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Gilmans had it covered
May
29, 2003
GILMAN ROAD
(Mousehold)
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| MUSIC TO HIS
HEARS: The Mousehold Heath bandstand, a place close
to the heart of Charles Suckling Gilman. |
He was a busy man was Charles
Suckling Gilman, who died in March of 1888 at the age
of 80. But it was his son who fed the poor of Norwich
by handing out 125 carcasses of sheep and 20 quarters
of beef.
The reason for this act of generosity was the diamond
jubilee of Queen Victoria back in 1897 when the country
had a mass knees-up and Sir Charles Rackham Gilman was
our Lord Mayor.
And he didn’t see why he should be hosting posh
champagne receptions at the Guildhall and at the Castle
Museum while the masses had to put up with bread and
water and the odd jug of ale.
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| Charles Storey Gilman, son
of the prominent Charles Suckling Gilman. |
His father had been a member
of the old Norwich Corporation for many years, and he
was one of the oldest life governors of the Norfolk
and Norwich Hospital.
And with John Henry Gurney and Sir Samual Bignold he
took an active part in forming the original Norwich
Chamber of Commerce.
His son was born in 1833 and although trained for the
law started a career in insurance for which Norwich
was famous.
Together with other leading citizens, he set up the
Norwich and London Accident Insurance Association, taking
over the management in 1895 and setting up its head
office in St Giles.
He became a councillor in 1882 and served as Lord Mayor
the same year and then again in 1896/7.
He also served as an alderman and a magistrate and became
a popular man.
Sir Charles served on a whole host of organisations
including the Jenny Lind Hospital and the Norwich School
for the Blind.
He was also a keen promoter of the music festival but
most of all he loved Mousehold and he served as chairman
of the Mousehold Heath Conservators for more than 20
years.
He married Sophia Louise Storey and they had a son,
Charles Storey Gilman, who was born in 1864 and who
followed his father into the insurance business and
also served on a host of public bodies in Norwich.
The Gilman clan served the city well over the years
… and deserve to be remembered.
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