tenement-houses. His first notion was a pneu- matic tube, and tiiis was afterward elaborated into the present elevated railroad system. He devised seven different plans, and in 1872 obtained a charter at Albany for an overhead tubular pneu- matic railway, under the title of the " Gilbert ele- vated railroad company," for which he was unable to obtain a franchise. The original elevated rail- way (18G7) extended from Battery place through Greenwich street and Ninth avenue to Tliirtieth street. The horse-car companies fought against the project with every weapon, looking on the company as competitors and intruders upon their vested privileges. The contest ended in favor of Dr. Gilbert. The road was begun, but the work soon stopped, and eighteen months of litigation followed. It was not until October, 1877, that the company were enabled to proceed. The Sixth ave- nue road was built, and Dr. Gilbert was at first a large holder of the stock. He was superseded in the management in 1878, and the name of the com- pany was changed to the Metropolitan elevated railroad company. His stock passed out of his hands, extensive litigation followed, charges of fraud were made against his associates, and his death was hastened by anxietv and disappointment.
GILBERT, Thomas, soldier, b. about 1714; d.
in New Brunswick in 1796. His ancestor, John,
came from Devonshire early in the 17th century,
and was one of the first two representatives from
Taunton, Mass., to the general court. Thomas was
a captain at the memorable siege of Louisburg
in 1745, and in the French war of 1755 held a
lieutenant-colonelcy in the Massachusetts forces
under Gen. Ruggles. He was engaged in the at-
tempt against Crown Point, and after the fall of
Col Williams in the battle with the French under
Baron Dieskau, he succeeded to the command of
the regiment. On retiring from the service at the
close of the war he declined to receive half pay.
At the beginning of the Revolutionary struggle he
raised and commanded a body of 300 royalists at
the request of Gen. Gage. In April, 1775, the con-
gress of Massachusetts declared him an enemy to
his country, and a few days later he fled to a ves-
sel lying in the harbor of Newport, and sailed to
Boston, then in possession of the British. He ac-
companied the royal troops to Halifax in 1776, and
in 1778 was proscribed and banished. He contin-
ued to serve in the British army during the war,
went to Nova Scotia in 1783, and subsequently set-
tled in New Brunswick.
GILBERT, Walter Bond, musician, b. in Exeter, England, 21 April, 1829. He gave early evidence of musical talent, and when quite young was placed under Mr. Angel, organist of Exeter cathedral, as an articled pupil for five years, after which he studied the organ under Dr. Wesley, of Winchester, and orchestration under Sir Henry Bishop.
He took the degree of bachelor in music at Ox-
ford in 1854, became fellow of the College of organ-
ists in 1868, and in 1886 received the honorary
degree of doctor in music from Trinity college, To-
ronto, Canada. In 1869 he was appointed organ-
ist of Trinity chapel. New York, which place he
still (1887) holds. His compositions and publica-
tions are numerous, and include two oratorios, " St.
John " and " The Restoration of Israel."
GILBERT, William Kent, physician, b. in
Gettysburg, Pa., 28 Dec, 1830 ; d. in Philadelphia,
Pa., 28 June, 1880. His father, David (1803-'68),
was for some years professor of surgery in the
medical department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania. The son was graduated at Pennsylvania
college, Gettysburg, in 1849, and at the Pennsyl-
vania medical college in 1852. After some time
spent in Europe he became resident physician to
the Philadelphia hospital, holding that appoint-
ment for two years. He then settled in Philadel-
phia as a regular practitioner, and continued so
until his death. For some time he was consulting
physician to the hospital committee of the Phila-
delphia hospital, and from 1878 till 1881 he held
the office of coroner of Philadelphia county. Dr.
Gilbert was a member of the College of physicians,
of several medical societies, of the Academy of
natural sciences, and of the Pennsylvania historical
society. He spent many years in making a col-
lection of books, papers, autograph letters, and
manuscripts relating to American medical history,
biography, and literature, and at the time of his
death left an unpublished work as the result of his
researches. — His brother, David McConaughy,
clergyman, b. in Gettysbui-g, Pa., 4 Feb., 1836,
received his classical and theological education in
Pennsylvania college and seminary, at Gettysburg,
Pa., where he was graduated in 1857. He was or-
dained to the Lutheran ministry in 1860, and re-
ceived the degree of D. D. from Roanoke college,
Va., in 1880. He has been pastor of Lutheran
congregations, at StauTiton, Va., in 1859-'63, Sa-
vannah, Ga., in 1863-71, again at Staunton, Va.,
in 1871-'3, and at Winchester, Va., since April of
the latter year. He is a leader in ecclesiastical
affairs in tlie southern church, and has held various
places of honor and trust in the southei'u Lutheran
synods. For the past five years he has been presi-
dent of the Evangelical Lutheran synod of Vir-
ginia. In 1884-'5 he took an active part in the
efforts to unite the Lutheran synods in the south
on a purely confessional basis, and when, on 25
June, 1886, the united synod in the south was or-
ganized, he was chosen its first president. His
published works include " The Lutheran Church
in Virginia, 1776-1876 " (New Market, Va., 1876) ;
" The Praises of the Lord in the Story of our
Fathers, a Sketch of the Lutheran Church at Win-
chester " (1877) ; " The Synod of Virginia, Its His-
tory and Work " (1879) ; " The Annihilation Theory
Briefly Examined " (1879) ; and " Muhlenberg's
Ministry in Virginia, a Chapter of Colonial Lu-
thero-Episcopal Church History " (1884). Besides
these, he has published various articles and ser-
mons, doctrinal and practical.
GILCHRIST, John James, jurist, b. in Med-
ford, Mass., 16 Feb., 1809 ; d. in Washington, D. C,
29 April, 1858. He was graduated at Harvard in
1828, and studied law with William Briggs in
Charlestown, and at the Harvard law-school. After
his admission to the bar he settled in Charlestown,
N. H., where he practised in partnership with Gov,
Henry Hubbard, whose daughter he married. He
was a member of the New Hampshire legislature
and also register of probate for Sullivan county.
In 1840 he was appointed an associate justice of
the supreme court of New Hampshire, and in 1848
became chief justice. He was appointed one of
the justices of the United States court of claims
in 1855, and continued in that office imtil his
death. Judge Gilchrist published a " Digest of
New Hampshire Reports " (Concord, 1846).
GILCHRIST, Robert Budd, jurist, b. in Charleston, S. V., 28 Sept., 1796; d. there, 1 May, 1856. He studied in Columbia college. New York, and, after entering the junior class in the South Carolina college, was graduated in 1814. He then studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1818.
In 1831 he became district attorney for South Carolina, and was the prosecuting official in the "Bond case," in which the constitutionality of the
