GILBEY, SIR WALTER, IST BART. (1831-1914), English wine merchant, was born at Bishop Stortford. After the Crimean War Walter Gilbey, and his brother Alfred, on the advice of their eldest brother Henry, a wholesale wine-merchant, started in the retail wine and spirit trade. On account of the heavy duty on French, Portuguese and Spanish wines, the Gilbeys pushed the sales of colonial and particularly of South African wines. The creation of the off-licence system by Gladstone in 186o, and the reductions in the duty on French wines effected by the commercial treaty of 1861, laid the foundation of their fortunes. Before long a leading local grocer was acting as the firm's agent in every district in England. In 1864 Henry Gilbey joined his brothers. Walter Gilbey was chairman of the private limited liability company into which the business was converted in and in the same year was created a baronet. He died at Elsen ham Hall, Essex, on Nov. 12, 1914.