Jacob da Silva Solis

"In 1826, having business in New Orleans, Jacob went thither about the time of the Passover festival; finding that city without either a matzoh bakery or a synagogue, he procured the establishment of both. The Shanarai Chasset congregation was organized through his efforts, and its synagogue dedicated in the following year (1827). For publication with the "Constititution" of the congregation, he compiled "A Calendar of the Festivals and Lunar Months of Every Year Observed by the Israelites Commenzing A.M. 5589, and Ending in the Year 5612, Being a Period of 24 Years."

(from JewishEncyclopedia.com-SOLIS)

Jacob da Silva Solis was born in London, on August 4, 1780 to Solomon da Silva Solis and Benvenida de Isaac Henriques Valentine and arrived in the United States (in New Orleans, according to family tradition) on October 25, 1803. He married Charity Hays (daughter of David Barrack Hays of Westchester, New York) on April 24, 1811, with whom he had five daughters (Benveneda, Esther Etting, Judith Simha, Sarah Miriam and Phoebe Elizabeth) and two sons (Solomon and David Hays). He lived in Wilmington, Delaware for approximately seven years (where he and his brother Daniel operated a dry goods and quill pen business from 1814-1816); temporarily in New Orleans, Louisiana (where he founded Congregation Shanarai Chasset in 1827); and Mt. Pleasant, New York, where he was affiliated with Congregation Shearith Israel, and where he died on December 29, 1829 at the early age of 49. These papers are continued by his grandsons (through his daughter Judith) Jacob da Silva Solis-Cohen, Leon Solis-Cohen and Solomon da Silva Solis-Cohen and his great grandson, Jacob da Silva, Jr., as well as by two of his grandchildren, Elvira Nathan Solis and Isaac Nathan Solis (daughter and son of David Hays).

From Guide to the Papers of the Solis-Cohen Family, undated, 1808-1990, http://findingaids.cjh.org/?pID=109159