M. S. Simon de Silva (1885–1958) of Gintota & East Africa
By Dr. Lalitha de Silva, Geetha Premaratne, K. K. de Silva
M. S. Simon de Silva (1885–1958)
of Gintota & East Africa
Royal Jeweller to the H. H. The Sultan of Zanzibar in the
early 1900s
Introduction
Mutuwa Sarukkalige Simon de Silva
was an astute businessman, a well-known landed proprietor, a pioneer
industrialist & a benevolent philanthropist from Gintota. His family name Sarukkalige is an ancient Karawa ancestral
name that reflects a strong historical association with naval warriors,
seafarers and coastguards.( The Karava people of Sri Lanka,
17 April 2024, The
"Sarukkali" Ancestral Name of Karava families)
Early Life in East Africa
Born at Gintota in 1885, Simon de Silva ventured overseas
early in his life and established business enterprises in Zanzibar, Nyasaland
(Malawi) and other East African countries. His career as a jeweller and
businessman is mentioned in many East African trade journals of the era. Of
special mention is his company in Zanzibar which had the distinction of being
manufacturing jewellers by appointment to H.H. the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1919
and his company in Blantyre, Nyasaland (now commercial hub of Malawi), that
dealt in a large variety of diamond and gem-set engagement rings, necklets and
brooches and ebony and ivory carving. Extracts of some of
these entries are reproduced below.One of his advertisements appearing in the
Handbook of Nyasaland is reproduced below:
Family members
have recalled that Simon de Silva owned gem & jewellery business
establishments not only in Zanzibar and Blantyre, but also in Mozambique & Madagascar.
His business
enterprises employed a large number of people, including Ceylonese. He was closely associated
with the Sultan of Zanzibar & was awarded
a medal by King George the Fifth
for his outstanding business ventures, his contributions to cultural activities
and his social services for the local community. An entry in the Nyasaland
Government Gazette - Volume 47 - Page 51 shows that his business was still in
operation in 1940, managed by William de Silva, M. S. Edward de Silva, Arnolis
R. T.B., W.M. Ermanis de Silva etc. Unfortunately, some of the records were
lost when the 2004 tsunami affected the ancestral home, but it is believed that
his overseas business was in operation from about 1915 to 1945. Documented
evidence confirms that Simon de Silva was a successful and highly regarded
jeweller & businessman in East Africa. It may be added that there were
other Ceylonese jewellers in East Africa at this time, & some of them were
: H. H. M. De Silva & Co., B. Singho Appu & Co, D. B. Ranti de Silva
& Bros. etc.
In addition to being a successful businessman, Simon
de Silva was a much-loved and respected employer who won the confidence and
appreciation of the large number of people who worked for him. This is
evidenced by the silver tray and tea set that was presented to him by his
employees in 1917 in Zanzibar as a testimony of their gratitude and esteem for
his great ability and virtues. The tea set now in the
possession of his daughter, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Lalitha de Silva,
domiciled in the UK, is shown below together with the names of the employees.
”Names of employees: M. Girigoris, S. K. Gorge,
K. Richard, B. Charles, T. A. Abeynayake, M. Hendrick, B. P. Methew, S. K.
Charles, J. A. James, D. B. Davith Hamy, K. A. Peris Hamy, L. B. Davith Hamy,
A. M. Ube Hamy
Extracts from East African Trade Journals
books.google.lk › books 1919 · Snippet view FOUND INSIDE
By Special Appointment to
H.H. THE SULTAN OF ZANZIBAR . M.S.
SIMON DE SILVA ... BLANTYRE ,
NYASALAND . RICHARD & Co. , MAIN ROAD , ZANZIBAR . P.O. BOX 109 ... DE SILVA & BROTHERS SOLE
PROPRIETOR : D. B. RANTI DE SILVA ,
ACACIA AVENUE ...
2) A Handbook of Nyasaland - Page xxviii
books.google.lk › books
Nyasaland, Stephen Samuel Murray · 1922 · Snippet view
FOUND INSIDE – PAGE XXVIII
... Zanzibar . M. S. Simon de Silva & Co. ,
MANUFACTURING JEWELLERS , BLANTYRE , IVORY CARVERS , and Dealers in Ebony ,
Curiosities , Brassware , :: and Ceylon Hand - made Lace . :: A large variety
of Diamond and Gem - Set ENGAGEMENT RINGS ...
books.google.lk › books 1922 FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 302
The
Directory of East Africa, Uganda & Zanzibar. EDUCATION . In Zanzibar Towr
1. GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS Government ... De Lord
, A. R. P. ཏ ༢ Ismailia Library 50 De
Silva , H.H.M. 20 De Silva , M. S. , Simon & Co. 10 De Sousa
, A. C.
3) Nyasaland Government Gazette - Volume 47 - Page 51
books.google.lk › books Nyasaland · 1940 FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 51
... Blantyre P. H. Fernandes , P.O.
Box 13 , Blantyre Remedios
Fernandes , P.O. Box 13 , Blantyre Manuel
Francis ... De Silva , c /
o M. S. Simon de Silva and
Coy . , P.O. Box 57 , Blantyre William De Silva , P.O. Box 57 , Blantyre ...
books.google.lk › books [Anonymus AC02806168] · 1925 FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 47
...
Silva, Ltd., P. O. B. 496 John Orr & Co., P. O. B. 17 Eduardo Silva &
Co ... Blantyre Barclays
Bank (D, C. & O.) (5) Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd ... M. S. Simon da Silva & Coy.
(9, 42) Amarsi Vithaldas (3, 6, 41) Limbe ...
Simon de Silva
was also a landed proprietor. He owned rubber estates, coconut plantations and
rental properties at Gintota and at other locations in the Galle District. With
competing commitments overseas and at home, he travelled from East Africa to
Ceylon many times during his business career to attend to personal, property
and other matters in Ceylon. His earliest visit back home would have been for
his marriage to Nandawathie Wickramasooriya from an illustrious family at
Kataluwa in 1917.
 |
| Mrs. Nandawathie de Silva |
It also appears that he was back in Ceylon in 1923 as shown by the
Register of Voters for the Legislative Council Election for the Southern
Province in 1923. His name appears in the Register alongside the name of Mutuwa
Sarukkalige William de Silva who is likely to have been his brother. Having
voting rights in Ceylon in the early 1920s is a noteworthy distinction because
only people who had literacy or owned sufficient property and income were
eligible to vote, which amounted to just 4% of the population at the time.( Sri Lanka: The
Untold Story, Chapter 5: Political polarization on communal lines, By
K.T.Rajasingham).
REGISTER OF VOTERS FOR THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE.
Prepared under “ The Ceylon (Legislative Council) Order in Council, 1920 .”
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION, contains the following entries :
520 De Silva, Mutuwa Sarukkalige 254, Gintota, Galle
William
521 De Silva, Mutuwa Sarukkalige 254, Gintota, Galle
Simon
M.
S. Baron de Silva was William de Silva's father. It is interesting to note that
two of those who have submitted affidavits were the sons of K. C. Juanis de
Silva who lived at No. 255 & of A. W. P. Don Davit de Silva who lived at No. 264, both of whom were wealthy and
leading businessmen of the country.
Simon
de Silva had sufficient wealth even as early as 1910
to build a spacious mansion named 'Siri Giri', on Galle Rd, at the turn-off to
the Gintota Railway Station, the
premises of which extended up to the Galle - Colombo
railway line.
His neighbours on either side were K.C. Juanis de Silva towards Colombo, & A. W. P. Don Davit de Silva, towards Galle & he maintained close links with both families. Simon de Silva owned a horse-drawn carriage which he maintained right up to 1948 at a time when most people of means could afford only bullock-drawn buggy carts.
Later Years
Simon de Silva returned to Ceylon in his later years and opened a factory almost opposite his home, at Gintota, to manufacture soap for sale and distribution in the Southern Province. It was a significant industrial enterprise and is listed in Ferguson’s Ceylon Directory from 1942 to 1952.
Simon
de Silva and his wife were benefactors of the Gangathilaka Temple &
other temples in the area. On two occasions, they offered alms
to one hundred Buddhist monks at their spacious home at Gintota. They
also helped the less fortunate people in the area.
Simon de
Silva died at Gintota in 1958. His wife Nandawathie de Silva died at Gintota in
1980.
Ancestral Home
Unfortunately,
Simon de Silva’s house was one of
the houses that was affected by the December 2004 tsunami
during which many mementos including photos were lost.
A photo of the tsunami affected house & a description appears in
the "Preliminary Survey of Tsunami-affected Monuments and Sites in
the Maritime Region of Sri Lanka /Part Five: An Archaeological Survey of
Tsunami Affected Historic Structures in the Municipality of Galle, Sri
Lanka."
The
photo & the description are reproduced below:
Tsunami affected Ancestral House – 2005
Simon de Silva’s Family Chart
M. S. Simon de Silva (1885-1958) of Gintota + Nandawathie Wickremasuriya of Kathaluwa
1. 1 Gnana (1920-2010) + H.
L. Ratnapala d. 1994
1.1.1 Lilamani
1.1.2 Geetha (Canberra)
1.2 Maithripala (MSM) d.
2006 + Helen Ekanayake
1.3 Sirima d. 2006 + W. M.
Weerakoon
1.3.1 Saman (Sydney)
1.3.2 Sandya
1.3.3 Ajith
1.4 Sumana d. 2011+ Reggie
Siriwardena d. 2004
1.4.1 Amal
1.5 Piyaseeli d. 2005
1.6 Kusuma d. 2017
1.7 Indrapala d. 2025
1.8 Dr. Lalitha + Gemunu Weerasinghe (UK)
1.8.1 Ruwani (UK)
Sacred
Heart Convent Galle History, Highlights of the European Sisters Era, January
30, 2023 refers to the girls in the de Silva family from Gintota as a group of
sisters who studied at the Convent as follows:
de Silva family from Gintota
Girls in the family were Gnana, Sirima, Sumana,
Piyaseeli, Kusuma & Lalitha. All of them studied at the Convent, &
Gnana, Sirima ,Sumana, Piyaseeli & Kusuma taught at the Convent for varying
periods. Lalitha qualified as a Doctor.
Simon de Silva’s Family Photos
.jpeg) |
| Mrs. Nandawathie de Silva |
%20(1)%20(2).jpeg)
Members of the Family
1.1 Gnana, (BA Lond.), b. 1920 d. 2010,
Gnana as a
Graduate Teacher at Sacred Heart Convent, Galle.
They had two children, Lilamani & Geetha
Simon de Silva’s older son, M.S.M de Silva,
, a brilliant
Chartered Civil & Stuctural Engineer, who qualified in the UK, made a name
for himself among the engineering community and also nationally, as a pioneer in the construction
of earth dams during the period 1953 to 1982. He was associated with most of
the major development projects undertaken by the state, including the Galoya,
Udawalawe & Mahaweli Projects, representing either public sector
institutions or private sector construction companies in senior engineering,
managerial & consultancy positions. He was also the 1st General Manager of
the State Development & Construction Corporation from Nov. 1971 to Dec.
1973. Over 50 years ago, Engineer C. C. T. Fernando & he together
established Engineering Consultants Ltd. (ECL), which today is a
multi-disciplinary consulting company. He was Technical Adviser, Ministry of Planning and
Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1977 and Technical Secretary, River Valleys
Development Board from 1977 to 1982.
Gamini Seneviratne, the then Additional Secretary at the
Finance Ministry handling the Accelerated Mahaweli Project, in an article
titled Vignettes of the Public Service-The Reservoirs , published on May 10,
2009, refers to the role of MSM as follows: “ The big reservoirs were
constructed by foreign firms, i.e., apart from Ulhitiya, constructed by the
RVDB, incidentally providing M. S. M. de Silva, that vishvakarma among our
civil engineers, an opportunity to demonstrate the efficiency of our public sector
in this area vis a vis our private sector: the CDE fell way behind with
Ratkinda thereby delaying by a year or more the transfer of water from the
Mahaweli to the Maduru Oya basin. MSM got that done.”
Excerpt from the Sunday Island of June 2008 on the demise of Dr. S. M. A. Perera by M. Goonaratna is reproduced below:
"He was with Ceylon Development Engineering for a period of 22 years beginning with an assignment as Project Manager for the Mousakelle Dam; The CDE was formed by the well known sportsman and bold entrepreneur Pin Fernando, with the mercurial M.S.M. de Silva as the General Manager at the start." M. S. M. was heavily involved in the Galoya Development Project at the time he was persuaded to join the CDE as its General Manager and in this capacity he played a dominant role in the construction of the Udawalawe Dam and Reservoir and several other construction projects.
He married Helen Ekanayake &
had no children.
Some of his articles in the public
domain are :
Water shortage problems of Uva Wellassa in the South ; Water Resources of the
South, Water Resources for Anuradhapura & Kurunegala; Samanalawewa: An
Enormous Blunder; Rainfall : An Erratic Phenomenon; Kukule Ganga Hydropower
Project
Read also :
https://gintotaneighbours.blogspot.com/2023/10/m-s-m-de-silva-chartered-civil-engineer.html
https://maduruoyasluice.blogspot.com/2025/06/ancient-maduru-oya-sluice.html
Gnana, Lalitha, Sumana, Piyaseeli. their mother,
niece Geetha and Kusuma 1973
1.3 Sirima, d. 2006
Former Nursery School Teacher of
Sacred Heart Convent, Galle, married W. M. Weerakoon. They had three children,
Saman, Sandya and Ajith.
1.4
Sumana (BA Lond.), d. 2011.
Sumana, known to her friends
as Sue, passed away on August 19, 2011 at the age of eighty five. Born in
Gintota, Galle she was a brilliant product of Sacred Heart Convent, Galle. She
brought credit to her school at the OL examination by winning the all-island
Pali prize. Her performance at the London Matriculation exam was outstanding.
She attended Ananda College, to complete her higher studies in Pali, Sinhala
and English. She obtained the BA Degree from the University of London and was
one of the few candidates in Sri Lanka to offer this combination of languages
at the degree level. She got her first teaching appointment at Sacred Heart
Convent, Galle.
She married Regi Siriwardena
d. 2004 her English Lecturer at Ananda College, in 1949. He was a University
Academic, Journalist, Literary
Critic, Script-Writer, Translator, Poet, and Playwright. She spent the next few
years being a housewife and mother. The love she had for languages motivated
her to study French in her spare time at the Alliance Francaise de Ceylan and
once again she excelled. She translated a well-known French children’s book into
Sinhalese.
1.5
Piyaseeli, d 2005. Remained
a spinster.
%20(1)%20(1).jpeg)
1.7
Indrapala, BSc (Cey), d. 2025.
Former Teacher of Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya, remained a bachelor.
1.8 Lalitha M.B.B.S (Ceylon), FRC
(Psych) U.K, D.P.M U.K.
See her
career details below
Lalitha MBBS (Cey), left her medical career in
Sri Lanka and moved to the UK after her marriage to Gemunu Weerasinghe, a
resident of the UK. She obtained MRC(PSY) and D.P.M in the U.K and was awarded
the fellowships of FRC(PSY) and FRSM by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and
the Royal Society of Medicine. Lalitha made major contributions to the health
service in the UK in academic, advisory, managerial and clinical roles,
Lalitha was a Senior Tutor for medical students
and junior doctors, and set up from scratch a training programme for junior
psychiatrists. She was a Senior Examiner for the Final Specialist Examination
in Psychiatry and was a Regional Advisor for Continuing Professional
Development of senior psychiatrists. She also published papers in international
journals and gave national and international presentations.
Lalitha served in a Regional Advisory role for
doctors in the Oxford region, in a Senior Advisory role for the British Medical
Association, and in a Senior Advisory and Assessor role for the Nursing and
Midwifery Council.
Lalitha served as the Departmental Head and
Clinical Director for a large public health care trust, and as the Medical
Director for a private psychiatric hospital for many years.
Lalitha was the first female medical specialist
in Eating Disorders in the Uk, and set up a comprehensive service from scratch
for one million population in Berkshire, the first non-academic specialist unit
in the UK. Through government-sponsored working parties and committees, she
also contributed significantly to the development of regional and national
services for eating disorders.
Lalitha won a silver award for her exceptional
services in the UK.
R. Sandya (niece) , Lalitha,Piyaseeli.Sirima and
their mother
Memories of Family Members
Family members have fond memories of Simon de Silva and his family .
When I was born as the youngest child of the
family, my father, Simon de Silva, who had established several successful
business enterprises in East Africa dealing in gold, silver, gems and ivory,
had returned home to look after his domestic assets. Although he had left East
Africa, I can still recall clearly the many stories he told us about his time
there and about his travel back and forth between East Africa and home.
One of his fondest memories was his close
association with the Sultan of Zanzibar, who invited him to his palace very
often. On the Sultan’s recommendation, he was awarded a gold medal by King
George the Fifth for his outstanding
business ventures, his contributions to cultural activities and his social
services for the local community. He proudly showed us the medal many times and
told us he was only permitted to wear it if he was meeting officers appointed
by Royalty, and that he wore it once when he had to be present in Court.
Unfortunately, the medal was pinned to his coat when he died and was lost in
the cremation.
He also told us other interesting stories about
his stay in Africa – about mangoes which were very big and tasty, how he
celebrated the New Year and Wesak, and how he helped the local community. He
also mentioned how he used to take jewellery to cruise ships to sell them.
Among his many stories of travel by sea, an amusing one is how he left for
Africa on the ship’s deck but returned home first class.
My father was a knowledgeable person. He was
very well informed about international politics and current events. He used to
talk to us about the Titanic and the Korean War. He was also interested in
health and was keen for us to eat healthy food. He encouraged us to eat boiled
cabbage for dinner in addition to other curries and also made us take cod liver
oil to maintain good health. Every evening, he would drink a cup of hibiscus
tea made from fresh flowers.
My father was an open-minded person who liked to
adopt food from other cultures. He showed us how to make sandwiches, and
omelette at a time when they were barely known in Sri Lanka. He also made puhul
dosi, milk toffee and maldive fish which involved quite an elaborate process.
With an innovative mind, creative ideas and an
adventurous spirit, my father was a true entrepreneur. With his inborn business
acumen to take calculated risks and create value, he started soap manufacturing
as a new business after returning home from East Africa. He set up a soap
factory at Gintota just across from his house and his soap manufacturing
business became a great success. Visitors to the factory recall how he used to
show them around explaining things in English. Having studied at Mahinda College,
Galle, up to 16 years of age, he was fluent in both speaking and writing
English.
Being the youngest child in a family of eight, I
was only a teenager when my father passed away. However, his creativity and his
love of trying out new things left a lasting and unforgettable impact on me,
making me create new systems and innovate new ways of doing things throughout
my medical career.
R. Sirima her husband Weerakoon and her daughter Sandya and
grand daughter Thakshila
2) Geetha’s memories of her grandfather’s family
I have only faint memories of my maternal
grandfather, Simon de Silva. My only clear memory of him is his funeral, which
was an impressive event attended by a large number of people. However, what
remains ingrained in my mind to this day are my memories of my maternal
grandmother, Nandawathie Wickramasooriya. Hailing from an illustrious
family at Kataluwa in the Galle District, my grandmother was an intriguing
character - resilient, persevering, sensible, fearless, and strong - and I
remember her as the hub of the family. She was firm but kind; thrifty but
generous; formidable but comforting; practical but warm-hearted. In short, she
was ‘Mother Courage’ to us all. I also have clear memories of the rest of the
family with their distinctive personalities. I remember Sirima as the fire
brand, MSM (Merl) as the daredevil, Sumana (Sue) as the trend setter,
Piyaseeli as the dove, Kusuma as the rationalist, Indrapala (Ivan) as the
entertainer and Lalitha as the baby and the pet of the family. In spite
of these differences, they were a united family and were there for one another
whenever help was needed.
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