Sir Ernest de Silva Kt., BA (Cantab), Bar-at-Law, Inner Temple (1887-1957) was a Cambridge-educated Sri Lankan philanthropist, business magnate and public figure. A wealthy and powerful polymath, Sir Ernest, who was the Chairman of the Senate of Ceylon, Founder-Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon, Governor of the State Mortgage Bank and Chairman of the Ceylon All-Party committee, made many contributions to Sri Lankan society, including vast amounts of philanthropy. He is also considered to be the greatest philatelist in Sri Lanka's history. Sir Ernest was asked to be the first Ceylonese Governor General (Representative of the King in Ceylon, i.e. de-facto Head of State). Sir Ernest was among the pinnacle of Sri Lankan society, defining upper-class society, and was the richest Sri Lankan of his generation. He was renowned and highly respected for his integrity and honesty.
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Formative years
Sir Ernest was born A.E. de Silva Jr. in 1887 at the 'Royal Palace', to one of the most affluent families in Ceylon. His parents and grandparents were hugely wealthy and owned much land all over the country. His father, A.E. De Silva Sr., was one of the wealthiest businessmen in Ceylon, as was his father's business partner and father-in-law, U.D.S. Gunasekera. He received his education first at the Royal College, Colombo before graduating from the University of Cambridge and being called to the bar. He was a close friend of the late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who was a room-mate of his at the University of Cambridge. Nehru came to Sri Lanka in 1930 to visit Sir Ernest. Ernest de Silva was married to Lady Evadne De Silva, a philanthropist herself, who later became the first woman in the Senate of Ceylon. One of his daughters, Sita, married construction magnate U. N. Gunasekera, whose philantrophy rivalled his own, making one of the most prominent traditionally rich families in South-East Asia.[1]
Philanthropy
Sir Ernest was, arguably,[who?] Sri Lanka's Greatest Philanthropist of the Twentieth Century funding a vast number of projects. Among his various projects were the building of two major schools (Devapathiraja Vidyalaya and Lakshmi College) and providing free education as well as scholarships to its students. Sir Ernest and his wife the Senator Lady Evadne De Silva funded the inaugural orphanage in Ceylon; in the form of a donation of 9 acres in Katunayake. They also founded the Angela Children's Home and the Parakrama Home. Sir Ernest also built a temple; The 'Veluvanaramaya'. He gave away lands, buildings and funds to numerous orphanages, hospitals, schools, social service bodies, temples and hermitages without fanfare or publicity.
Faith
Sir Ernest was a strong Buddhist who contributed much to the advancement of Buddhism. One such instance was when he purchased an island in 1905 and offered it to Ven. Nanatiloke, the German monk, to start a hermitage (Polgasduwa) for Buddhist monks. Sir Ernest was thus instrumental in putting Sri Lanka on the map of the world of philosophy and religion. He was the President of the YMBA (Young Men's Buddhist Association) and the Kalutara Bodhi Trust. The Former President of Sri Lanka, The Late Hon.R.Premadasa, stated that 'if there was a Buddhist Temple or school that He (Sir Ernest) did not help, it was not in Sri Lanka'.
Wealth
Sir Ernest was Sri Lanka's richest man and one of the richest South-East Asians of the Twentieth Century. He inherited and purchased vast areas of tea, rubber and coconut estates as well as vast amounts of land in the prominent areas of Colombo. He owned 46 Acres (7360 Perches) of land in prominent areas of Colombo, worth an approximate Rs.40 Billion ($400 million) today, mainly in the Colpetty area which is now regarded as the most expensive area in Sri Lanka. His diverse business interests included Plumbago mining, Plantations and Graphite exporting. One such estate was the famed 1000 acre (4 km²) Salawa estate which was used as a rubber plantation. He resided in one of the most exclusive properties in Sri Lanka: the 'Sirimathipaya' Mansion; equipped with horse stables and tennis courts.
Hobbies
Aside from public life, his central passion was stamp collecting. His Ceylonese collection is said to have been[who?] world-class, second only to the collection of King George V. In keeping with his charitable ways, he donated the money gained from the sale of the orange-red "Post Office" Mauritius One Penny (1847) stamp, one of the world's rarest[2], which brought SFr.1,610,000 or $1.1 million in 1993, towards the construction of the headquarters building for the Young Men's Buddhist Association in Ceylon[3].
Sir Ernest was also known to be one of the best Sri Lankan billiards players of his time. He played rounds with the then world champions in his mansion and club. He was also the President of the Ceylon Turf Club, winning the Governor's Cup in Madras, and maintained a high level of integrity in the 'Sport of Kings'.
Recognition
Sir Ernest was knighted in 1946 by King George VI for his services to Ceylon. In recognition of his services, Flower Road (where he resided) was renamed Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha and a stamp was published in his honour. As he was perhaps the most respected and wealthiest Sri Lankan of his generation, Sir Ernest was asked to be the first Sri Lankan Governor General, equivalent to the Head of State (President), which he declined due to personal reasons. He was one of the first Asians to own a Rolls Royce. His former residence, the mansion 'Sirimathipaya', is now being used as the Office of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
Death
Sir Ernest De Silva died on the 9 May 1957, almost ten years after Sri Lanka gained independence; a cause he strived for. At his funeral, attended by many state officials and leaders, the then Premier S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike mentioned the loss the nation has to bear with and thanked the late philanthropist for his services for Sri Lanka saying that he was a 'true gentleman in every sense of the word'.
