Description:Abridged biography from the Handsworth Magazine. The full version is available for download. William Henry Booth lived at 213 Church Hill Road in Handsworth.
Mr W H Booth is a son of the late Edward F Booth, pioneer in the Birmingham jewellery trade and carries on the business of Edward F Booth and Sons (established in 1848, Vyse Street. Much of his early life was passed in St George’s parish, Birmingham, where under the Rev. Dr. Thornton, now Bishop of Ballerat, Australia, he flung himself ‘body, soul and spirit’ into Sunday School and Mission work. On Sunday evenings he assisted in the teaching of hundreds of ragged little urchins, got together in the Russell Street Schools after a rousing crusade among the least inviting streets, courts and alleys of crowded Birmingham, and on week days he gave ungrudgingly of his leisure hours to a work which ostensibly aimed at the amelioration of the distressful conditions under which the lower classes lived and moved and had their being. For some years he was a member of the Aston Villa Football Club, but retired before the onslaught of professionalism. Whilst still in his teens he joined the Handsworth volunteers. The officers at that time included Captain Bullock and Lieutenant Revill and the company was remarkable for the height – averaging about 5 feet 8 ½ inch – and fine physique of the men. Ere his volunteering days were over Booth rose to the rank of sergeant, much respected by his brother officers and liked by his associates of whatever station.
Upon the opening of St Paul’s , Lozells, he left St George’s and joined the Rev. E Dale Roberts, who had just been appointed to the vicariate after a very successful curacy at St George’s. Whilst at St Paul’s he worked hard for the liquidation of the debt on the new buildings and helped to place the various organisations of the Church upon a sound basis. Later he became enamoured of the adult school movement and helped to found Burlington Hall, Aston, which is un-sectarian and appeals almost entirely to the working classes.
Politically Mr Booth is a Conservative with democratic ideals – a combination greatly beloved by the late Lord Randolph Churchill the “Tory Democrat”. As a vice-president of the Western Division Birmingham Conservative Association; polling Chairman in St Paul’s district of the West Division of the City; and Chairman of Heathfield Ward, Handsworth Conservative Association, he has had considerable experience in the political world. This it was which brought him into the public life of Handsworth. The passing of the Parish Council Bill in 1894, conferring greater powers on local authorities and dignifying them with a brand-new title (District Council sounds so much better than Local Board!) acted like a clarion call to action on the local Conservatives who had hitherto been content with but meagre representation upon the Local Board. Quite a number of candidates were selected by the Conservative Association and of these the subject of our sketch was one. Upon the declaration of the poll Mr Booth had the gratification of finding his name amongst the first three of the fifteen successful candidates. In 1896, the parish having in the meantime been divided into five wards for electoral purposes, Mr Booth was returned unopposed for Heathfield Ward. He was subsequently chosen by his colleagues as Chairman of the Park and Fire Brigade Committee and in this capacity has attracted public attention by his persistent agitation for a more efficient fire brigade.
An alarming fire in Grove Lane, which was extinguished by the Handsworth and Birmingham brigades jointly emphasised the importance of providing the brigade with a steamer and the urgency with which various grievances are clamouring for reform.
Feeling acutely the responsibility of his position, Mr Booth is resigning the chairmanship in favour of a younger member of the Committee, but we are pleased to say from signs and portents which have come under our ken, it is clear that Mr Booth’s ardent advocacy of the brigade will shortly receive its reward in carrying out of the reforms needed. A new station is to be erected at the corner of Soho Road and Stafford Road, a steamer will be purchased, the station and stabling will be lighted by electricity and the men will find all their wants as far as possible anticipated.
To deal fully with Mr Booth’s work in connection with the Victoria Park would occupy more space than we have at our disposal. Suffice it to say that he has given a great deal of time to the park and has supported a liberal policy in regard to expenditure upon the extensions and improvements. Alarming rumours gained currency respecting the contiguity of the boating pool, now in course of construction, to the parish graveyard. It was feared that the latter would prove a source of contamination to the pool. Happily the fears were entirely without foundation.
For some years Mr Booth has been a member of the Handsworth Free Library Committee and has enjoyed the satisfaction of watching the growth of the Library – more particularly as far as it caters for Perry Barr and Birchfield. Until a few months ago the only public library accommodation provided for that populous neighbourhood was a small reading room – “cabined, cribbed, confined” – in Aldridge Road. Mr Booth and a number of his colleagues, agitated for a branch lending library at Perry Barr. The District Council took the matter up, Perry Barr Institute was purchased and in a few months time part of it will be utilised for the purpose named. The reading-room has already been transferred from Aldridge Road to the Institute.
Mr Booth is also a member of the Technical School Committee and shows a keen interest in technical education.