Person    | Male  Born 18/11/1836  Died 29/5/1911

W. S. Gilbert

W. S. Gilbert

Playwright, lyricist & poet. Born 17 Southampton Street as William Schwenck Gilbert. The Savoy Operas were written by Gilbert, with Sullivan providing the music and Richard D'Oyly Carte providing the theatre and overall management. Over the years some resentment built up and finally exploded in the quarrel over a carpet. Carte had apparently charged the costs of a new foyer carpet to the expenses for the current show. Gilbert disputed this, expecting Sullivan to support him but Sullivan wanted to stay on good terms with Carte. The argument grew into a question of whether Carte was trustworthy with all their financial affairs and was eventually settled in court. The dispute ended the amicable relationship between the three men. Prior to it they had written and produced 11 extremely successful operettas. Surprisingly they did manage to work together again, producing two operettas but they were not in the same league as before.

1867 Gilbert married Lucy Turner.

Gilbert died of a heart attack while trying to save a guest swimming in the lake at his home, Grim's Dyke, in Harrow Weald. The guest was 17-year-old Ruby Preece who went on, as Patricia Preece, to become Stanley Spencer's second wife, the one represented, rather queasily, in the Tate’s 1937 'Double Nude Portrait: the Artist and his Second Wife'. Her eventful life (including a second rescue from drowning) is related at The art and vision of Stanley Spencer.

The nature of Gilbert's death qualifies him for an entry at Postman's Park. Plaques were still being erected in the 1930s so we wonder if he was ever considered, and if so, on what grounds he was rejected.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
W. S. Gilbert

Commemorated ati

Garrick Theatre

Theatreland - heart of the performing arts in London. Garrick Theatre Bui...

Read More

Grim's Dyke

This house, designed by R. Norman Shaw, architect, for Frederick Goodall, pai...

Read More

Grim's Dyke - Harrow Heritage

We can't explain the quotation marks on the inscription and think they are pr...

Read More

W.S. Gilbert monument

1836 - W.S. Gilbert - 1911 Playwright & poet. His foe was folly & his...

Read More

W. S. Gilbert's death

We thank Matt Brown of Londonist for the photo of the plaque, taken in about ...

Read More

Show all 6

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
W. S. Gilbert

Creations i

Sir Arthur Sullivan

Leaning against the pedestal there is a crying woman. The guitar, score and m...

Read More

Other Subjects

Tubby Hayes

Tubby Hayes

Tenor-saxophonist. Born Edward Brian Hayes at the Royal Free Hospital.In 1935, At the age of sixteen he joined Kenny Baker's sextet, and later played for many of the big-band leaders of the day. In...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
Flamingo Club

Flamingo Club

Former nightclub. Founded by father and son, Sam and Jeffrey Kruger, and originally located in Covenrtry Street. It moved to Wardour Street in April 1957 and gained a reputation for attracting top ...

Place, Music / songs

2 memorials
Sarah Flower Adams

Sarah Flower Adams

Actress, hymnwriter and poet. Born Sarah Fuller Flower in Old Harlow, Essex. She wrote the words to the hymn 'Nearer, my God, to Thee'. In 1837 she turned to acting, playing several leading roles, ...

Person, Music / songs, Poetry, Theatre

1 memorial
Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop

James Newell Osterberg Jr. known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stoog...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
Bela Bartok

Bela Bartok

Composer and pianist. Born Béla Viktor János Bartók in Nagyszentmiklós in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Romania). He was greatly influenced by Zoltán Kodály and they travelled together, collecting fo...

Person, Music / songs, Seriously Famous, Hungary, USA

2 memorials