John Frederick Giffening (4 February 1787 - 25 September 1851) was a Ceylonese proctor, public notary and politician.

John Frederick Giffening
Burgher member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
In office
1843–1851
Preceded byJ. G. Hillebrand
Succeeded byRichard Morgan
Personal details
Born
Johan Frederick Giffening

4 February 1787
Colombo, Ceylon
Died25 September 1851(1851-09-25) (aged 64)
Colombo, Ceylon
SpouseHenrietta Matilda Toussaint
Childrenseven

Early life and education

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John Frederick Geffening was born on 4 February 1787 in Colombo, Ceylon, the son of Reverend Bernhard Abraham Giffening (1762-1812), the head of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ceylon, and Maria Sophia née Francius (1754-1812). In 1796 the British formally took control of the Dutch colonies in Ceylon, with all the Dutch colonists who agreed to stay signing a treaty of capitulation, which guaranteed they would remain loyal and not defect if the Dutch attempted to re-conquer Ceylon. In 1807 Giffening was appointed as a proctor (a position similar to a solicitor) of the District Court and in 1811 a proctor of the Supreme Court.[1][2]

Professional career

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He was subsequently appointed as one of the three proctors sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court of Ceylon (known as the Vice Admiralty Court).[3] He also served on the Board of Examiners for many years, who James de Alwis described as being an old, narrow-minded austere but clever Dutch lawyer.[4] In 1843 he was appointed as the second unofficial member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon, representing the Burgher community, replacing J. G. Hillebrand, following the later's appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court.[5][6]

Personal life

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Giffening married Henrietta Matilda Toussaint (1837-?) on 15 September 1858 at Wolvendaal Church.[7] They had seven children: John Frederick (1859-1929); Edwin Arnold (b.1861); Dorothy Henrietta (b.1863); Peter Bernard Toussaint (1864-1925); Frederica Anna (1866-1938); Julian Theodore Louis (1870-1944); and Georgiana Matilda (c.1877-1944).

He died on 25 September 1851 in Colombo, at the age of 64. Richard Morgan was subsequently appointed to his seat on the Legislative Council.[5][8]

References

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  1. ^ The Ceylon Directory: Calendar and Compendium of Useful Information" (1866). LII
  2. ^ "Ceylon Almanac and Compendium of useful information". Colombo: Govt. Press. 1833. nla.obj-24678246. Retrieved 16 November 2022 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "The Ceylon Almanac and Compendium" (PDF). Colombo: A. De Krester. 1850. p. 133.
  4. ^ Amerasinghe, A. R. B. (1986) The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka: The First 185 Years. Sri Lanka Sarvodaya Book Publishing Services
  5. ^ a b Toussaint, J. R. (July 1945). "Journal of the Dutch Burger Union of Ceylon" (PDF). Burgher Members in Council. XXV. Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon: 2-3.
  6. ^ Muller, J. B. "A Burgher perspective on politics in Sri Lanka today". The Daily News. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  7. ^ Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon (1909) Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon: 33
  8. ^ Digby, William. Forty Years of Official and Unofficial Life in an Oriental Crown Colony: Being the Life of Sir Richard F. Morgan, Kt., Queen's Advocate and Acting Chief Justice of Ceylon. Sri Lanka: Higginbotham (1879)