▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁local ▁Buddh ist ▁religion ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁For ▁ge opol it ical ▁reasons , ▁the ▁British ▁saw ▁fit ▁to ▁restrict ▁the ▁American ▁mission aries ▁to ▁the ▁J aff na ▁Pen ins ula . ▁There ▁were ▁many ▁denomin ations ▁present ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Method ist , ▁Pres by ter ians , ▁and ▁Epis cop ali ans ▁whereas ▁the ▁British ▁mission aries ▁of ▁the ▁Method ist , ▁Bapt ist ▁and ▁Ang lic an ▁sect s ▁were ▁present ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁island . ▁Even ▁when ▁this ▁restriction ▁was ▁removed , ▁the ▁initial ▁divisions ▁between ▁North ▁C ey lon ▁and ▁South ▁C ey lon ▁miss ions ▁were ▁maintained .( see ▁Wes ley an ▁Method ist ▁Mission , ▁North ▁C ey lon ) ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁there ▁were ▁nine ▁mission ▁stations ▁within ▁the ▁small ▁pen ins ula . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁invol vement ▁▁ ▁The ▁se eds ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁invol vement ▁in ▁J aff na ▁were ▁laid ▁by ▁The ▁Rev . ▁Samuel ▁New ell ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 3 . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Har ri et ▁New ell ▁were ▁sent ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Board ▁of ▁Commission ers ▁for ▁Foreign ▁Mission ▁in ▁India ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 3 . ▁As ▁it ▁was ▁just ▁after ▁the ▁Ang lo - American ▁war ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁the ▁susp icious ▁British ▁authorities ▁in ▁Cal cut ta ▁asked ▁them ▁to ▁leave .