James Alfred Ernest Corea

James Alfred Ernest Corea
Dr. James Alfred Ernest Corea of Chilaw
Born	1870 Chilaw, Sri Lanka
Died	1939 Chilaw, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Education	Royal College, Colombo, Ceylon Medical College, Colombo
Occupation	Medical Doctor
Title	Doctor
Spouse(s)	Letitia Grace Alice Seneviratne (deceased), Mildred Wickramaratne
Children	Bertram Corea, Ivan Corea, Gwendoline Corea, Charles Alfred Ernest Corea, Malcolm Corea, Eunice Corea, Ernestine Corea
Parent(s)	Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea and Henrietta Seneviratne

Dr James Alfred Ernest Corea was a Sri Lankan public official. He was born in 1870. His father was Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea who was a Proctor of the Supreme Court. His mother was Henrietta Seneviratne. J.A.E Corea's father died in 1872 when his youngest son Victor was just one. His wife Henrietta was a widow from the age of 21.

James Alfred Ernest Corea grew up in the west coast town of Chilaw, with his older brother and his three younger siblings, They lived with their mother, who was of the Seneviratne family of Sri Lanka.

J.A.E Corea was educated at Royal College, Colombo along with his older brother Charles Edgar Corea. After leaving Royal College, he participated in a five year course at the Ceylon Medical College and qualified as a doctor. Following this, he entered government service and held his appointments at Elkaduwa and Kandy. Following his marriage to Letita Grace Alice Senevirante in 1897, he resigned, but continued his practice in Chilaw privately.

He was the brother of Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea, Agnes Corea and Evangeline Corea. Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea were freedom fighters in Sri Lanka during British rule. C.E. Corea was elected president of the Ceylon National Congress in 1924. Both brothers were also elected members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.

The Sunday Times newspaper of Sri Lanka writing about the three brothers, noted: 'Of the three boys, the eldest, Charles Edgar Corea, was educated at Royal College and having excelled in studies and cricket, he passed out as a proctor of the Supreme Court, took to politics and in 1924 was elected president of the Ceylon National Congress. Warden Stone of S. Thomas' College described old Royalist C.E. Corea as one of the finest speakers of the English language. The second boy in the family was Dr. Alfred Ernest Corea who was educated at S. Thomas' College. He passed out as a doctor of medicine and chose to practise in Chilaw. He was a clever doctor and what was unique about him was that he charged no fees from the poor for his services. '

The English author, Arnold Wright in 'Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon,' published in 1907 wrote: 'Charles Edward has left three sons, the eldest of whom, Charles Edgar, a Proctor, is the unofficial leader of the Chilaw Bar, a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, and Chairman of the Chilaw Association. In 1899, he was elected by the various native associations of Ceylon, and a public meeting in Colombo, to proceed to England as a delegate of the people of Ceylon, to lay before the Imperial Government a representation against the Waste Lands Ordinance. The second son, Alfred Ernest,is a physician, and the youngest, Charles Edward Victor, is an Advocate of the Supreme Court.'