(Left to Right) Standing Back Row: Colin (1877-1906), Frank (1873-1929), Arthur (1841-1912), Cecil (1876-1948), Howel (1874-1923). Seated Middle Row: Meg (Marguerite) (1885-1960), Harriet (1878-1918), Olive (1881-1946). Seated Front Row: George (1886- 1955), Phyllis (1890-1973), Sylvia (1888-1950), Charles (1884-1963), Winnie (Winifred) (1883-1964). Died in infancy: Lettice (1880-1885), John (1891). The sombre expressions of the children are understandable following the death of their mother the previous year: Ellen Gilbertson (née Lloyd) (1850-1894).
The left-hand portrait dates from when Frank was a pupil at Charterhouse aged about 15. The right-hand photograph was taken at Oxford University while he was an undergraduate at Magdalen College from 1891. He graduated during the summer of 1894 in Natural Science, specialising in Chemistry.
The total percentage dividend payable on ordinary share capital (as compiled in Table 2 of Peter Jackson’s book [4, p. 245]) is plotted in blue for each financial year. No dividend was paid in 1903 and 1904 to allow profits to be re-invested in new plant, which repaid handsomely over the next few years. In contrast, after 1920 profits dwindled and there are no records of dividend payments after 1925.
Frank’s increasing involvement with establishing the University College of Swansea is indicated below the time axis from 1916 onwards, with his two periods as President after the Foundation on 19th July 1920 shown by the solid red line.
Mrs. Mary Dulcibella Thomas (née Eden) (1834 – 1909) with her second daughter Miss Dulcibel Thomas (1872-1951) outside the drawing room window at Glanmor House, Sketty, Swansea. (The Edens were trusted managers at Vivian and Sons Ltd. The site of Glanmor House is now Long Oaks Court near Myrtle Grove and Glanmor Park Road.) Mrs. Thomas was the second wife of Illtid Thomas (1812 – 89) and Isabel, their eldest daughter, was the first of their children to get married. Frank got on well with his sister-in-law Dulcie and she was a welcome guest on adventurous continental motoring trips.
Molly (Mary) is sitting on a side wall while Frank stands holding a gate on the path leading from the kitchen garden of his stables [1] toward the terraced orchard and woodland of Cwmdu below. Mary would later become the owner of Glynteg following her marriage. The iron gate survives to this day in the Author’s garden.
Original drawing of Frank Gilbertson by Harold Morgan (newspaper cartoonist of the “Cambria Daily Leader” and later “The South Wales Daily Post”) “regarded as more typical of him than any of the few photographs he ever permitted” [23].
Frank warned of serious economic problems on the horizon as the artificial prosperity of wartime gave way to normal international trading competition in peacetime. He appealed for cooperation from all sides of industry in meeting the reconstruction challenges ahead.
Portrait of Mary Gilbertson painted in 1915 by the Belgian artist André Cluysenaar, which now hangs in the Council Room (formerly the Great Dining Room) of Singleton Abbey. Hugh Vivian (1884 – 1956) photographed in 1917 in the uniform of the Army Service Corps.
This was a logistics division, supplying the front lines with food, equipment and ammunition, and organising transportation by horse and motor vehicles, railways and waterways.
This enormous canvas (top) by Percy Gleaves (1882-1944) hangs on the landing of Singleton Abbey, having recently been restored.
Before laying the foundation stone (bottom left), King George V presents the Royal Charter to Frank Gilbertson, first President of the University College of Swansea. The foundation stone was subsequently “lost” in the Swansea Corporation yard for 17 years [15, p. 89] until it was re-laid in the wall of the 1937 Library (bottom right), the first purpose-built permanent building to be constructed on the campus.
The hefty chains holding the stone suggest industrial heavy engineering – not inappropriate to the founders of the institution. The sunny parkland setting and rather naive style of the painting add to the air of symbolism.
Business conditions worsened after 1920 as the post-war mini-boom ended. The trade press responded with promotional material and Frank contributed an upbeat article heralding modern developments and the promise of higher education [21]. W. Gilbertson & Co. Ltd. advertised their full range of products, including some long-established brands which had been manufactured for decades.
“We trust and believe that the buildings which are to rise upon this site will become the home of high ideals and lofty purpose and of unfailing efforts for the advancement of learning, the improvement of industry, and the betterment of civilisation.”, welcome address [16, p. 92] by Frank Gilbertson at the foundation ceremony, 19th July 1920.
Most of the “temporary” science “pavilions” built to the west of Singleton Abbey between 1922 and 1925 lasted more than 50 years [15, p. 98]. Student numbers [15, p. 119] grew from 89 in 1920-21, to 382 in 1925-26, reaching 485 in 1930-31, just after this photograph was taken
Isabel Frances de Winton Thomas of Glanmor (1868 – 1955). Frank’s portrait with his signature during his early years helping to manage the family firm and around the time of his betrothal to Isabel.
