AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WILSON SILWANIS HANNA ABDEL NOUR

My dear father,
Please forgive me because I should have called you "Papa" or "Dad"; It grieves me to have been deprived of pronouncing these two simple and beautiful words at a very early age.

27th AUGUST 1884 Even before your birth in GAWLY (UPPER EGYPT) 123 years ago, your name was already associated with the Apostle Paul's, Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37) and Barsabas, who replaced Judas Iscariot, as Silvanus and Silas. THE YEAR 1901 Owing to your ambition and the encouragement of your wealthy father, at hte age of 17 you enrolled at the prestigious American Mission College, Assiut (Upper Egypt), which was very close to your native village El Gawly. Assiut was the most American city in Egypt. The college was established on 5th March 1865 by the American Presbyterian Evangelical Mission. The students were taught Medical and Pharmaceutical bases at the Science Section in order to pursue their studies abroad later on. It would be interesting to reflect on the fees charged by the college in 1905.   Special Level 850 Piasters   First Level 430 Piasters   Second Level 320 (1 Pound = 100 Piasters) The aim of the Mission was to introduce an American system of instruction to the Egyptian learners and to promote Protestantism amongst the Coptic Orthodox adherents..

Silwanis Abdel Nour

THE YEAR 1908
7 years later you obtained the College Diploma. Your initiative prompted you to leave your Homeland to pursue higher studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut (Lebanon).

THE YEAR 1911
With your Diploma in hand, you returned to Egypt, obtained the Ministry of Health licence and worked in "Khayriya Pharmacy" Damietta (Lower Egypt). Later your fate led you to Mansourah (Lower Egypt), where you opened your own pharmacy "El Nil Pharmacy". Mansourah is the capital city of Dakahlia Governorate. It is a very beautiful city on the River Nile. Many foreigners from Europe and the Middle East migrated there.

THE YEAR 1914 At the time WW1 broke out you were prosperous, owning a pharmacy, an hotel and a photography studio. 26th JUNE 1918 At the age of 34 you married Eugenie Bayouk, who was 17 years old, born in Kafr El Mokdam (Lower Egypt). Apart from being accomplished piano player, she received her education at American Mission School, Mansourah. 13th APRIL 1919 290 days later I was born. 30th MAY 1920 You passed away at the age of 36 leaving behind a grieving widow and a new born baby. 19th JUNE 1920 Twenty days later, before celebrating her 19th birthday, my grieving mother passed away, leaving me alone.

Eugenie Bayouk

31st AUGUST 1920
Seventy three days on, your father Hanna Abdel Nour passed away at the age of 64.
My uncle, Elias Bayouk (my mother's side) and my grand mother Meriam Bayouk undertook my upbringing. They loved me dearly. My uncle used to describe to me how you were affectionate, jovial humble and religious.
Whenever he yearned for you, he used to say "Without you , we feel like orphans". Orphan I became.

CHILDHOOD

To my maternal family who were in Mansourah and Upper Egypt, I was their favourite son. To be fair, my grandma Meriam (Teta) and my uncle Elias (a bachelor) adored me; they did their best to make up for the loss of my parents.

Our son Farid, is very fond of his grand father. He adorned the walls of his office with enlarged photos of you and your hard earned diplomas. In Australia, where the whole family migrated, the only name in the telephone directory with the unique name "SILWANIS" is my son's name "SILWANIS FARID".

Your affectionate son,

WILSON

• On Sunday 7th April 1907 you referred to Psalm 12:22 "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are his debt". We still keep and cherish your Bible.

• At 04.00 a.m. on Wednesday, (No date mentioned) presumably a couple of days before your death, you wrote a letter to a certain Mostapha Bey Abdel Razek warning him and referring to the Psalms and divine inspiration. All of us are proud of you. My Lord in Heaven never forsakes me. On the contrary, He loves and protects all His Children.

  EXTRACT FROM LETTER
  I was in good health before going to bed.
  Devine inspiration prompted me repeatedly to write this letter to arouse your conscious about leasing the hotel to a helpless widow.
  I felt relaxed after fulfilling the divine warning, otherwise you would be liable to God's penance This paper was in the Psalm Book I am not expecting any issue to what I am writing. It is only my duty to warn you Now I feel sleepy.