Lewis Gilbertson (1814 – 2 April 1896) was a Welsh clergyman and academic, who was a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford for 32 years, rising to the position of Vice-Principal.

Life

Gilbertson grew up in Elerch,

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

before studying at Jesus College, Oxford. He obtained his BA degree in 1836, his M.A. in 1839 and his BD in 1847. He was appointed a Fellow of Jesus College in 1840 and retained this post until 1872. He was ordained deacon in 1837 and priest in 1838, becoming curate of Sheringham near

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

, Gloucestershire. Gilbertson was vicar of

Llangorwen Llangorwen is a village located in the county of Ceredigion, Mid-Wales. Close to Clarach Bay Clarach Bay is a small bay on the coast of Ceredigion, Wales, to the north of Aberystwyth, where the Afon Clarach The Afon Clarach ( en, River C ...

, Cardiganshire from 1841 to 1852, becoming known for a connection with the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

. In 1852, he returned to Oxford where he served as junior bursar and lecturer at Jesus College. He became Vice-Principal in 1855, when

Henry Foulkes Henry Foulkes (b. 1773 – 17 September 1857) of North Wales was Principal of Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the Un ...

was the Principal. Foulkes died in 1857 and was succeeded by Charles Williams. Gilbertson continued as Vice-Principal until 1872. During his time at the college, he tried (unsuccessfully) to move the college towards Anglo-Catholicism, and he left his mark on the chapel renovation of 1864. He became vicar of his home village of Elerch (which was a new parish) in April 1869, but exercised his right as patron to appoint a successor in November 1870, becoming rector of Braunston in Northamptonshire (a position within the gift of Jesus College) that same year. He was rector of Braunston until retiring to

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

in 1893, where he died on 2 April 1896. His widow had a stained-glass window erected in the college chapel in his memory, which includes a picture of Archbishop William Laud.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbertson, Lewis 1815 births 1896 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford 19th-century Welsh Anglican priests Welsh scholars and academics People from Ceredigion People from Braunston