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William Gilbert (23 February 1829 – 4 February 1919) was a politician and philanthropist in South Australia. ==History== Gilbert was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, the only son of a successful millwright and engineer, and was educated at what was later described as the "best private school in the county" but which Gilbert himself criticised as "cramming Greek and Latin rather than teaching first principles",〔 where disagreements occur between details in obituaries and this record of an interview (and there are several), this reference can be assumed to be the more accurate.〕 At 19 years of age he took over his father's business, and ran it for ten years. Around 1860 he followed his father into the flour-milling business with a mill at High Wycombe〔 20 miles from London.〔 He was involved in agitation against the Corn Laws.〔 The mill business was quite successful, though limited by lack of capital〔 but a continual struggle against competitors, suppliers and debtors, and he sold his share to his partner and with his ailing wife emigrated to South Australia (perhaps influenced by the high reputation of Australian wheat〔), arriving in 1869. After a year of setbacks he secured a temporary position as traveller for Giles & Smith, a large wheat buyer and flour-miller in Waymouth Street, and before the six months' contract was over Gilbert had established a business of his own in North Adelaide.〔 He was then offered a position with a chaff mill in Tynte Street, North Adelaide, with an option to purchase. Under his management the production of chaff rose from three tons a week to thirty. He took in a partner, Charles Willcox. Eleven years later he decided he could comfortably retire to England, but after experiencing one winter he decided Australia was his true home and at the end of fourteen months returned to South Australia. He had fortunately not given up his interest in the fodder business. His nephew William Gilbert Payne (ca.1865 – 5 April 1926), also from Aylesbury, emigrated around 1885 and helped with his uncle's chaff and fodder business, which, as Gilbert & Co. opened mills at Gawler and Wasleys, handling 1,000 tons a month, much of it exported to Sydney.〔 He sold the business, perhaps to Payne, who continued its management after Gilbert's death. Gilbert was for twenty years a member of the Savings Bank board. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「William Gilbert (politician)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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