Reverend Joseph Welland (1834-1879) was a missionary from Dublin, Ireland, and founder of the Welland Gouldsmith School, who dedicated his life to Christian ministry in Calcutta, North India during the 19th century. As a member of the Church Missionary Society, Welland served the Cathedral Mission College and Christ Church in Calcutta. He held the role of Secretary of the Calcutta Corresponding Committee, until 1876. As an editor and author, his works include, God in History, Heavenly Training, and Daily Bread, and Other Sermons. Each text reflected his religious insights and dedication to teaching others. Welland built educational institutions in Kolkota including the Cathedral Mission College in Kolkota in 1865 and then founding the Welland School in 1876 in Kolkata, now the Welland Gouldsmith School.
Personal life
Early life and family
Joseph Welland was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1834. He is the son of Joseph Welland, a renowned Irish architect from Midleton, Country Cork and Sophia Margaret Mills. His father was celebrated for designing churches and schools for the Board of First Fruits and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in Ireland. Joseph had three brothers including: Rev. Thomas Welland, bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore, and William John Welland (1832-1895), who followed in their father's footsteps as an architect.
On October 16, 1877, Jospeh Welland married his wife, Emily A. R. Torpy.
Education
Joseph Welland received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College of Dublin.
Mission
Early ministry
Joseph Welland was ordained a deacon in 1858 by the Bishop of Ossory and Ferns, and a year later, on October 15, 1859, he was ordained a priest by the Bishop on Manchester. He began his ministry as a curate of Killeban in Queen's County, Ireland, and later served at Trinity Church, Blackburn. Early on he served as the Domestic Chaplain to the Viceroys Lords Lawrence and Northbrook.
Work in India
In December 1860, Welland embarked on his first mission to Calcutta, North India. Over the following years he worked in various roles, including serving the Kidderpore community in 1861.
In 1865, he began supported the founding of the Cathedral Mission College of Calcutta and was part of the initial faculty. This was followed by his ministry at the Christ Church of Calcutta in 1867.
His dedication to the mission took him back to England on November 9, 1869, but he returned to India just two years later on October 14, 1871. It was then that he assumed the role of Secretary of Calcutta Corresponding Committee, a position he held for five years, until 1876. Illness required he return to England on April 10, 1876, amidst his time as secretary. Determined, he returned to Calcutta to resume his secretaryship on November 16, 1878, with the help of Reverend H.P. Parker.
Death
Welland passed away on December 17, 1879, in Calcutta at the age of 45, concluding eighteen years of service to the mission.
Legacy
Joseph Welland's contributions to the Christian mission and education in Calcutta left a lasting impact. His writings were highly regarding, with God in History (1865), a series of lectures created for his students and the Cathedral Mission College of Calcutta and Heavenly Training (1874), a collection of sermons delivered as Chaplain to the Calcutta Volunteers. After his death, his widow published a final volume of Welland's sermons, titled Daily Bread and Other Sermons in 1882. Each of these works preserves his teachings for future generations.
The Cathedral Mission College continues to operate as St Pauls Cathedral Mission College affiliated with the University of Calcutta for degree granting.
The Welland School, founded by Joseph Welland in 1876, continues to bear his name as the Welland Gouldsmith School. The Welland Memorial School merged with the Gouldsmith Free School in 1936. It operates two campuses in Kolkota. The school stands as a lasting record to Welland's commitment to education and Christian values.
External Links
St Pauls Cathedral Mission College
References
- ^ "Register of Missionaries". Church Missionary Society Periodicals. Adam Matthew Digital. 1804–1894. p. 123. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "E.R. Johnson, Calcutta, 9 February 1882 | ArchiveSearch". archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "Record". CalmView. University of Birmingham - Cadbury Research Library. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "Welland Gouldsmith School". www.wgskolkata.com. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "Dictionary of Irish Architects". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "Joseph Welland". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Irish Architectural Archives. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- "Welland & Gillespie". Oxford Reference. doi:10.1093/oi/authority.20110803121717442?p=emaila6carndyjskjy&d=/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803121717442 (inactive 25 December 2024). Retrieved 2024-10-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of December 2024 (link) - ^ History of the Church Missionary Society Vol 2. Church Missionary Society, its environment, its men and its work. 1899. p. 659. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- "FIBIS Database - Powered by The Frontis Archive Publishing System". search.fibis.org. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- "Welcome to Welland Gouldsmith School". wgskolkata.com. Retrieved 2024-10-22.