Ernest de Silva

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Sir Albert Ernest de Silva (1927 Sinhala name: ශ්‍රිමත් අර්නස්ට් ද සිල්වා) was a Ceylonese businessman, banker, lawyer and philanthropist. He was born on 26 November 1887 in Colombo and died on 9 May 1957 in Colombo. He is regarded as one of the greatest philanthropists in Sri Lanka’s history and a key figure in the country’s development.

He studied at Royal College, Colombo, then Clare College, Cambridge, and was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in London. He became a wealthy businessman and founded the Bank of Ceylon, the island’s largest bank. He also helped establish the State Mortgage Bank and chaired the Ceylon All-Party Committee.

De Silva used his wealth to help many people. He funded several schools, including Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Dematagoda Veluvanarama Vidyalaya, and Lakshmi College, and supported free education and scholarships. He is often called the “Grandfather of free education” for starting the first free Buddhist English school in the south, well before free education was introduced nationwide. He and his wife Evadne funded the first orphanage in Sri Lanka and supported many health projects, such as the country’s first tuberculosis sanatorium in Kandana and a radiology unit at the National Hospital.

He was a strong Buddhist supporter, helping the YMBA and Kalutara Bodhi Trust, and his wife served as the first president of the Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress. He was knighted in 1946 for his public services.

After independence, he was asked to become Sri Lanka’s first Governor General but declined for personal reasons. He was one of the island’s wealthiest men and owned large tea, rubber and coconut estates, as well as land in Colombo. His residence, Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha, became the Prime Minister’s Office.

De Silva was a renowned stamp collector, considered one of the best in the world. He owned the famous orange-red Mauritius Post Office stamp and donated it to help build the YMBA headquarters; it later sold for a record sum at auction. He also enjoyed billiards, owned a Rolls-Royce, and served as president of the Ceylon Turf Club.

He died at the age of 69. His funeral was attended by many leaders, and Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike praised him as a “true gentleman” who had served Sri Lanka with distinction.