Researching: Moses Atias Da Silvera (c1640-1698), Spanish Town, JamaicaIn search of my first ancestor in Jamaica:Here is what we know:1684: Naturalized as Moses Silvera in (British) Jamaica to be planter1698: Died in Jamaica, buried in Spanish Town Jewish Cemetery. Epitaph (top missing) in Portuguese with traditional inscription "Faleseo Moses da SILVEIRA Sua Alma Goza da Eterna Gloria Amen”. There was the Hebrew year but no Hebrew written on the partial epitaph. (Ref: Barnett & Wright) 1697: Will written in Portuguese requested burial with his fellow Jews. The synagogue in Spanish Town was built about 10 years after his death. His will indicates that he was a merchant and that his wife should collect receivables and wind up the business.Subsequent generations reverted to the Spanish name Silvera, and dropped the Atias name. They also established connections to the Synagogues and charitable causes in Jamaica and London and business relationships in England.Early Family & Related Names:Esther deLeon SpouseAbraham Cohen deLeon Father-in-LawDr. Jacob Rodrigues deLeon DoctorJoseph daCosta Alveranga Witness to WillJoseph Idana Witness ot WillDavid daSilva Tavares Son-in-LawAbraham Pereira D’Azevedo Son-in-LawIsaac Abila Son-in-LawIsaac Massias Son-in-LawSarah Massias Daughter-in-LawDiscussion:1) Name ambiguity:Was Atias da Silveira his name given at birth? Many of the Hebrew Nation took on aliases to conceal their identity, so his names may in fact be aliases. Da Silveira was and still is a very common Portuguese name, and at the time of the Inquisition, it was a Catholic name—several priests had that name.If Atias da Silveira was his birth name, and not an alias, given the Portuguese name ambiguity, did either of his parents have those family names?Was the name Atias or Athias associated with Judaization?2) Where did Moses Atias da Silveira live before Jamaica, and when did he travel to Jamaica? The birth dates of his children, his naturalization, and his date of death suggest that he was born about 1640-1650.2a. Did he emigrate to Jamaica under Spanish rule between 1530 and 1655? I have so far not been able to find the source for Ariel Scheib’s writing as follows.By: Ariel ScheibIn 1494, a Marrano named Luis de Torres arrived on the island of Jamaica as the interpreter of Christopher Columbus. Jamaica was a Spanish colony from the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494 until the British conquest in 1655. Numerous Portuguese Jews first settled in Jamaica during the Spanish colonization. In 1530, the first ship load of Portuguese-Spanish Jews entered Jamaica. They settled in Spanish Town (formerly St. Jago de la Vega), the only operating town at that time. Many of the Jews that arrived were Conversos, fleeing Europe to openly practice Judaism.If this were the case, he would have been a child, and presumably his parents’ epitaphs would have been found. The Hunts Bay Cemetery with records from 1668 do not include Atias, Silveira, or similar names.2b. Did he migrate to Jamaica with the Jewish evacuation of Recife c1653? Recife was a colony of the Netherlands at that time, and there were Silveira and Athias families in Amsterdam. He would have been a child in Recife at that time. Review of synagogue Mahamad minutes 1648-1653 (Wiznitzer) show Isaac and David with the name Athias/Athyas. Of the many ships departing Recife, the Valk is well documented as being diverted to Jamaica where passengers spent several months before continuing their journey to found the New York Spanish & Portuguese community. There is speculation that several passengers remained in Jamaica and only about 23 persons actually continued on to NY. The refugees were in many cases sugar producers and Jamaica would have been a good place to establish sugar production after Recife. Passenger lists for other ships evacuating Recife could reveal more.2c. Did he migrate to Jamaica from London, Netherlands, Hamburg, or directly from Portugal. The British government were certainly encouraging planters to live in Jamaica. If Moses Atias da Silveira had been born in England, he would not need to be naturalized. He could have lived in England for a relatively short time— presumably his English was weak and he wrote his will in Portuguese— and accepted a passage to be a planter in Jamaica. He was ultimately a merchant and his sons were planters and merchants who were able within a generation to establish strong connections to England. This possibility should be researched. He could equally have lived in Amsterdam and Hamburg and made his way to Jamaica. Naturalization as a planter could have come later as a way to be accepted in Jamaica.Judaization?Moses Atias da Silveira’s will written in Portuguese suggests that he may have come from a Portuguese speaking community and did not adopt English or Dutch or another language before going to Jamaica. He recognized that he was a Jew and should be buried with Jews, but his will does not include other Jewish content. This suggests that he may not have received significant Jewish instruction after departing Portugal. Family legend is always an unreliable source, but here it is! Moses is alleged to have descended from Don Silvera Blackthorn from San Sebastian in Spain. Presumably the family migrated to Portugal.