142 Sir Walter Gilhe//, Bart. 



At the end of his Presidential year, in i89(), he provided 

 the funds for the endowment, for a period of twenty-one years, 

 of a lectureship in the History and Economics of Agriculture 

 at the University of Cambridge. 



In 1897 various schemes were advanced for commemorating 

 the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, of which two found 

 favour with Sir Walter. The first was the picture by Orchard- 

 son, containing the portraits of the three Royal Presidents — 

 Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales (King Edward), the Duke 

 of York (King George) — and Prince Edward of York (Prince 

 of Wales). It was largely owing to Sir Walter's energy, public 

 spirit, and generosity, that the Jubilee picture of " The Four 

 Generations " was painted, and subsequently handed over to the 

 Royal Agricultural Society, on the walls of whose Council 

 Chamber at 16, Bedford Square it now hangs. 



The other scheme in which Sir Walter Gilbey showed equal 

 energy and public spirit, was in connection with the " Queen 

 Victoria Gifts " Fund, under which a certain number of grants 

 of 10/. are made annually to those applicants for the annuities 

 of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution who fail in 

 the particular year to obtain the necessary number of votes. 



During the period of Sir Walter's activities on the Council, 

 very few questions came under discussion in which he did not 

 take some part. Of course, the most important of these was the 

 acquisition of what was intended to be the permanent Showyard 

 for the Society in London. He did all that was possible for 

 man to do in bringing Park Royal to the notice of Londoners, 

 and there is no doubt that the lack of appreciation on the 

 part of the public was a great disappointment to him and 

 many of his friends who shared his aspirations. 



He acquired an interest in the Royal Agricultural Hall 

 Company in 1882, and became Chairman in 1890 ; and in this 

 connection he did much to foster the success of the exhibitions 

 held. 



It was enough for him to be associated with any under- 

 taking to ensure that sooner or later he would take the lead ; 

 the reason lay on the surface ; he brought to the council board 

 the qualities which had won his success in business — shrewd- 

 ness, clarity of judgment, foresight, and practical knowledge of 

 affairs. 



Perhaps there was no incident of his career upon which he 

 looked Ijack with greater pleasure than the presentation by our 

 late King, then Prince of Wales, of the portraits of himself and 

 Mrs, Gilbey at the Royal Agricultural Hall in 1891. The facts 

 that the roll of subscribers, 1,234 in num])er, included men of 

 all ranks from peer to herdsman, and that the presentation was 

 made by the Prince himself with one of those graceful speeches 



