Gilbert, Sir William Schwenk

Gilbert, Sir William Schwenk (1836-1911), writer, b. London.

W. S. Gilbert started his career as a lawyer but turned to writing comic verse.

A collection of this was published in 1869 under the title The Bab Ballads, Bab being Gilbert's nickname as a boy.

Then he wrote the book for a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan, Trial by Jury, first performed in 1875, and it was a great success.

Afterwards, Gilbert and Sullivan produced thirteen more comic-operas including H.M.S. Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, The Mikado and The Gondoliers.

All of them were noted for their gaiety and wit.

In their own time they were immensely popular and they are still popular today.

Gilbert died of heart failure when trying to rescue a woman from drowning in a swimming pool.