1856 he began at Kew a series of monthly determinations of absolute magnetic intensity and magnetic dip with instruments provided by General (Sir) Edward Sabine [q. v.] In the same year Welsh was directed to construct self-recording magnetic instruments on the models devised originally by Ronalds and improved by himself.
In 1857 he was elected F.R.S. In the same year the Kew committee having decided on a magnetic survey of the British islands, Welsh was appointed to undertake the ‘North British’ division, and spent part of the summers of 1857 and 1858 on this work. But during the winter of 1857–8 Welsh had suffered from lung disease, and this increased during the following year. Acting under medical advice, he spent the winter of 1858–9, accompanied by his mother, at Falmouth, and died at that place on 11 May 1859.
[Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol. x. pp. xxxiv (obituary) and xxxix passim (Scott's Hist. of the Kew Observatory, also published separately); Welsh's own papers; Brit. Assoc. Reports, 1850–59.]
WELSH, THOMAS (1781–1848), vocalist, son of John Welsh, by his wife, a daughter of Thomas Linley the elder [q. v.], was born at Wells, Somerset, in 1781. He became a chorister in Wells Cathedral, where his singing so attracted lovers of music from the neighbouring towns that ‘on the Saturdays the city hotels felt the increase of visitors, and on Sundays the church was crowded to excess.’ Sheridan heard of him, and induced Linley to engage him for the oratorio performances at the Haymarket Theatre, London, in 1796. Engagements followed for the stage, in course of which he sang in many operas, some of which, such as Attwood's ‘Prisoner,’ were written expressly to exhibit his powers. He was also brought into notice as an actor, mainly through the influence of Kemble. Meanwhile he was perfecting his musical education under Karl Friedrich Horn [see under Horn, Charles Edward], Johann Baptist Cramer [q. v.], and Baumgarten. He produced two farces at the Lyceum Theatre, and an opera, ‘Kamskatka,’ at Covent Garden, and ultimately settled down to his chief work as a teacher of singing. He had great success with his pupils, among whom were John Sinclair (1791–1857) [q. v.], Charles Edward Horn, Catherine Stephens (afterwards Countess of Essex) [q. v.], and Mary Anne Wilson, who became his wife, and sang in many important concerts. He died at Brighton on 24 Jan. 1848. In addition to the dramatic pieces mentioned, he wrote some sonatas for piano (1819), songs, part-songs, glees and duets, and a ‘Vocal Instructor,’ London [1825].
[Gent. Mag. 1848, i. 554; Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1824; Grove's Dict. of Music; Brown and Stratton's British Musical Biography; information from a grand-nephew, C. P. Welsh, esq., of Wells.]
WELSTED, LEONARD (1688–1747), poet, was born at Abington, Northamptonshire, in 1688. His father, Leonard Welsted, was elected from Westminster school to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1667; was prebendary of York, and rector of Abington from 1685 to 1692, when he became vicar of St. Nicholas, Newcastle. He married, in 1686, Anne, daughter of Thomas Staveley, a lawyer and antiquary, and died on 13 Nov. 1694, two years after his wife, leaving three children. The eldest son, Leonard Welsted, was admitted a queen's scholar at Westminster in 1703, and was elected to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1707. Apparently he did not remain long at the university, for while very young he married a daughter of Henry Purcell [q. v.], the musician, and obtained a place in the office of one of the secretaries of state, by the interest of the Earl of Clare, afterwards Duke of Newcastle. At some time before 1725 he became one of the clerks extraordinary to Leonard Smelt, clerk of the deliveries in the ordnance office, and had a house in the Tower of London, which he mentions in his poem, ‘Oikographia,’ inscribed to the Duke of Dorset, with a lamentation at the emptiness of his cellar. In 1730 Welsted was advanced in the ordnance office (probably through the interest of Bishop Hoadly) to the office of clerk in ordinary, and in May 1731 he was made one of the commissioners for managing the state lottery. He died at his official residence in the Tower in August 1747.
Welsted's first wife died in 1724; there was one daughter, who died in 1726. His second wife, Anna Maria, a remarkable beauty, was sister to Admiral Sir Hovenden Walker [q. v.] She died a few months after her husband. Welsted's only brother, Thomas, was buried in St. Mary's Church, Leicester, in 1713; his sister, Anne, to whom administration of Welsted's effects was granted in November 1747, died in 1757, and was buried at Halloughton, Nottinghamshire.
Welsted's first poem, ‘Apple-Pye,’ often wrongly attributed to William King (1663–1712) [q. v.], was written in 1704. His other writings were published as follows:
- ‘A Poem occasioned by the late famous Victory
