BURROWS, Stephen Montagu. Headington, Oxfordshire 26.12.1856 — Oxford 4.3.1935. Sir. British Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of Montagu Burrows (1819–1905), Professor of Naval History at Oxford, and Mary Anna Whalley-Smythe-Gardiner. Educated at Eton, studies at Exeter College, Oxford. B.A. 1879, M.A. 1884. In 1880 joined Ceylon C.S. Mainly served in judicial and revenue appointments, in 1899-1902 Director of Public Instruction, then Government Agent in North Western Province. Retired after 26 years’ service. C.I.E. 1917. Knighted 1923. Married 1890 Isabella Christina Cruickshank (1859–1940), one son and one daughter.As Assistant Government Agent in North Central Province he supervised archaeological survey at Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in 1884-86.
Publications: “Stray notes on Anurādhapuran archaeology”, The Orientalist 2, 1886, 131-136; “Jottings from Jungle Diary”, JRAS-CB 10:34, 1887, 1-13 (on Anurādhapura) & “A Year’s Work at Palonnaruwa”, Ibid. 46-82 (mainly on inscriptions).
– Visitor’s Guide to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. 1884, 7th rev. & enl. ed. 72 p. Colombo 1910.
– The Buried Cities of Ceylon: a guide book to Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, with chapters on Dambulla, Kalavewa, Mihintale, and Sigiri. Colombo 1886, 4th ed. 16+120 p. Colombo 1905.
– Report on Archaeological work in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, 1885. 13 p. Papers laid before the Legislative Council of Ceylon, Sessional Paper. no. 10. Colombo 1886.
– Edited his father’s Autobiography of Montagu Burrows. 21+260 p. L. 1908.
– The Ancient Civilisation of Ceylon. 1928.
Sources: J.R. Toussaint, Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon 23, 1934, 137; Wikipedia; portrait in Nat. Portrait Gallery (npg.org.ik).
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