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Archival description
Samuel James Velupillai (S. J. V.) Chelvanayakam fonds
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Samuel James Velupillai (S. J. V.) Chelvanayakam fonds

  • UTSC 014
  • Fonds
  • n.d., 1921, 1929-1930, 1933-1937, 1939-1940, 1944-1988

The fonds reflects Chelvanayakam’s career as a political leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil community, as well as documenting the daily operations of the Federal Party.

The fonds documents important political events in Sri Lanka from the 1950s to the 1970s and provides witness to the struggles faced by Sri Lankan Tamils.

The fonds also contains records relating to his family, background, and memorial material collected after his death by his wife, Emily Grace Chelvanayakam. The fonds is organized into three series and covers the periods of 1933-1937, 1939-1940, 1944-1988, with the bulk of the material being from the 1960s and 1970s.

Personal records include correspondence, personal items, financial and estate documentation, and other material. Professional records include office files, party records, correspondence, and documentation. Memorial material includes posters, newspaper clippings, and a book of condolences. The fonds is organized as follows:

  1. Personal material
    1.1. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam personal correspondence
    1.2. S. J. V. and Emily Grace Chelvanayakam correspondence
    1.3. Emily Grace Chelvanayakam correspondence
    1.4. Personal items
    1.5. Miscellaneous correspondence
    1.6. Miscellaneous family material
    1.7. Financial documents
  2. Professional material
    2.1. Professional files
    2.2. Professional correspondence
    2.3. Documentation
    2.4. Printed materials
    2.5. Ceylon Newspaper Limited/ The Sutantiran
    2.6. ITAK files
  3. Memorial material

Chelvanayakam, Samuel James Velupillai

Emily Grace Chelvanayakam correspondence

Subseries contains personal correspondence addressed to Emily Grace Chelvanayakam. Letters are arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's name.
Series also contains the many letters of condolences and telegrams sent to Emily Grace after her husband's death in April 1977. Personal condolence letters from family are in a folder organized chronologically. The letters of condolence and telegrams are in their original order, which may have been by date received.

Personal material

Series contains the personal material of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and his wife, Emily Grace Chelvanayakam. Series also contains some personal material of other friends or family who may have worked or lived at their residence of 16 Alfred House Gardens.

Series is composed of seven (7) subseries:

SS1. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam personal correspondence
SS2. S. J. V. and Emily Grace Chelvanayakam correspondence
SS3. Emily Grace Chelvanayakam correspondence
SS4. Personal items
SS5. Miscellaneous correspondence
SS6. Miscellaneous family material
SS7. Financial documents

Professional material

Series reflects the daily operations of the Federal Party and documents the daily life and struggles of Sri Lankan Tamil people from the 1950s to the 1970s. Types of material includes election records, correspondence between members of parliament and community members, correspondence and records documenting grievances and political issues, and administrative records.

In 1961, Chelvanayakam was recovering in a hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland after surgery for Parkinson’s disease. Chelvanayakam received and sent many letters at this time, both personal and professional in nature. These letters can be found both in personal and professional files by the correspondent’s name.

Series is composed of six (6) subseries:

2.1 Professional files
2.2 Professional correspondence
2.3 Documentation
2.4 Printed materials
2.5 Ceylon Newspaper Limited/ The Sutantiran
2.6 ITAK files

Professional correspondence

Subseries contains correspondence in the following order: early professional correspondence predominantly from the late 1940s and 1950s; correspondence to Chelvanayakam; correspondence from Chelvanayakam; and miscellaneous correspondence to/from individuals other than Chelvanayakam.

Early professional correspondence (1940s-1950s) has been arranged chronologically since this covers a time when many party members were under house arrest resulting in increased written correspondence, and since documentation from this time period is sparse. All other correspondence is alphabetical.

Professional correspondence was found in miscellaneous boxes and has been arranged alphabetically by correspondent by the archivist. This correspondence was found separate from the professional files although subject-wise they can overlap.

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