Sri Lanka Land and Property

Asia Sri Lanka

Head tombos/landholders
Research use: Excellent family identification and linkage material.

Record type: Lists of landholders and families, native and European colonial, under Dutch jurisdiction.

Time period: 1742 to 1771.

Contents: District, division, village, full name of family head, age, wife’s name, children’s names, names of collateral relatives, age, caste, and occupation.

Location: Sri Lanka National Archives, Colombo.

Population coverage: 15%.

Reliability: Good.

Dutch tombos/register of landholders
Research use: A very important record group to build up local genealogies. For some families this is the only source which provides linkage information.

Record type: Lists of principal Dutch landholders and families.

Time period: 1742 to 1771.

Contents: Name of landholder, name of wife, lands held, taxes paid to Dutch East India Company, and lists of previous landholder.

Location: Sri Lanka National Archives, Colombo.

Population coverage: About 30% of Dutch landholders in western and southern provinces.

Reliability: Good.