The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and British) and local women.
Today the mother tongue of the Burghers is English, but historically other languages were spoken by the community, in particular the Sri Lanka Indo-Portuguese, a creole language based on Portuguese and both Sinhala and Tamil.
Demographics:
To define the world population of Burghers (mostly in Sri Lanka, Australia, the US, the UK and Canada) would be incorrect as the term Burgher was used for the older generations some of whom still survive today. It would be more accurate to say that those people who have ancestors of Dutch Burgher or other Burgher denominations are spread far and wide into many communities throughout the world. Bearers of such surnames as Furnandes (a variety of PortTo define the world population of Burghers (mostly in Sri Lanka, Australia, the US, the UK and Canada) would be incorrect as the term Burgher was used for the older generations some of whom still survive today. It would be more accurate to say that those people who have ancestors of Dutch Burgher or other Burgher denominations are spread far and wide into many communities throughout the world. Bearers of such surnames as Furnandes (a variety of Portugese Fernandes), Mirano, and Vandort are of Dutch Ancestry.ugese Fernandes), Mirano, and Vandort are of Dutch Ancestry.
Legal Definition:
Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with the establishment of a legislative Council in Ceylon. It was decided that in order to be defined as a Burgher, one's father had to have been born in Sri Lanka, with at least one European ancestor on one's direct paternal side, regardless of the ethnic origin of one's mother, or what other ethnic groups may be found on the father's side. Because of this definition, Burghers almost always have European surnames (mostly of Portuguese, Dutch and British origin, although it is not uncommon to also find German, French or Russian surnames).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgher_people
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