GABELL, HENRY DISON, D.D. (1764–1831), head-master of Winchester, was son of the Rev. Timothy Gabell of Winchester. Gabell was born at Winchester in 1764, and was elected a scholar of Winchester College in 1779, and subsequently of New College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 11 Oct. 1782; graduated B.A. on 8 July 1786; and held a fellowship from 1782 to 1790. Soon afterwards he was appointed master of Warminster school, where he had twenty boys to teach, with a salary of 30l., and liberty to take private pupils. He was presented to the rectory of St. Lawrence, Winchester, in 1788, and was appointed second master of Winchester College in 1793. He graduated M.A. at Cambridge in 1807; succeeded Dr. Goddard as head-master of Winchester College in 1810; was presented to the rectory of Ashow, Warwickshire, in 1812, and that of Binfield, Berkshire, in 1820; resigned the head-mastership of Winchester College in December 1823, receiving a present of plate richly engraved from the scholars. He continued to hold the three livings of Binfield, Ashow, and St. Lawrence until his death, which took place at Binfield on 18 April 1831. Gabell married, on 11 Jan. 1790, Miss Gage, the daughter of a clergyman of Holton, Oxfordshire. Their third daughter, Maria, married, on 18 July 1818, Sir Joseph Scott, bart., of Great Barr Hall, Staffordshire. Gabell was a friend and correspondent of Dr. Parr, in the seventh volume of whose works some letters of his on points of classical scholarship will be found. He published: 1. A pamphlet entitled ‘On the Expediency of Altering and Amending the Regulations recommended by Parliament for Reducing the High Price of Corn: and of Extending the Bounty on the Importation of Wheat and other Articles of Provision,’ London, 1796, 8vo. 2. A discourse delivered on the fast-day in February 1799, London, 1799, 8vo.
[Gent. Mag. 1790 pt. i. p. 83, 1818 pt. ii. p. 178, 1823 pt. ii. p. 543, 1831 pt. i. p. 469; Kirby's Winchester Scholars, pp. 272, 296; Foster's Alumni Oxon. p. 503; Hoare's South Wiltshire, iii. ‘Warm.’ 40; Parr's Works, ed. Johnstone, vii. 470–501; Cat. Oxford Grad.; Grad. Cant.; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
GABRIEL, afterwards March, MARY ANN VIRGINIA (1825–1877), musical composer, the daughter of Major-general Gabriel, was born at Banstead, Surrey, 7 Feb. 1825. She was the pupil of Pixis, Döhler, and Thalberg, for the pianoforte, and of Molique and Mercadante for composition. Miss Gabriel married George E. March in November 1874, and died, from injuries received in a carriage accident, on 7 Aug. 1877. She had acquired great facility in composition, and published several hundred songs. Those entitled ‘When Sparrows build,’ ‘Ruby,’ ‘Sacred Vows,’ ‘Only,’ ‘The Forsaken,’ ‘Under the Palms,’ and ‘The Skipper and his Boy,’ became extremely popular. These drawing-room ballads may be said to stand midway between the bald jingle favoured by Miss Gabriel's early contemporaries and the attempted intensity of expression belonging to a later date; a music which, in spite of the composer's gifts of knowledge and imagination, does not attain to high artistic merit. Her operetta ‘Widows Bewitched’ was performed by the Bijou Operetta Company at St. George's Hall, 13 Nov. 1867, and held the stage for several weeks. Other similar works, ‘Shepherd of Cournouailles,’ ‘Who's the Heir?’ ‘Lost and Found,’ ‘A Rainy Day,’ about 1873 and 1875, were favourites in the drawing-room. The cantata ‘Dreamland,’ privately printed, was given in London about 1870; ‘Evangeline,’ produced at Kuhe's Brighton festival, 13 Feb. 1873, was very successful, and was heard at Rivière's Covent Garden Concerts of 24 Nov. and 1 Dec. Another cantata, ‘Graziella,’ closes the list of Miss Gabriel's longer compositions.
[Grove's Dictionary, i. 571; Musical World, vols. xlv. and lv.; Musical Times, vol. xviii.; The Choir, xv. 145, xvi. 344, xxii. 492; Music in Brit. Mus. Library.]
GACE, WILLIAM (fl. 1580), translator, matriculated as a sizar of Clare Hall, Cambridge, in November 1568, and proceeded B.A. in 1572–3. He was author of the following translations: 1. ‘A Learned and Fruitefull Commentarie upon the Epistle of James the Apostle. … Written in Latine by the learned Clerke, Nich. Hemminge … and newly translated into English by W. G.,’ 4to, London, 1577. 2. ‘Special and Chosen Sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his Writings. … Englished by W. G.,’ 4to, London, 1578; another edition, 8vo, London, 1581. 3. ‘A Guide unto godliness, moste worthy to bee followed of all true Christians. … Written in Latin by John Rivius; Englished by W. G.,’ 8vo, London,
