Henry Pedris
| Henry Pedris | |
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Henry Pedris
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| Born | 16 August 1888 Galle, Ceylon |
| Died | 7 July 1915 (aged 26) Colombo, Ceylon |
| Service/branch | Ceylon Defence Force |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Colombo Town Guard |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Captain Duenuge Edward Henry Pedris CTG (Sinhalese: හෙන්රි පේද්රිස්; 16 August 1888 – 7 July 1915) was a militia officer and a prominent socialite in colonial Ceylon (present Sri Lanka) who was executed by British officials for alleged incitement of racial riots in 1915, a charge which was later proven false. His execution at a young age was viewed as extremely unjust by most Sri Lankans, hastening the movement toward independence and providing motivation and a martyr for those who pioneered the movement.
Henry Pedris was born in Galle, Ceylon, the youngest of five children and the only son of Duenuge Disan Pedris and Mallino Pedris. Both his father and uncle N.S. Fernando Wijesekara were leading businessmen of the time, and his family was among the wealthiest and most influential in Sri Lanka.
Pedris first attended Royal College situated in the Pettah. From there he joined St. Thomas' College where he excelled in sports and shone as a good cricketer, playing for the school's first eleven cricket team. After some time he returned to Royal College where he again played cricket and engaged in other sporting activities.
Pedris was a teetotaler and his father had great hopes that Pedris would one day take over his business enterprises and become a leader in the commercial sector.
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