Sir Charles Peter Layard, Knight Commander of the Order of Street Michael and Saint George, was the first Mayor of Colombo and the Government Agent for the Western Provinces of Ceylon.
Background
Charles Peter Layard was born on 9 December 1806 in Colombo, the first son of Charles Edward Layard (1786 - 1852) and Barbara Brigentina née Mooyart (1789 - 1845). His father migrated to Ceylon in 1804, where he took up an appointment as the Second Assistant to the Agent of Revenue in Jaffna.
Education
Layard was educated at Street John"s College, Cambridge, where obtained a Master of Arts (Cantab).
Career
He had twenty other siblings. He returned to Ceylon where he joined the Ceylon Civil Service, becoming an Assistant in the Colonial Office, between 1830 and 1832. Between 1832 and 1839 he was the Assistant to Collector at Colombo, following which he was appointed as a District Judge in Galle (1839-1840) and at Trincomalee (1840-1850) and again at Galle (1850-1851).
During this period he acted as Colonial Secretary on at least three occasions.
Between January 1866 - June 1877 he served as the first Mayor of Colombo. From 1876 he also served as the Government Agent Western Provinces of Ceylon.
Personal
They had nine children: Louisa Sophia (1835 - 1896), Frances Elizabeth (1837 - 1932), Julia Mary (1838 - 1921), Mary Charlotte (1840 - 1932), Henrietta Emily (1842 - 1919), Laetitia Anna (1844 - 1930), Clemence Jane (1846 - 1926), Jane Caroline (1848 - 1890) and Charles Peter (1849 - 1916). Their son Charles went onto become the 18th Chief Justice of Ceylon.
Layard died on 17 July 1893 in London but was buried at Street Peter"s Church in Colombo.