Biography.guide
Home › People › Writer › Peter De Abrew
Portrait of Peter De Abrew

Peter De Abrew

1862 – 1940

Sri Lankan businessman

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Peter De Abrew

Lived 1862 – 1940 (aged 77–78). Peter De Abrew was a writer.

Peter De Abrew, MBE (1862–1940) was a Ceylonese industrialist and philanthropist.

Born to William de Abrew, a successful businessman of Portuguese descent, Peter De Abrew was educated at the Colombo Academy (now Royal College, Colombo). Going into business as a produce merchant, De Abrew gained a strong reputation amongst the business community. In 1904 he was appointed as the Assistant Commissioner by the Government of Ceylon for the St. Louis Exposition in the USA.

A devoted Buddhist, he was a member of the Colombo Committee that created the Buddhist flag. He was a notable member of the Theosophical Society and he was a founder and patron of the Musaeus College in Colombo.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1932 Birthday Honours for his services to education in Ceylon. The Peter De Abrew Memorial Scholarship has been awarded annually since 1948 in his memory at his alma mater Royal College, Colombo and the Peter De Abrew Memorial Auditorium at Musaeus College is named after him.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1862
Birth century
Died
1940
Occupation
Education
Royal College, Colombo
Awards
Member of the Order of the British Empire

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter De Abrew's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter De Abrew?

Sri Lankan businessman

When was Peter De Abrew born?

Peter De Abrew was born in 1862.

When did Peter De Abrew die?

Peter De Abrew died in 1940.

What was Peter De Abrew's occupation?

Peter De Abrew was a writer.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter De Abrew

· Wikidata: Q7173596

· DBpedia: Peter De Abrew

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter De Abrew. https://biography.guide/peter-de-abrew/

MLA: "Peter De Abrew." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-de-abrew/.

Chicago: "Peter De Abrew." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-de-abrew/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:57 UTC