Description:This is an abridged biography from the Handsworth Magazine. The full version is available as a download.
William Henry Welshman lived at 20 Holyhead Road, Handsworth.
The subject of our sketch, who is represented in his robes as a Past Provincial Poursuivant of the Ancient and Honourable Order of Freemasons, came to reside in this parish 30 years ago and very early began to interest himself in local public affairs. As a good churchman he lost no time in identifying himself with a Handsworth place of worship, his choice being St Michael's where he remained for some years. The growth of high church practices were not to his taste and he therefore took sittings at the parish church of St Mary, afterwards removing to St James. He has been a member of St James church for a long time now and has held office as sidesman.
Many years ago Mr Welshman was elected a manager of St Michael's schools in Thornhill Road, a position he still retains. For many years Mr Welshman has been a governor of Handsworth Grammar School and he is also a member of the Handsworth Technical Instruction and Public Libraries Committees. It is really remarkable that with his energies so continuously directed towards the spread of education he has never been prevailed upon to throw in his lot with the School Board.
Mr Welshman has acted as a guardian of the poor for the parish of Handsworth for upwards of 13 years. Once a year he entertains a large party of the inmates of the workhouse to tea and an entertainment at his residence in Holyhead Road and conspires with the genial members of his family and a few like-minded friends to make his guests forget for a few hours their poverty and misfortunes.
The progressive element on the Board of Guardians has always received the support of the subject of this sketch, who is a member of the Finance, House and General Purposes Committees. He is also a manager of the Wigmore Schools – an appointment conferred by the Union.
In 1887 Mr Welshman was elected a member of the Handsworth Local Board and held office until 1894 when a change in the form of local government was introduced. Upon the division of the district into five wards – Sandwell, Murdock, Soho, Heathfield and Birchfield – for electoral purposes, Mr Welshman allowed himself to be nominated as a candidate for the ward in which he resides – Sandwell. There were three vacancies to be filled up and including the gentleman with whose career we are dealing in this slight and unpretentious sketch, five candidates. The result was a surprise to everyone. Electoral results are frequently mystifying but on this occasion the result was peculiarly so. He could point to much valuable work in which he had had a share, the many improvements the Board had made in respect to local sanitation and a programme which included many popular schemes. That he did not point to these things was due to his very retiring disposition. He allowed his friends to do all the shouting, as Americans put it and the result was defeat. Mr F Lempriere a local Independent candidate occupied the first position on the poll, Mr T E Forsyth was second, Mr C A Palmer third and Mr Welshman fourth, Mr Millward being a poor fifth. It is worthy of mention that only four votes divided the respective number of votes polled by Mr Palmer and Mr Welshman.
Mr Welshman’s name is bound up with the names of Messrs. Joseph Harris, the late W Joesbury and Henry Griffith, Senr., in one of the most notable of our philanthropic movements, namely, the Old Folk’s Dinner. Each Christmas 200 venerable persons of both sexes are invited to a sumptuous repast in the Council House, a high-class entertainment and distribution of presents being in a sense thrown in.
As we stated at the commencement Mr Welshman is a Freemason. His initiation into the mysteries of masonry dates back to 1860. He is a member of the Cherwell Lodge, 5999, St James’ Lodge and the Loyal Travellers’ Lodge and as a Past Provincial Poursuivant is entitled to wear “the purple”. He is a chaplain to the Loyal Travellers’ Lodge and one of the founders. In 1870 he acted as a Steward of the Royal Masonic Institution for girls and received the charity jewel in appreciation of his services.