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). Gilbert was educated at the Glasgow Academy and in 1855 he went to Melbourne, Australia on a sailing ship 'SeaStar', arriving at St. Kilda, Melbourne on 31 December 1855. During this voyage he kept a diary with many water colour sketches. In February 1859 he returned to Glasgow on the SS Norfolk, and married at 224 Great Western Road, Glasgow Margaret Adam née Watson (21 February 1836-27 August 1867) and they returned to Melbourne. In 1860 Gilbert founded a company in Melbourne dealing in the export of flour, dried fruit, agriculture products, etc., to the United Kingdom. On 16 February 1867 he and his first wife and three daughters, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Margaret Watson, all born in Victoria, Australia, their two sons had died, sailed from Melbourne to London on the SS Superb, and on to Hillhead, Glasgow. They stayed at 3 Viewfield Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow, the home of Mrs. Edward Langlands, née Watson, who was the sister of his wife, where fourth daughter Jane Langlands McCaul was born on 23 August 1867. His wife Margaret died in 1867, and their baby daughter Jane died on 16 September 1867. In 1868 he founded a merchant company in London under the name of Gilbert J. McCaul, London. In 1877 Gilbert John McCaul married Jessie Cooper (19 July 1849-13 January 1914), daughter of Robert Cooper of Grove House, Grove Park, Kent, and they lived at 16 Church Terrace, Lewisham, Kent where they were living in 1881, a 46-year-old Australia merchant, 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, they went on to have several more children. In 1891, they were living at 76 Marina, Hastings, Sussex and ten years later were renting a house at 9 Fortfield Terrace, Sidmouth, Devon. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1887-1890 from Greggandarrock, Chislehurst, Kent but does not seem to have exhibited. His second wife Jessie died at Chislehurst in 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.