Place:
Abode: Honeysuckle Point, Newcastle
Source:
Register Book of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle. Baptisms. p.75
Details:
Son of William and Eliza Gilbert. Baptism
Source:
The Newcastle Sun
Details:
LATE JOHN GILBERT Newcastle Pioneer The death of Mr. John Gilbert at his home at Mayfield at the age of 70 years removes one of Newcastle s oldest identities. Born in one of the old buildings in King-street at present being demolished for the new Town Hall, Mr. Gilbert resided for many years at the Honeysuckle Point settlement until it was taken over by the Railway Commissioners, who erected the present workshops on the site. In the days when coaches, sulkies and two-decker buses comprised the majority of vehicles in Hunter-street, Mr. Gilbert, with his brother George, set up a coach building business in Hunter street, on the edge of Cottage Creek. With the advent of the motor car the business was turned into that side of the vehicular trade, and later on floated into a limited liability company. FORMER MAYOR - Mr. Gilbert was also actively connected with the municipal affairs of Newcastle and Wickham, and in fact took a lively interest in all public affairs. He was an alderman of Wickham Council for 15 years, and on three occasions occupied the mayoral chair. This position he also held once during an eight yearn term as an alderman of the Newcastle Council. Church matters also claimed a large Interest in Mr. Gilbert s life. From superintendent of the Wickham Methodist Church he became a local preacher, which position he hold until his health failed, after 50 years of service. He was the prime mover in having the Maitland-road Methodist Church erected and with one exception attended every annual conference in Sydney for 50 years. Mr. Gilbert was also a candidate for Parliament on three occasions, the last time being beaten by the ex leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, Mr. M. Charlton. He leaves a widow (by a second marriage), two sons, Messrs. F. B. Gilbert, of Hamilton South, and Harrie Gilbert, of Mayfield, and five daughters, Mrs. J. H. Roberts (Croydon Park), Mrs. P. A. Spence (Newcastle), Mrs. G. Schroder (Toronto), Mrs.. S. Robertson (of Enfield, Sydney), and Miss (Sister) A Gilbert, of the Sydney Childrens Hospital.
Place:
Residence Fawcett-street, Mayfield
Details:
LATE MR. J. GILBERT FUNERAL AT SANDGATE There was a very large attendance at the funeral of the late Mr. John Gilbert, who died at his residence, Fawcett-street, Mayfield, on Friday. After a service held in the Maitland-road Methodist Church, presided over by Rev. R. Finigan, superintendent of the Hamilton circuit, assisted by Revs. E. E. Hynes, J. H. Somerville, and R. J. Thomas, the cortege, headed by employees of the firm Gilbert Brothers, and a number of male members of the Maitland-road Methodist Church, proceeded to the Honeysuckle railway station, thence by train to Sandgate cemetery, where the interment was made in the Methodist portion. Rev. Finigan, assisted by Revs. Hynes, Somerville and Thomas, conducted a service at the graveside. The chief mourners were the widow, Frank and Harry (sons), Mesdames J. H. Roberts and F. A. Spence, and Sister A. Gilbert (daughters), and Harry (brother). The pall-bearers were Messrs. A. Woods, W. A. Viggers, J. Taper, and W. Gour, employees of the firm of Gilbert Brothers. Deceased, who was in his 70th year, took an active interest in church and municipal affairs. A perusal of a diary kept by him for many years discloses that his first experience of the Methodist Sunday School work was about 65 years ago, near what is now known as The Glebe, where a slab church with a bark roof was built. Deceased then moved to Honeysuckle Point, and attended the Brown-street Primitive Methodist Sunday School for a number of years, afterwards moving to Wickham where a weatherboard church was built in October, 1871. As a boy deceased attended the public school at St. Johns, Cooks Hill, where the late Mr. J. Burrows was master. Serving his apprenticeship with Mr. T. Proctor, coach- builder in a shop opposite the brewery, deceased commenced in business with his brother George, near Cottage Creek bridge, where they founded the firm of Gilbert Brothers. During the course of his life, deceased saw many changes in the Newcastle district, and remembered Shepherds Hill when it was covered with a dense scrub, in which roamed herds of wild goats, Cooks Hill, particularly that section which afterwards became known as Arnotts paddock, was also thickly timbered. Having taken such a keen interest in municipal and local affairs, deceased always had a fund of knowledge of the district, and was in constant touch with social, political, commercial and religious matters. Deceased retired from business about three years ago, his son, Mr. F. B. Gilbert, acting as managing director of the firm.
First Name:
John and George
Source:
The Aldine centennial history of New South Wales illustrated / W. Frederic Morrison Morrison, W. Frederic Sydney. The Aldine Publishing Company, 1888
Details:
GILBERT BROS. Coach and Buggy Factory, Blane-street.-This firm-consisting of John and George Gilbert, who had learned their trade in the city, and had worked in other parts of the colony-was established in 1881, in a small way, only employing two or three hands. It gradually progressed, and now occupies large premises, and employs about thirty hands, turning out first-class sociables , carriages, buggies, lorries, American wagons, and every other product of a leading coach factory. It has the most modern appliances, and covers an extent of land 66ft. in frontage, by a depth of 165ft., being the largest coach factory in the district.
