William Gilbert (author) facts for kids

William Gilbert (born May 20, 1804 – died January 3, 1890) was an English writer and a Royal Navy surgeon. He wrote many novels, biographies, histories, and essays. He also wrote popular fantasy stories, mostly in the 1860s and 1870s. Some of his books are still available today. He is best known as the father of the famous playwright W. S. Gilbert, who was part of the duo Gilbert and Sullivan.

William Gilbert's Life and Career

Gilbert was born in Bishopstoke, Hampshire. He was the oldest son of William, a grocer, and Sarah. Both his parents passed away when he was very young. William and his younger siblings, Joseph and Jane, were then raised in London. They lived with their aunt and uncle, Mary and John Samuel Schwenck. The Schwencks were a kind couple who took good care of the children.

Early Adventures and Education

When he was 14, Gilbert worked as a midshipman for the Honourable East India Company. He did this from 1818 to 1821 but found the conditions difficult. After leaving, he spent several years in Italy. He returned to England around 1825.

He then studied at Guy's Hospital to become a surgeon. He worked as an assistant surgeon in the navy. In 1830, he joined the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Around this time, he also published a book of his poems.

Gilbert married Mary Ann Skelton in 1832. Sadly, she passed away two years later. He married Anne Mary Bye Morris in 1836. Their famous son, W. S. Gilbert, was born later that year. The family then moved to Hammersmith.

Family Life and Travels

In 1838, Gilbert took his wife and young son on a long trip to Italy. Their daughter, Jane Morris Gilbert, was born there. In 1841, Gilbert's brother and sister both passed away.

After some family difficulties, Gilbert moved with his young family to Boulogne, France. They lived there for two years. Their daughter, Anne Maude, was born in France. The family returned to London in 1847 and settled in Brompton.

Later in life, William Gilbert faced some personal challenges. He separated from his wife in 1876. He moved to Salisbury to live with his married daughter, Jane. He lived there for the rest of his life.

Starting a Writing Career

Gilbert began writing around 1857. He cared deeply about the well-being of poor people. He was the honorary secretary of a group called the Society of the Relief of Distress. His concern for the poor showed in his writing. He often wrote about how poverty, rather than family background, affected people's lives. His son also explored similar ideas in his plays.

One of Gilbert's first works was a pamphlet in 1857. It was about how the poor were supported in London. In 1858, he secretly published Dives and Lazarus. This book was a fictional story about the growing gap between rich and poor people. He continued this theme in other novels. These included The Weaver's Family (1860) and Contrasts (1873). He also wrote The City (1877). This book described how many working-class people lost their homes. This happened to make way for the Metropolitan Railway. Gilbert also wrote articles about unfair treatment of women.

In 1859, Gilbert published Margaret Meadows. This novel was later turned into a play called Mary Warner. His most successful early novel was Shirley Hall Asylum (1863). It told stories of people in a mental hospital. The story was from the view of someone who had escaped.

Gilbert's first novel published under his own name was Christmas Tale: The Rosary (1863). His next novel, De Profundis (1864), was about a child found and raised by a soldier. Another book from 1864 was The Goldsworthy Family. It was about a dishonest lawyer.

Popular Works and Later Years

Gilbert's 1865 book, The Magic Mirror, contained stories with a moral. His talented son, W. S. Gilbert, drew the pictures for it. Gilbert also wrote history articles and stories for many magazines. These included Cornhill, Temple Bar, and The Quiver.

Among his most popular works were his Innominato tales. These were supernatural stories published in magazines like Argosy. They were later collected in The Wizard of the Mountain (1867). These stories were about a mysterious wizard. He was called the Innominato, which means "Nameless." He lived in 14th-century Italy. He used his powers to help people.

In 1868, Gilbert wrote The Doctor of Beauweir. This was an autobiography told by a doctor from South Wales. King George's Middy (1869) was also illustrated by W. S. Gilbert. It told the adventures of a squire's son. He became a midshipman and was stranded off the coast of Africa.

Later in 1869, Gilbert wrote his most famous biography. It was about Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara. After much research, Gilbert concluded that there was no proof of the bad things she was accused of. This was followed by The Inquisitor (1870). It was about the life of Renée of France, Duchess of Ferrara.

In 1877, Gilbert published Them Boots. This book described characters from the poorest parts of society. He also published Nothing but the Truth in 1877. This was one of his many writings about the dangers of too much drinking. In 1879, Mrs. Dubosq's Bible was published. It was about a French Huguenot group in London. In 1880, Memoirs of a Cynic protested against cruelty. This was followed by Modern Wonders of the World in 1881. It was a series of 10 stories told to London children.

William Gilbert passed away at the age of 86. He was buried in The Close at Salisbury.

Works

Novels and collections

• Dives and Lazarus, or the adventures of an obscure medical man in a low neighbourhood (1858)
• Margaret Meadows, A Tale for the Pharisees (1858)
• The Weaver's Family (1860)
• Shirley Hall Asylum: Or the Memoirs of a Monomaniac (1863)
• Christmas Tale: The Rosary, a Legend of Wilton Abbey (1863)
• De Profundis, a tale of the social deposits (1864)
• The Goldsworthy Family, or the country attorney (1864)
• Doctor Austin's Guests (1866) (sequel to Shirley Hall Asylum)
• The Magic Mirror: A Round of Tales for Young and Old (1865; illustrated by W. S. Gilbert)
• Doctor Austen's Guests (1866; a sequel to Shirley Hall Asylum)
• The Wizard of the Mountain (volume 1); (volume 2) (1867)
• The Doctor of Beauweir, an autobiography (1868)
• The Seven League Boots (1869; illustrated by W. S. Gilbert)
• King George’s Middy (1869; illustrated by W. S. Gilbert)
• Sir Thomas Branston (1869)
• Martha (1871)
• The Landlord of the "Sun" (1871)
• Clara Levesque (1873)
• Them Boots (1877)
• James Duke, Costermonger. A tale of the social aspects (c. 1879)
• Mrs. Dubosq's Bible (1879)
• Memoirs of a Cynic (1880)
• Modern Wonders of the World, or the new Sinbad (1881)

Short stories

• "A Visit to a Convict Lunatic Asylum" (1864)
• "The Sacristan of St. Botolph" (1866)
• "Ruth Thornbury, or The Old Maid's Story" (1866)
• "The Doctor Onofrio" (1867) *
• "Fra Gerolamo" (1867) *
• "The Magic Flower" (1867) *
• "The Last Lords of Gardonal" (1867) *
• "Tomas and Pepina" (1867) *
• "The Robber Chief" (1867) *
• "Don Bucefalo and the Curate" (1867) **
• "The Physician's Daughter" (1867) **
• "The Two Lovers" (1867) **
• "The Stranger" (1867) **
• "The Innominato's Confession" (1867) **
• "Friar Peter’s Confession" (1869)
• "How Brother Ignatius Became a Monk" (1869)
• "How Brother Jonas, the Sub-Cellarer, Was Haunted by an Evil Spirit" (1869)
• "The Seven League Boots" (1869; illustrated by W. S. Gilbert)
• "The Shrine of Santa Clara" (1869)
• "Walter, the Sub-Steward" (1869)
• "The Invisible Prince" (1872)
• "The abuse of charity in London: the case of the five Royal Hospitals" (1878)
• "The London medical schools" (1879)

Note:
* denotes a story collected in The Wizard of the Mountain (volume 1)

** denotes a story collected in The Wizard of the Mountain (volume2)