Trinity College, Kandy founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries, is an Independent elite private boys’ school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka. It is widely considered to be the premier private boys' school in Sri Lanka. The antecedents of Trinity College go back to 1817, just two years after Britain had gained control of the central hills of Sri Lanka and with them the entire island in 1815. The first missionaries from Britain, Mr. and Mrs. Browning, set up an elementary school of humble proportions in Kandy which flourished in its day but was later closed down for unknown reasons. Four decades later, Rev. Ireland Jones established the Kandy Collegiate School in 1857 at the same premises, but again for unknown reasons it was closed down in 1863. Upon those foundations was founded in 1872 a new school which was named Trinity College, after Rev. Ireland Jones' alma mater, Trinity College Dublin. James Alexander Dunuwille Snr, by then Deputy Queen’s Advocate, donated a large extent of land to Trinity College. This donation was said to have been done during the time of the Kandy Collegiate School founded by Rev. Ireland Jones, the fore runner to Trinity College.