Davies Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Davies Gilbert FRS (6 March 1767 – 24 December 1839) was a British
engineer
, author
, and politician
. He was elected to the Royal Society
on 17 November 1791 and served as President of the Royal Society
from 1827 to 1830.
church, and Catherine Davies, daughter of Henry Davies of Tredrea. Davies Giddy would later adopt Gilbert as his surname, the maiden name of his wife.
He was educated at Penzance Grammar School and by his father, and by Rev Malachy Hitchens, the mathematical astronomer. He went up to Pembroke College, Oxford
, from whence he graduated with a M.A. on 29 June 1789.
Davies was High Sheriff of Cornwall
from 1792 to 1793. He served in the House of Commons
as Member of Parliament
for Helston
in Cornwall from 1804 to 1806 and for Bodmin
from 1806 to 1832.
Giddy was an intimate friend of physician Thomas Beddoes
, had attended Beddoes' lectures in Oxford and had been a confidant of Beddoes in his plans for the Pneumatic Institution
in Bristol. He noticed and encouraged Humphrey Davy and convinced Beddoes that Davy was the man to work in the laboratory at the Institution.
The Dictionary of National Biography article says of him:
He also had a great interest for the history and culture of Cornwall. For instance, he removed a Celtic cross from near Truro
, on the Redruth Road (where it had found new use as a gatepost), and took it to a churchyard in his new home of Eastbourne
. When asked why he carried off a Cornish Cross and re-erected it in Eastbourne by the Rev. Canon Hockin, of Phillack
, Mr. Davies replied, It was in order to show the poor, ignorant folk that there was something bigger in the world than a flint!.
He assembled and published A Parochial History of Cornwall and collected and published a number of Cornish Carols.
He edited for publication a Cornish Language poem about the Passion: Passyon agan Arluth, as Mount Calvary (1826). He was elected to the Society of Antiquaries
in 1820. Gilbert was the President of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
from its foundation in 1814 until his death.
, and in 1816 he took his wife's surname, Gilbert, to perpetuate it. This enabled the couple to inherit the extensive property in Sussex of her uncle, Thomas Gilbert, who had no male heir.
Three daughters and a son survived him. Their son, John Davies Gilbert
(5 December 1811 – 16 April 1854) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in April, 1834 but he does not seem to have published any scientific work.
Their eldest daughter, Catherine, married John Samuel Enys
(b. 1796) on 17 April 1834. She was the mother of the notable New Zealand naturalist, John Davies Enys (11 October 1837 – 7 November 1912).
Their second daughter, Annie, married Rev. Henry Owen, rector of Heveningham, Suffolk on 4 December 1851.
The other daughters were Mary Susannah and Hester Elizabeth.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was elected to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
on 17 November 1791 and served as President of the Royal Society
President of the Royal Society
The president of the Royal Society is the elected director of the Royal Society of London. After informal meetings at Gresham College, the Royal Society was founded officially on 15 July 1662 for the encouragement of ‘philosophical studies’, by a royal charter which nominated William Brouncker as...
from 1827 to 1830.
Biography
Davies Giddy was born, the only child of Edward Giddy, curate of St ErthSt Erth
St Erth is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village is situated four miles southeast of St Ives and six miles northeast of Penzance....
church, and Catherine Davies, daughter of Henry Davies of Tredrea. Davies Giddy would later adopt Gilbert as his surname, the maiden name of his wife.
He was educated at Penzance Grammar School and by his father, and by Rev Malachy Hitchens, the mathematical astronomer. He went up to Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, from whence he graduated with a M.A. on 29 June 1789.
Davies was High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
from 1792 to 1793. He served in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Helston
Helston (UK Parliament constituency)
Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.Using the bloc vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and...
in Cornwall from 1804 to 1806 and for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
from 1806 to 1832.
Giddy was an intimate friend of physician Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes , English physician and scientific writer, was born at Shifnal in Shropshire. He was a reforming practitioner and teacher of medicine, and an associate of leading scientific figures. Beddoes was a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and, according to E. S...
, had attended Beddoes' lectures in Oxford and had been a confidant of Beddoes in his plans for the Pneumatic Institution
Pneumatic Institution
The Pneumatic Institution was a medical research facility in Bristol, England, in 1799–1802. It was established by physician and science writer Thomas Beddoes to study the medical effects of the gases that had recently been discovered...
in Bristol. He noticed and encouraged Humphrey Davy and convinced Beddoes that Davy was the man to work in the laboratory at the Institution.
The Dictionary of National Biography article says of him:
"Gilbert's importance to the development of science in the early nineteenth century lay in his faith that science provided the best means to tackle practical problems and in his facility as a parliamentary promoter of scientific ventures."
He also had a great interest for the history and culture of Cornwall. For instance, he removed a Celtic cross from near Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
, on the Redruth Road (where it had found new use as a gatepost), and took it to a churchyard in his new home of Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. When asked why he carried off a Cornish Cross and re-erected it in Eastbourne by the Rev. Canon Hockin, of Phillack
Phillack
Phillack is a village in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately one mile northeast of Hayle and half-a-mile inland from St Ives Bay on Cornwall's Atlantic coast...
, Mr. Davies replied, It was in order to show the poor, ignorant folk that there was something bigger in the world than a flint!.
He assembled and published A Parochial History of Cornwall and collected and published a number of Cornish Carols.
He edited for publication a Cornish Language poem about the Passion: Passyon agan Arluth, as Mount Calvary (1826). He was elected to the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
in 1820. Gilbert was the President of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world....
from its foundation in 1814 until his death.
Marriage and family
On 18 April 1808 he married Mary Ann GilbertMary Ann Gilbert
-Marriage:On 18 April 1808, she married Davies Giddy, a Cornish landowner, who had served as High Sheriff of the Duchy. He was an M.P. for Cornish constituencies from 1806 to 1832. Among his roles in Parliament was as Chairman of the Board of Agriculture. Mary Ann Gilbert was passionately concerned...
, and in 1816 he took his wife's surname, Gilbert, to perpetuate it. This enabled the couple to inherit the extensive property in Sussex of her uncle, Thomas Gilbert, who had no male heir.
Three daughters and a son survived him. Their son, John Davies Gilbert
John Davies Gilbert
John Davies Gilbert was a land owner, born in Eastbourne the son of Davies Gilbert and Mary Ann Gilbert.John Davies Gilbert and his son, Carew Davies Gilbert played a major role, as landowners, in the development of the town of Eastbourne and also developed Trelissick Garden in Feock, Cornwall.In...
(5 December 1811 – 16 April 1854) was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in April, 1834 but he does not seem to have published any scientific work.
Their eldest daughter, Catherine, married John Samuel Enys
John Samuel Enys
John Samuel Enys was a British mining engineer and scientist who wrote several important papers on the "duty" of steam engines and other types of power delivery, from water wheels to horses, and made numerous studies on the extensive mining works in his home of Cornwall, England.Enys was born 21...
(b. 1796) on 17 April 1834. She was the mother of the notable New Zealand naturalist, John Davies Enys (11 October 1837 – 7 November 1912).
Their second daughter, Annie, married Rev. Henry Owen, rector of Heveningham, Suffolk on 4 December 1851.
The other daughters were Mary Susannah and Hester Elizabeth.
Publications
Books and publications written or edited by Davies Gilbert include:- Plain Statement of the Bullion Question (1811)
- Some ancient Christmas Carols, with the Tunes to which they were formerly sung in the West of England. Collected by D. Gilbert. London : J. Nichols and Son, (1822).)
- Some ancient Christmas Carols, with the tunes to which they were formerly sung in the west of England. pp. x. 79. J. Nichols and Son: London, 1823
- "On the vibrations of heavy bodies in cycloidal and in circular arches, as compared with their descents through free space; including an estimate of the variable circular excess in vibrations continually decreasing." By Davies Gilbert, .. London : printed by William Clowes, [1823] 15,[3]p. 'Extracted from the Quarterly Journal, Vol. XV'.
- A Cornish Cantata. [Names of places in Cornwall arranged in the form of verses.] [Privately printed? East-Bourn?] 1826.
- Mount Calvary; or, the History of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, written in Cornish (as it may be conjectured) some centuries past. Interpreted in English, in ... 1682, by J. Keigwin . Edited by D. Gilbert. pp. xxii. 96. Nichols and Son: London, 1826.
- "On the expediency of assigning Specific Names to all such Functions of Simple Elements as represent definite physical properties; with the suggestion of a new term in mechanics; illustrated by an investigation of the Machine moved by Recoil" ... From the Philosophical Transactions. pp. 14. [Privately printed:] London, 1827.
- "Some Collections and Translations respecting St. Neot, and the former state of his Church." In : Hedgeland (J. P.) A Description ... of the ... decorations ... in the Church of St. Neot, etc. 1830.
- A Cornish dialogue between Tom Pengersick and Dic. Trengurtha. East-Bourn : Davies Gilbert, [ca. 1835](In verse.)
- The Parochial History of Cornwall, founded on,
[or rather including, the manuscript histories of Mr. William HalsWilliam HalsWilliam Hals , was a British historian who compiled a History of Cornwall, the first work of any magnitude that was ever printed in Cornwall. He was born at Tresawen, in the parish of Merther in Cornwall. Much of his work was never published but was used by other Cornish historians, including...
and Mr. Thomas TonkinThomas Tonkin-Early Life:He was born at Trevaunance, St Agnes, Cornwall, and baptised in its parish church on 26 September 1678, was the eldest son of Hugh Tonkin , vice-warden of the Stannaries 1701, and High Sheriff of Cornwall 1702, by his first wife, Frances , daughter of Walter Vincent of Trelevan, near...
; with additions and various appendices, by D. G. [including copious extracts from J. Whitaker, D.Daniel LysonsDaniel Lysons was a notable English antiquary and topographer of the late 18th and early 19th century, who published the four-volume The Environs of London ....
and S. LysonsSamuel LysonsSamuel Lysons FRS was a notable English engraver and antiquary of the late 18th and early 19th century, who - with his older brother, Daniel - published the four-volume The Environs of London...
, &c. and geological notices by Dr. Boase]. 4 vol. London, 1838.
External links
Note: The low count is wrong - search Hansard with "Davies Giddy" and "Davies Gilbert".- Davies Gilbert Biography in hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com website
- Obituary in The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol.13 (New series) 1840 Jan - June, Page 208-211. Online in Google Books