William W. Gilbert (before March 5, 1746 – February 14, 1832) was an American silversmith, active in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Gilbert was born in New York City, baptized in the Dutch Church in 1746, and married Catherine Cosine (or Cozyn) in 1767. He advertised a theft in the ''New York Gazette or Weekly Post-Boy'', August 27, 1770, as follows: "Tuesday Night last some Villains broke into the shop of Mr. Gilbert, Silver-Smith in the Broad Way, and robbed the same of near two Hundred Pounds in Plate, &c. Diligent Search has been made after the Thieves, but we Have not heard of any discovery being made." He also advertised in the ''New York Gazette'', 1770–1772, as a gold- and silversmith. From 1786 to 1804 he was listed in city directories as silversmith. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, Gilbert was an active patriot. In early 1775 he was named one of the 60 members of the city's "

Committee of Sixty The Committee of Sixty or Committee of Observation was a committee of inspection formed in the City and County of New York (Manhattan, New York City), in 1775, by rebels to enforce the Continental Association, a boycott of British goods enacted by ...

" and on May 1, 1775, was elected to its "Committee of One Hundred." When the British invaded the city in August 1776, Gilbert and his family left, probably to eastern

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

or northern

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, since a William Gilbert enrolled in Colonel John Lasher's regiment of New York militia. On November 26, 1783, the day after the British evacuated, General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

was presented with a document entitled "The Address of the Citizens of New York, who have returned from exile, in behalf of themselves and their suffering Brethren," signed by Gilbert as William Gilbert Jr., his father, and others. Over time, Gilbert became a prominent and influential citizen. He was appointed from 1782 to 1788 as a city Alderman, and named a member of the Gold and Silversmiths' Society in 1786. He was Commissioner of Excise for several years, in 1786 oversaw renewal of tavern licenses. In other city offices, in 1794 he became an Associate Justice, in 1801 he was Assistant Alderman for the Seventh Ward and then in 1804 Alderman for the Eighth Ward. In 1803 he held the office of Prison Inspector. From 1788 to 1793 he served as one of the city's representatives in the State Assembly, and from 1809 to 1812 as a state senator. Gilbert's work is collected in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Museum of the City of New York A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

, and

Clark Art Institute The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, commonly referred to as the Clark, is an art museum and research institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. Its collection consists of European and American paintings, sculp ...

References

"Flashback: William Gilbert, Silversmith of New York"
Collectors Weekly, April 2, 2009.

American Silversmiths. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, William W. American silversmiths 1746 births 1832 deaths