William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911)

Born 18 Nov 1836 in Strand, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy Agnes (Turner) Gilbert — married 6 Aug 1867 in Kensington, London, England

Died 29 May 1911 at age 74 in Grim's Dyke, Stanmore, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

William Gilbert is Notable.

This profile is part of the Gilbert Name Study.

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for the fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. The most famous of these include "H.M.S. Pinafore", "The Pirates of Penzance" and "The Mikado". Gilbert also wrote the Bab Ballads, an extensive collection of light verse accompanied by his own comical drawings.

William Schwenck Gilbert was born on 18 Nov 1836 at 17 Southampton Street, Strand, London, England. His father, also named William Gilbert (1804-1890), was briefly a naval surgeon, who later became a writer of novels and short stories, some of which were illustrated by his son. Gilbert's mother was the former Anne Mary Bye Morris (1812-1888), the daughter of Thomas Morris, an apothecary. Gilbert had three younger sisters, two of whom were born outside England because of the family's travels during these years.

As a child, Gilbert travelled to Italy in 1838 and then France for two years with his parents, who finally returned in 1847 to settle in London, England.

He was educated at Boulogne, France from the age of seven then at Western Grammar School, Brompton, London, and then at the Great Ealing School, where he became head boy and wrote plays for school performances and painted scenery. He next attended King's College London, graduating in 1856.

He then joined the Civil Service: he was an assistant clerk in the Privy Council Office for four years and hated it. In 1859 he joined the Militia, a part-time volunteer force formed for the defence of Britain, with which he served until 1878 (in between writing and other work), reaching the rank of Captain. In 1863 he received a bequest of £300 that he used to leave the civil service and take up a brief career as a barrister (he had already entered the Inner Temple as a student), but his legal practice was not successful, averaging just five clients a year.

After a relationship in the mid-1860s with novelist Annie Thomas, Gilbert married in 1867 to Lucy Agnes Turner; she was 11 years his junior. Gilbert and Lucy were socially active both in London, England and later at Grim's Dyke, often holding dinner parties and being invited to others' homes for dinner. The Gilberts had no children, but they had many pets, including some exotic ones

In 1871, John Hollingshead commissioned Gilbert to work with Arthur Sullivan, on a holiday piece for Christmas, "Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old", at the Gaiety Theatre. Thespis outran five of its nine competitors for the 1871 holiday season, and its run was extended beyond the length of a normal run at the Gaiety. However, nothing more came of it at that point, and Gilbert and Sullivan went their separate ways. It would be nearly four years after Thespis was produced before the two men worked together again.

In 1868 he had published a short comedic sketch libretto in Fun magazine entitled "Trial by Jury: An Operetta". In 1873 he arranged with the theatrical manager and composer, Carl Rosa, to expand that piece into a one-act libretto. Later in 1874 Gilbert offered the libretto to Richard D'Oyly Carte, but Carte could not use the piece at that time. By early 1875, Carte was managing the Royalty Theatre, and he needed a short opera to be played as an afterpiece to Offenbach's "La Périchole". He contacted Gilbert, asked about the piece, and suggested Sullivan to set the work. Sullivan was enthusiastic, and "Trial by Jury" was composed in a matter of weeks. The little piece was a runaway hit, outlasting the run of "La Périchole" and being revived at another theatre.

Gilbert was knighted on 15 July 1907 in recognition of his contributions to drama. Sullivan had been knighted for his contributions to music almost a quarter of a century earlier, in 1883. Gilbert was, however, the first British writer ever to receive a knighthood for his plays alone.

On 29 May 1911, Gilbert was about to give a swimming lesson to two young women, Winifred Isabel Emery (1890–1972), and 17-year-old Ruby Preece in the lake of his home, Grim's Dyke, when Preece lost her footing and called for help. Gilbert dived in to save her but suffered a heart attack in the middle of the lake and died. He was cremated at Golders Green and his ashes buried at the Church of St.John the Evangelist in Stanmore, England. ^[1] The inscription on Gilbert's memorial on the south wall of the Thames Embankment in London reads ...

"His Foe was Folly, and his Weapon Wit".

There is also a memorial plaque at All Saints' Church, Harrow Weald, England.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #19257 for Sir William S. Gilbert (1836-1911)

See also:

• Wikipedia: W. S. Gilbert

• Wikidata: Item Q348513, en:Wikipedia

• "Gilbert and Sullivan: A Dual Biography" by Michael Ainger, p3, 5, 13-20

• The Genealogy of Sir W. S. Gilbert, Dramatist and Poet By C. R. Everett, F.S.G. From The Genealogist's Magazine, Vol 7 No. 9, March 1937, pp 463-469