McCAUL, Gilbert John
Gilbert John McCaul was born at Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 31 July 1834, son of Malcolm McCaul (1804-1891) and his wife Isabella née Alston (1812-1875). In 1860 Gilbert emigrated to Australia where he founded a company in Melbourne dealing in the export of flour, dried fruit, agriculture products, etc., to the United Kingdom. He married in Victoria, Australia, Margaret Adam née Watson and where she died, leaving three daughters, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Margaret Watson, all born in Victoria, Australia. In 1868 he returned to the U.K. and founded a merchant company in London under the name of Gilbert J. McCaul, London. He married secondly at Lewisham, London in 1877, Jessie née Cooper. In 1881, a 46-year-old Australia merchant, living at 16 Church Terrace, Lee, London with his 31-year-old wife Jessie and daughters Elizabeth 21, Isabella 19 and Margaret Watson Turner 17, plus his new son, 2-year-old Gilbert Cooper McCaul, and they retained four servants. In 1891, they were living at 76 Marina, Hastings, Sussex and ten years later was renting a house at 9 Fortfield Terrace, Sidmouth, Devon. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1887-1890 from Greggandarrock, Chislehurst, Kent but does not seem to have exhibited. His second wife Jessie died at Chislehurst on 13 January 1914, aged 65 and Gilbert, who retired from Gilbert McCaul and Company in 1904, died at Creggandarroch, Chislehurst, Kent on 25 March 1922, aged 87. His diaries and sketchbook are housed in the National Library of Australia.