March 6th Davies Gilbert PRS (Birth)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born on this day in 1767 as Davies Giddy, the St. Erth – born Davies Gilbert PRS (1767 – 1839) was an engineer, author, historian, hymn collator and politician. 

The son of Rev. Edward Giddy of St. Erth, he was the second son to be named Davies; his elder brother having been born the year before dying within one day. This may seem very strange to us these days but, then, it was very common and even John Wesley (June 17th) was the second of his parents’ sons to be called John after his elder brother died in infancy.

The Giddy family lived in the prestigious Chapel Street in Penzance until 1780 when his mother, Catherine, inherited her family home of Tredrea Manor Farm in St Erth.  On April 18th, 1808, he married Mary Ann Gilbert and, in 1816, he took his wife’s surname to secure his wife’s inheritance of property in Eastbourne.

Davies had interests in many fields and was elected to the Royal Society in 1791, which he served as President (PRS) from 1827 to 1830 and was the founding President of the Royal Geological Society of Penzance (February 11th).  Together with the Rev. Malachy Hitchins (18th May)  he supported and encouraged, the Ludgvan-born Sir Humphry Davy (May 29th), in his studies also convincing, the famous physician, Thomas Beddoes to employ Davy as his laboratory assistant in Bristol.  

Renowned for his mathematical skills, he worked closely with pioneers such as Jonathan Hornblower (February 23rd) but also had a deep and abiding interest in Cornish history, antiquities and Cornish Christmas carols.  Davies had discovered a Celtic cross near Truro and, in 1817, removed it to Eastbourne to use as a gatepost. It is now in the churchyard of St. Mary’s Church, Eastbourne. Gilbert published ‘A Parochial History of Cornwall’ in four volumes as well as ‘Some Ancient Christmas Carols’ (1822).

This collection was the first collection of carols to be published in Victorian times and in the introduction he noted that they were sung in private homes on Christmas Eve and then in Church on Christmas Day.

Davies Gilbert served as Member of Parliament for Helston (1804 – 1806) and then Bodmin (1806 – 1832) and unlike many Cornish gentry, was opposed to mass education during his time in parliament.  When the Parochial Schools Bill (1807) was debated in the Commons, Gilbert warned that ‘giving education to the poor labouring classes would be found to be prejudicial to their morals and happiness,  would teach them to despise their lot in life, instead of making them good servants in agriculture and other laborious employments to which their rank in society had destined them; teaching them against the virtue of subordination, render them factious and enable them to read seditious pamphlets, vicious books and publications against Christianity.’ The bill failed to pass on the grounds of expense of providing the parochial schools.

Gilbert died in Eastbourne on Christmas Eve 1839, survived by his wife, three daughters, and a son.

 

 

 

 



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