Simon Kat and Wilhelmus Conijn translated the Gospels and the Catechism.
[1]: 42–44 During the British Ceylon period, a Bible Society was established in Colombo in 1812.
In 1813, it republished the Dutch translation of the New Testament, originally published in 1780, however, it contained many errors.
Therefore, the orientalist and civil servant William Tolfrey (1778?–1817) initiated work on a new translation, which was completed after his death in 1823.
[1]: 44–49 The Church Missionary Society undertook a new translation, known as the Cotta version, in 1833.