Wesley College is named after John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of the Methodist Church.An Oxford graduate, he was an active evangelist in the history of the Christian Church.
In 1858 Rev. Joseph Rippon (a great uncle of Rev. Henry Highfield) wanted to establish a superior educational institution for the Wesleyan Methodist Mission in South Ceylon. On March 2 1874 (the death anniversary of Rev. John Wesley) Wesley College was founded in the City Mission Buildings at Dam Street, Pettah Sri Lanka. Wesley’s first Principal was Rev. Samuel Wilkin and first Vice Principal, Rev. D. Henry Pereira. – Wiki-