W.S. Gilbert (Author) was born in London in 1836 and died in Harrow Weald in 1911. Between these key events, he wrote 72 plays, operas and other theatrical works, including 14 with Arthur Sullivan, beginning with Thespis in 1871 and concluding with The Grand Duke in 1896. A talented poet and graphic artist, he is also remembered for his comic verse, collected as The Bab Ballads.