Gilbert, Thomas

Thomas GILBERT

b.1789 England

d. 30 May 1873 Adelaide, SA

Burial: 01 Jun 1873 West Terrace Cemetery, SA

with William Barlow GILBERT (b. abt. 1826 d. 1893)

OBITUARY.

MR. THOMAS GILBERT.— Having attained a ripe, old age, Mr. Thomas Gilbert, one of the early pioneers of South Australian colonisation, died in this city at a quarter past 8 o'clock on Friday morning, May 30. Mr. Gilbert and his brother William carried on business for many years in Leadenhall-street, London, as opticians to the Hon. East India Company, and their experiments for the improvement of glasses were so extensive that the Government assisted them by a suspension of the Excise supervision, so that their large outlay should not be increased by the payment of duty. When first the idea was started of colonizing South Australia Mr. Gilbert entered into the project with great energy, and from March, 1834, to the time of his departure two years afterwards he devoted to it his entire time, and no small amount of money, acting in conjunction with Mr. (now Sir George) Kingston, Mr. John Brown, Mr. (now Sir Richard) Hanson, Mr. Gouger, Dr. Everard, and other early colonists, who were endeavouring to bring into action the plan suggested by their coadjutor, Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield.

In March, 1836, the Act for the establishment of the colony having been at length passed, Mr. Gilbert sailed in the Cygnet, Captain Rolls, with Sir George Kingston, Captain Lipson, Dr. Wright, and a large party of surveyors and labourers. On September 10 of the year mentioned they landed at Kangaroo Island, where they remained till they were sent by Colonel Light to Holdfast Bay. Mr. Gilbert, who had charge of the Government stores on board the Cygnet, received the appointment in England on March 3, 1836, of Colonial Storekeeper, and he also acted for some time as Postmaster. The latter office he resigned on December 13, 1836, but the former position he retained till December 31, 1854, when he retired with a pension of £200 a year, which he enjoyed for the remainder of his life.

He was one of the earliest-appointed Magistrates of the colony, and a very regular attendant at the meetings of the Bench. Perhaps no man in South Australia has had a larger circle of attached friends, and it would not be too much to say that he was really beloved by all who had the pleasure of his intimate acquaintance. Since his retirement from the public service he continued to live in Adelaide, but as age slowly crept on him he became gradually confined indoors, and during the last two or three weeks to his bed, suffering no more pain than what may be inseparable from the decay of nature. He was a man of sincere though unobtrusive piety, and it will occasion no surprise to those who knew him best that his mind to the last was in a tranquil and happy state. Had he lived to the 30th of next August he would have completed his 87th year.

Many may remember his brother Henry, who died in the colony some years ago, and to still more will the name of his nephew Mr. W. B. Gilbert be familiar as having been for some time connected with a daily newspaper called the Adelaide Times. That gentleman married a daughter of the late Mr. Maddock, solicitor, and afterwards settled in Melbourne. The pensions of Mr. T. Gilbert and Captain Lipson, it may be noted, were the only two provided for by Act 12, 1860, when the Superanuation Act was repealed.

On Sunday, June 1, the remains of the late Mr. T. Gilbert were interred at the West-terrace Cemetery. The body was removed from the deceased's lodgings to St. Paul's Church, where a portion of the burial service was read, and was followed to the grave by a large number of gentlemen, of whom a great proportion were old colonists. Among those who attended to show that they shared in the general respect in which Mr. Gilbert was held we noticed His Excellency the Acting-Governor (Sir R. D. Hanson), Sir Henry Ayers (Chief Secretary), Sir John Morphett, Sir G. S. Kingston (Speaker of the House of Assembly), the Hon. G. Stevenson (Attorney General), Dr. Mavo, Dr. Cotter, Messrs. T. E. S. Symes, Gerald Jay, S. Gibbons, R. Barnes, J. C. Hillson, O. Stange, W. D. Fisher, John Brown, E. W. Hitchin, H. F. Shipster, E. W. Andrews, W. Kyffin Thomas, James Frew, G. W. Hawkes, R. G. Thomas, Henry Robinson, W. B. Carter, R. H. Cruttenden, J. and G. Ellery, G. Young, W. R. Mortlock, M.P., W. C. Cox, J. Quin, W. H. Hillier, A. G. Burt, and others. The service was conducted by Dean Russell. We are requested to mention that Mr. John Hanoe would have been present but for illness.

Obituary

On Friday morning, another of our pioneer colonists passed away to his rest. There are few South Australians who have not heard of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, the subject of this notice, and no face was more familiar than his to the early settlers. He arrived here by the Cygnet in 1836, with Sir George Kingston, Sir John Morphett, and others, whose names are associated with the foundation of the colony. The vessel anchored at Kangaroo Island In September, upwards of three months before the Buffalo, with our first Governor, reached Holdfast Bay. The Cygnet soon sailed for the mainland, where she was preceded by the Rapid, with Colonel Light on board. Mr. Gilbert held the appointment of Government Storekeeper and Postmaster-General ; but Colonel Gawler, the second Governor, separated the two offfices, and conferred what was considered the highest position upon Captain Watts. Mr. Gilbert retained the other office until 1854, when he retired, and since then has been In receipt of a pension, amounting to rather over £300 from the Government. The deceased gentleman was of a singularly quiet and amiable disposition, and through all the difficulties and squabbles by which the early days of the province were marked, appears to have steered clear of the general strife. He was extremely charitable, so mush so that he was too often made the prey of unworthy persons making plausible appeals for assistance. Throughout his long career he secured the respect of all with whom he was brought into contact. He died at a very advanced age, having completed his 86th year last August.