"During the Inquisition, Don Silvera Blackthorn (the crest was a blackthorn) sent his son George, to England, both for his safety and education, and a large amount of money was placed to his credit in the Bank of England. The Inquisitors captured the father, and when they found that his money was in England, out of their reach, they burned him at the stake.
The son (George) married an Englishwoman and had three sons named George, Robert, and Henry. The mother did not like living in Jamaica, and returned to England. The father died in Jamaica and was buried at "Mount Ogle" in the parish of Saint Andrew, near to the "Junction Road".
The son George married Angelina Delgado, and had seven children by her, namely: Alexis, Angelina, Herbert, Sarah, George, Charles, and Horatio (who died young), and the mother died at the birth of another child, who did not survive.
George then married Deborah DaCosta, by whom he had thirteen children, namely: Robert, Eliza, John, Albert, Leopold, Victor, Luna, Louise, Arthur Patrick, Ella, Felix, Cecil, and Frank (who died young).
Alexis had records of the family (to which the family name "George" was a key) to prove descent from Don Silvera Blackthorn, but these were burned in Kingston (Jamaica) in the fire of 1882. Some time after, a Dr. Neyte was in England, and saw an advertisement about these unclaimed moneys and wrote the then Captain George Silvera of Crescent, in the parish of Saint Mary, that he would take up the matter to prove descent and recover the amount said to be in Chancery in the Bank of England, for which service he asked 1,000 pounds sterling, but Captain Silvera got vexed at this and dropped the matter. The sum was then supposed to be eight million pounds sterling!
Of the other branches of the family in Jamaica, all that is known is that Robert was supposed to have been a fighter. Albert is said to have met him. It is not known where he died.
Henry married and lived in Buff Bay, in the parish of Portland. One daughter, Phoebe, married ..... Brandon and became the mother of Hannah, Constancia (Motta), Isaac, Meme (Delgado), Judith (Nunes) and Leah (Tavares). A son Henry was a dispenser, lived and practiced at Buff Bay and married and raised a family.
Robert, was also a dispenser, lived at Gayle, in the parish of Saint Mary, married and raised a family."
This account by Mrs. Adeline Silvera has some basis in fact as shown in the Silvera Family Index. However, the story about "money in chancery" is common to many family legends, has never been proven, and has all the appearances of a scam.
Moses Da Silveira
+
+
+----------------+-------------+
Abraham Moses Isaac
m Esther
+----------------+-------------+
Benjamin Aaron
m Judith
+-------+--------+
Benjamin Abraham
m Sarah
+-------+--------+
"Captain" George
m Angelina Delgado (11 children)
m Deborah DaCosta (9 children)
This account by Mr. Noel George Silvera has some basis in fact as shown in the Silvera Family Index. However, the "two brothers" beginning is common to many family legends, and has never been proven. Also, according to my atlas, San Sebastien is in Spain!
On realizing that the pirates had made a mistake, and there being no way to dispose of the wealth in Jamaica, they decided that the only solution was for one of them to leave Jamaica permanently with half of the wealth. The decision as to who would leave was made on a wager. Each brother placed a lump of new sugar (wet brown sugar) on the counter of the store. The winner was the brother whose sugar first attracted a fly.
In due course, a fly landed on the sugar, one brother took the jewels and gold and migrated to Mexico. The other brother kept the cloth and the store.
Many years (generations) later, it is reported that a descendant of the Mexican Silvera family was visiting Kingston and stayed at the Myrtle Bank Hotel. On admiring the flowers in the hotel, he was told that they came from Mr. Alexis Silvera's nursery near the Hotel. The Silvera from Mexico visited Alexis at his nursery, and invited him to visit the family in Mexico. Alexis did not make the trip."
"The name Silveira is Portuguese. The family is related to the first Portuguese conquerors of the Iberian peninsula in the 11th century. The first official register is Gonalo Vasques da Silveira in 1378. All the Jewish families in Portugal adopted names of trees because of the Inquisition.
Today (1996), the Portuguese branch of this family is very small, only some dozens. The branch of the family in the Azores islands is much bigger and is related to the German family of Wilhelm Van der Hagen - that changed to : Guilherme Vandraga da Silveira. In Brazil there are many Silveira families."
Miguel de Silveyra
Birth: About 1578 in Celonico, Portugal
Death: 1638 in Naples, Italy
Marrano poet, physician and mathematician. Related to the great classical scholar Thomas de Pinedo. Began his career in Madrid as Royal mathematician, and later as physician to the house of Castile. Denounced to the Inquisition in 1634, fled to Naples. Published "The Maccabee" at Naples in 1638.
Isaac Silveira
Companion of Sabbatai Zevi, from youth through Smyrna to Constantinople in 1666.