Ernest de Silva
Lawyer, Collector
1887 – 1957
Who was Ernest de Silva?
Sir Ernest de Silva KBE was a Ceylonese business magnate, banker, barrister and public figure, considered to be the most prominent Ceylonese philanthropist of the 20th century. A wealthy and influential polymath, he was the founder-chairman of the largest bank in Ceylon, the Bank of Ceylon, the founder-governor of the State Mortgage Bank and chairman of the Ceylon All-Party committee. He made many contributions to Ceylonese society and is also considered to be the preeminent philatelist in the history of Ceylon. Upon Ceylon's independence, he was asked to become the first Ceylonese Governor General, an honour he declined for personal reasons. De Silva was at the pinnacle of upper-class society and, as the wealthiest Ceylonese of his generation, he defined the island's ruling class. His memorials describe him as highly respected for his integrity and honesty.
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- Born
- Nov 26, 1887
Colombo - Spouses
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Ethnicity
- Sinhalese people
- Nationality
- Sri Lanka
- Profession
- Education
- University of Cambridge
- Clare College, Cambridge
- Royal College, Colombo
- Died
- May 9, 1957
Colombo
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
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