William Gilbert (author)

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William Gilbert, (May 20, 1804 – January 3, 1890) was a British novelist and naval surgeon, and the author of several popular fantasy stories in the 1860s and 1870s. He is perhaps best remembered, however, as the father of dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911).

The elder William Gilbert was born at Bishopstoke, Hants. He was raised in London and later resided in the Close at Salisbury, where he died. He first married Mary Ann Skelton, who died two years later, and then Ann Morris on the 14th of February 1836. Gilbert spent much of his time as a young man travelling, only settling down in his middle years, well after the birth of his son. The family settled in London in 1849, and Gilbert began his writing career. Direct descendants of the Gilbert family still live in Cornwall, UK.

Gilbert's 1866 book, Magic Mirror, was illustrated by his multi-talented son. Among Gilbert's best-known, and most popular, works were his Innominato tales of the supernatural, published in various magazines, including Argosy, and finally collected in 1867's The Wizard of the Mountain. These concerned the adventures of an enigmatic wizard and astrologer called the Innominato (in English, "Nameless"), in 13th century Italy.

Gilbert and his wife, Ann, were divorced in 1876, and he published little thereafter. Even though Gilbert and his wife had a troubled relationship, they produced, along with W.S. Gilbert, three more children, Jane, Maud and Florence.[1]

[edit] Works

Novels and collections:

Shirley Hall Asylum: Or the Memoirs of a Monomaniac (1863)
Doctor Austin's Guests (1866)
The Magic Mirror: A Round of Tales for Young and Old (1866)
The Wizard of the Mountain (1867)

Short stories:

"The Sacristan of St. Botolph" (1866)
"The Doctor Onofrio" (1867)
"Don Bucefalo and the Curate" (1867)
"Fra Gerolamo" (1867)
"The Innominato's Confession" (1867)
"The Last Lords of Gardonal" (1867)
"The Magic Flower" (1867)
"The Physician's Daughter" (1867)
"The Robber Chief" (1867)
"The Stranger" (1867)
"Tomas and Pepina" (1867)
"The Two Lovers" (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 Shrine of Santa Clara" (1869)
"Walter, the Sub-Steward" (1869)

[edit] References

An essay entitled "William Gilbert (1804-1890) of Bishopstoke" by a local historian can be viewed at Hampshire County Council, North Walls, Winchester Library, Eastleigh Museum and Eastleigh Library, which lists all of Gilbert's known works.

Gilbert, William. The Last Lords of Gardonal, 2005, Dead Letter Press. Includes the stories "The Last Lords of Gardonal" (1867), "Vampyres and Ghouls" (1871), and the background article "The Other Gilbert".