The "GILBERT Family Bible" is at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Southampton, Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada. Walter Ernest GILBERT is recorded in the Family Bible as "born Wednesday July 29th, 1874 (at) 5 o'clock p.m." in Southampton. He was the sixth child of William GILBERT & Eliza Wager TRANTER.

The five children born before Walter were:

Baby Raymond died at only 11 days of age on 23 Sep 1885. Fredrick Birt (a.k.a. Birt Frederick GILBERT, Frederick Birt GILBERT or Bert GILBERT) drowned in the Saugeen River on 06 Jul 1889, at the age of 12 years. Walter predeceased his older brother, Henry Edgar GILBERT (a.k.a. Harry GILBERT), who was the last of his family group to die at age 86 in 1958 in New Zealand. Walter died at age 77 in 1951 in Vancouver, BC. (A "family legend" was that Walter went into the Ministry because his younger brother Birt F. GILBERT who had died at age 12 had wanted to do so.)

Not very much is known about Walter's childhood, but this tells a bit about life in Southampton (punctuation & spelling as it was typed, from a letter written by a peer, circa 1961):

Walter attended University of Toronto, where he earned a B.A. in 1904.

He then attended Wycliffe College (Anglican) in 1904 - 1905. It was during this time, probably in the autumn of 1904, that he met Mydra Irena Enseba LENT. From reading the letters he wrote to her, their acquaintance was renewed over Christmas 1904. Mydra wrote a note to him, & Walter's first letter to her on 13 Jan 1905 begins, "My Dear Friend, Miss Lent". Mydra appears to be in London, Ontario at this time. They may have met through Jack (surname UNKNOWN, the future husband of Mydra's younger sister, Stella?) who eventually had a "prairie parish out west".

The second letter, 30 Jan, begins, "My Sweet & Lovely Girl", & the third (& majority of the subsequent letters) with, "My Darling Mydra".

The correspondence continued until their marriage, which took place on 09 Jan 1907 in Calgary, Alberta. Walter tells her of life at Wycliffe College, his Ordination, Curacy at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia & building a new church in Vermilion, Alberta.

Some excerpts:

23 Feb 1905 "(College) has got to be such a dreadful place. The eye of the faculty seems ever on me . . not that I, in one way, care a button anymore."

19 Mar 1905 "I also desire the ring-measurement of your finger if, sometime, you would be good enough to give it me."

02 Apr 1905 "I had my first experience as witness in a Police Court. Two thieves came into Wycliffe, broke open two trunks & stole some money. I happened to be the fortunate one (or perhaps the unfortunate one when we consider the difficulty of a witness) to catch thief #2. The first thief had about a minute the start & so got away. He was a young man (of about 22 years of age I should say), whom we caught & what appeared striking to me was, that he had a sweetheart who appeared in Court ready to do what she could. However, he was sentenced to 60 days hard labor & so we felt that the little inconvenience we had been caused had not been wholly in vain."

09 Apr 1905 "We find the Work exceptionally heavy at present. We have three exams over, but from the 12th to the 27th, I have 14 subjects to write off."
(same letter) "I was sorry to hear that 288 was wholesaling in 'mumps' . hope that you will be freed from taking stock in the same." (Mydra's address may have been 288 __ Street.)

16 Apr 1905 " . . majestic Tyrant of Examinations. I have still nine subjects remaining."

01? May 1905 (Mydra had sent a "token of remembrance" & a Postal Note for Walter's Graduation) "Am I so distant a stranger that I am forced to accept usuary? . . Convocation went off splendidly . . At first I was to go East, then I was to go West, then I felt I was finally settled for the East, but now, this morning, I received a letter which leaves me . . still on the fence."
(same letter) "I did not get an opportunity of calling at 33 Oak Ave (Hamilton, Ontario - was this the home of Mydra's mother, the widow Matilda R. PURDY?) P.S. just received the assurance of a decent place & a salary of $800 if I go West."

09 May 1905 "I have at last made arrangements to go East & am looking forward to spending this summer on the shores of the Atlantic . . shall probably see you at about my accustomed hour, Saturday afternoon."

17 May 1905 Southampton, ON "I must not give my pen too much liberty or I shall resemble the unchecked valise & never stop . . the Bishop of Nova Scotia has agreed to accept my College standing in place of written Deacon's Exams but will require me to take an oral one."

26 May 1905 "Last Sunday I assisted in three services. Next Sunday I expect to drive over to Port Elgin & Tara (from Southampton) . . the following Sunday I feel I am being billed to preach here at home . . Jun 5th I expect to go to Toronto & from there to Hamilton, Jun 6th return to Toronto & take the boat for Montreal, have short visits at Montreal, Quebec & Halifax, be ordained Jun 18th, probably reach Lunenburg Jun 19th or 20th."

09 Jun 1905 "Arrived here (Montreal) yesterday."

13 Jun 1905, Hotel Victoria, Levis, PQ "Here I am in one of these little jerk-water hotels on the very edge of the St. Lawrence River . . waitress could not speak English & I could not speak French . . If you don't give me the mitten & I be good . . By the way, these French girls flirt like 60 if one gives them half a chance. No room to let, however." Walter went on to say that he read Mydra's letter on top of Mount Royal & also atop Notre Dame Church Tower, "227 feet above ground", & that he was taking the midnight train to Halifax - the fast train, & expected to arrive at 8:15 p.m.

19 Jun 1905, Dartmouth, NS "I was ordained at St. Luke's, Halifax (yesterday) morning & preached in the Dartmouth Church in the evening . . I intend to go down to Lunenburg, a distance of 60 miles, tomorrow."

22 Jun 1905, Lunenburg, NS "I have 93 families under my special supervision . . it (St. John's Church in Lunenburg) is the second oldest parish in Nova Scotia . . (St. James in Mahone Bay) had 15th anniversay recently . . seating over 1300 people . . the Church was beautifully illuminated with electric lights . . I expect to have a Sunday School & three services a week . . splendid boarding house in town, the best I ever knew, at the price of $4/week.

03 Jul 1905 "Rev. Wallis . . is 43. He & I go out together bathing, wheeling & sporting around generally as well as often doing visiting together . . we were wheeling together the other day & he asked me if I was engaged, when I replied, 'Yes, in as far as anyone out here is concerned.' He answered, 'Well, for goodness sake, don't tell them so.' . . Monday is the Parson's holiday."

10 Jul 1905 "I was rowing & swimming in the back harbour on Saturday & I see the tightening of the muscles has not improved my hand-writing any. I enjoy the sea-bathing very much . . weather today is bordering on 90 degrees in the shade . . this week I am to address the weeknight service in Lunenburg on Wednesday night, take the service at 'Blue Rocks' on Thursday night, have a Baptismal service Thursday afternoon . . my first Baptism, superintend Sunday School & teach Bible class, & preach two times next Sunday. This may seem easy for some but not for I . . last Wednesday I started out to visit in Lunenburg & made only three visits although I anticipated making eight. The first I came to was a Mr. S____ who is dying of a tumor . . then I went to a Mrs. M____ who is grieving over a reprobate son . . I then went to a Mrs. B____ who is contemplating a trip south for her health."

23 Jul 1905 "I hope you are not uneasy regarding my ocean bathing . . the danger is almost nothing while the pleasure & profit is very great . . I suppose you have not yet decided which school you are thinking of going to in Toronto?"

06 Sep 1905 "You know that I wished you might go to Toronto & I know your ambition & desire has been to go there, yet I would not have your after life shadowed by any vain regrets. I feel that your Mother needs your comforting cheer & companionship . . if you feel it is your clear duty to go to Toronto, I hope nothing will stop you . . do not allow the disappointment to cause you any annoyance . . I am intensely busy." (Walter said earlier in this letter, "your hearts are filled with anguish of separation from your sweet little household Angel" - I believe this referred to Mydra's younger sister, Estella, "Stell", leaving home for either school, work or a new home with her husband, Jack.)

26 Sep 1905 "Mr. Wallis being away, I had both Churches to provide for. Monday & Tuesday arranging . . a Garden Party for Blue Rocks Church. Wednesday I had the unique experience of having my first Wedding & my first funeral in the same day, besides I had the Wednesday evening service in Lunenburg . . all three services held in the large Church in Lunenburg. On Thursday . . as it had rained for three days previous,I postponed (the Garden Party). This of course gave me extra work. On Friday I buried a woman who was only three days sick & left six children & a husband to mourn her loss. The eldest daughter was almost in convulsions, while her father was sadly & dreadfully grief-stricken . . on Friday our Garden Party came off . . we cleared $150 . . I enclose my first Wedding contribution."

Mydra's brother, Williston F. W. LENT, was a lawyer in Calgary at this time, & helped with wedding arrangements.

(The letters continue until shortly before the marriage of Walter GILBERT & Mydra LENT
in Jan 1907, but this is the temporary end of my "progress"!)

Walter & Mydra retired from active ministry in 1945. They moved to an apartment in Alma Court (now listed in the Vancouver Heritage Register), at 2222 Alma Road, Vancouver, BC, where they remained until Walter's death in 1951.