. Family #1261 is the last entry so far, for the Potger family. Other options such as the International Ceylon Database [1] provides a comprehensive source whilst respecting privacy of living individuals or family feuds.

Famous Burghers

• Duncan White The most notable Sri Lankan (then Ceylonese). Medalist at the Melbourne olympics in 1954
• Maureen Hingert represented Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) when Ceylon took part for the first time ever at the 1954 Miss Universe pageant. She was the 3rd runner-up.
• Rosemary Rogers Best selling author romance novels USA.The NY best sellers list
• Jamie Durie - media personality
• Merlyn Swan - Broadcaster and Writer
• Nigel Barker - fashion photographer
• Hans Ebert - Music Executive
• Geoff Jansz - Australian TV chef
• Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha - poet and activist
• Michael Ondaatje - writer of 'The English Patient'
• Professor David de Kretser - Governor of Victoria, Australia
• Sir Christopher Ondaatje - former athlete and philanthropist
• Des Kelly - musician in Australia
• Keith Potger - musician, member of Australian folk group 'The Seekers, ' founder of the 'New Seekers.'
• Douglas Meerwald - deceased, big band singer
• Cliff Foenander - deceased - leading musician
• Robin Foenander -Australian musician and broadcaster
• Nick Ondatje - Inland Empire Musician and businessman
• Alston Koch- Australian musician
• Gresha Schuilling- rising Sri Lankan musician
• Wendy Whatmore - deceased - Sri Lankan educationist
• Ivor Paternott -deceased - Sri Lankan business tycoon
• Rodney Paternott- Sri Lankan Rugby star
• Vivil de Kauwe- founder, dance school
• Reverend Toussaint - Sri Lankan Anglican clergyman
• Pieter Keuneman - Sri Lankan Politician
• Koo de Saram - Sri Lankan tennis star
• Michael Vandort - Sri Lankan cricketer
• Graeme Labrooy - Former Sri Lankan cricketer
• Fredrica Jansz - Sri Lanka journalist
• Michael Bevan- Australian Cricketer
• Terrence Vanderslot - Professional Chef
• Neil Balthazaar - American Football Player
• Neil Brohier - Hotelier
• Dr.RL Brohier - Historical Author, writer of 'Changing Face of Colombo' (1505-1972)
• Cdr Eustace Lorenz Matthysz JP - SLN, famous rugby player and marine engineer
• Delorain Brohier - Historian
• Malcolm Bulner - Famous Boxer who represented Sri Lanka in Olympics
• Lionel Wendt - Sri Lankan photographer and founder of the 43' Group.
• George Keyt - Sri Lankan painter and founding member of 43'Group
• Geoff Beling - Sri Lankan painter and founding member of 43'Group
• Aubrey Collete - Sri Lankan Cartoonist and founding member of the 43' group
• George Claasen - Sri Lankan painter and founding member of 43'Group
• Henry Jan Cooke - Artist and Architect, married Ellen Casperz - Educationist
• Barbara Sansoni - Artist
• Elaine Cole - Baila Dancer
• Anthony P. Hopman Artist - specializing in Wildlife and portraits. Sri Lanka
• Terence Hopman(Hoppy) Professional Chef/B&B operator. Canada
• Rodney Presure - Sri Lankan Artist and politician
• Jean Arasanayagam - poet and painter
• Kenneth Honter - Senior Avertising Personality
• Carl Muller - prolific author of many books including The Jam Fruit Tree, The Yakada Yaka, Once Upon a Tender Time and Children of the Lion
• Jason Cole - International DJ and music producer
• Rodney Koelmeyer- Chairmen/ managing director of Superlink Travels a national and international Award winning travel agent and the largest outbound tour operator in Sri Lanka
• Tessa Bartholomeusz, Phd Professor of Religious Studies; Author - United States
• Desmond Koelmeyer FCMA(UK), Bcomm(Spe)(Hon), FICM. Former CEO OF Lanka Orix Factors

External links

• DUTCH PORTUGUESE COLONIAL HISTORY
• An Exploration into Eurasians, the Burghers of Sri Lanka
• Website of The Burgher Association