“OLD HENRY POLE WHO GOT THE WORK IN THE MATARA COURTS IN A MESS ‘ – By HUGH KARUNANAYAKE
The words above were expressed by Mr Edward Elliott Government Agent of the Southern Province in 1860. Henry Pole was in the Ceylon Civil Service for 26 years.It was an age where Civil Servants (mainly British)were appointed to Judicial positions. He was Police Magistrate Mulaitivu in 1845, then at Galle for a couple of years each in different judicial capacities then as District Judge Matara, and finally District Judge Batticaloa from where he retired in 1971.
Henry Pole who served in the Ceylon Civil Service from 1845 to 1871, married the 18 year old daughter of Joseph Price also of the Ceylon Civil Service on 2 February 1853. Pole was himself in his fifties when he married his eighteen year old bride. Henry Pole was Police Magistrate Mulaitivu when he married. His father in law Joseph Price was District Judge of Jaffna at the time.
Henry Pole was a direct descndant of the First Baron Montagu earlier known also as Henry Pole. He was created a Baron by King Henry VIII in 1514 who later charged him with treason and imprisoned him in the Tower of London till his death.
The 19th Century descendant of the Baron was also a victim of personal tragedy, his wife then 27 years of age having died in June 1863. There is a memorial plaque in St John’s Church Chundikuli, Jaffna erected by her ever sorrowing husband which reads:
Sacred to the memory of Catherine Emily the beloved wife of Henry Pole, Esqr CCS, and fifth daughter of Joseph Price Esqr CCS, … aged 27 yeArs.
Gentle, most affectionate and confiding, a faithful wife, a loving and obliging friend, charitable to all, and full of gratitude for little kindnesses ,humbly but firmly believing in the Lamb of God, whose. Precious blood cleaneth from all sin, her sole trust was in Him. Her remains are interred by the side of her mother, Eliza Toler Price, in the north east portion of the burial ground belonging to this church
This ,memorial is erected by her ever sorrowing husband.
June 17 th AD 1864
With the aid of some rare photographs that are in the possession of the writer, it is possible to speculate the reason for Henry Pole’s alleged neglect or mismanagement of his position.
The photo below shows Henry Pole seated with hat on knee and wife Catherine seated beside him on the ground. The general appearance of the group seem to suggest that the photo was taken either before or after a shooting expedition somewhere in the South of Ceylon. The tree behind on the left of the picture also suggest it was a banyan tree, rarely seen in the North of Ceylon. So the location is suggestive of Matara, further reinforced by an accompanied photo of the District Court of Matara, shown further below. Another photograph taken around the same time, shows a similar group including Mr and Mrs Henry Pole, all ready to go on another “shoot” . The picture too adds to the general conclusion possible, that the country abounded in game, and there was little other recreational activity available. So one cant really blame Henry Pole for getting the work in the Matara courts “in a mess”!
MR AND MRS HENRY POLE AND SHOOTING PARTY
DISTRICT COURT MATARA CIRCA 1850
HENRY POLE AND PARTY (BEFORE OR AFTER ) SHOOTING EXPEDITION
