4) William Archibald Bald: Elected reeve for the Village of Welland in 1862 & 1864

Vital statistics

Birth: May 15, 1827 at Thorold, Ontario, Canada

Death: December 11, 1886 at Welland, Ontario, Canada (age 59)

Burial place: Fonthill Cemetery (Find a Grave)

Parents: Thomas / Catherine (née Thompson)

Spouse: Jane (née Sheehan)

Children: Thomas IV / unidentified son who died at 6 / Archibald Dennistoun / James Thompson / Edward Osgood / Maachah (May) Bell / William Frank

Occupations: Contractor / Merchant / Coroner / Carpenter

Religion: Presbyterian

Profile

William Archibald Bald was born May 15, 1827 in Thorold Township. This makes him the first Chief Magistrate of Welland to have been born in what is now Canada (though until the Canadian Citizenship Act came into force on January 1, 1947, those born in Canada were British subjects). His parents were Thomas and Catherine (née Thompson).

William’s grandfather was also a Thomas, who was born April 2, 1746 in Blackhouse, Parrish of Yarrow, Selkirkshire, Scotland. Thomas Sr. was not happy with the politics in Scotland and so he liquidated his assets and arrived in Thorold Township around 1794 as a man of means. He purchased two farms, and the one William Archibald lived in and later owned was Lot 26 of the Fifth Concession of Crowland Township. This is just south of West Main Street, and due to the family’s proximity, but also their influence and prominence in public affairs, several of the streets in this area are named after the Bald family members: Bald Street, Catharine Street, Jane Street (now Maple Avenue), and Denistoun Steet.

William’s father Thomas Jr. was born in Scotland in 1792 and was just a couple years old when Thomas Sr. moved the family to Thorold Township. He grew up on the family’s other farm, around Colbeck Drive on the banks of the Welland River. Thomas Jr. married Catharine (née Thompson) on July 22, 1817. They had eight children: Thomas III, Margaret, Isabell, James, Catharine, William Archibald, David, and John.

William Archibald married Jane (née Sheehan) on January 31, 1852 in Welland County, and they had seven children, one of whom died at age 6. By 1854 William Archibald owned the farm on Bald Street, the family home was located where St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church now stands. He made a substantial contribution to the development of Merrittsville (later renamed to Welland in 1858) by breaking up this land into 76 residential lots.

William Archibald partnered with John Baker Hellems in a contracting firm called “Hellems & Bald Co.” and they erected the Welland County Courthouse and Gaol in 1856, among other buildings in Welland. The accompanying picture is of the Courthouse circa the 1870s, as unfortunately no pictures can currently be found of William.

He was described as being in delicate health, appearing older; an ‘invalid’ for most of his life. When he died in 1886 at the age of 59 the official cause was heart disease. But this didn’t stop him from serving the public and becoming a pillar of the community. He retired from business in 1859 due to his health and this is when his interest in public affairs became a large part of his life. He served as reeve for two years in 1862 and 1864, and as councillor for another six. He was actually part of the first seven municipal councils from 1858-1864. Then he was elected one last time over 20 years later in 1886 as councillor, and that same year he died on December 11, just before he could finish that full-years term in office.

In 1862, his first year as reeve, a number of civic appointments were created, such as a tavern inspector and pound keeper. Annual salaries ranged from $4 to $12. It is worth noting that until 1869 reeves and councillors did their duties for no pay. It wasn’t until 1869 that an annual salary of $8 was provided for each councillor and reeve.

Since 1858 the municipal council meetings had always been held in the Welland County Courthouse, but in 1862 the Grand Jury Room became “unavailable for Municipal Purposes,” and December 13 was the last meeting there. Paul and Abraham Hendershot (the latter a future reeve and mayor) rented the hall over their general store to the municipal council for future meetings. “Hendershot’s Hall” was located around 17 East Main Street, and the first council session took place there on December 22.

A few more interesting notes on William: he spent almost his whole life in Welland, except two years working with his brother James in Port Stanley, ON, and a short time spent in Kansas. He was also one of the first merchants of Merrittsville, similar to Daniel McCaw who operated his shoe business and was the first reeve. Notably, William’s daughter Miss May B. Bald graduated from Welland High in 1878 and went on to obtain a BA from the University of Toronto, many crediting her as the first woman to receive a bachelor of arts degree in Ontario. This is fitting as the Bald family was well-known for their activity with the local school board.

From William’s obituary in the December 17, 1886 edition of the Welland Tribune: “The town flag was floated at half-mast in his memory, and the town council attended the funeral in a body… The funeral was very largely attended. Mr. Bald possessed the respect of all for his sterling independence or character and many estimable qualities, and his demise is deeply regretted by the whole community.”

Sources

Bald, Newell and Judy. “Trip to Canada” (2005).
“The Bald family was active in the local school board.” The Evening Tribune, June 1, 1982.
“Bald Family Contribution To Education Substantial.” The Evening Tribune. June 30, 1967.
Barrett, David G. “Where Welland Councils Have Met: 1858 to 1971.” 1971.
“The Late Wm. A. Bald.” Welland Telegraph, December 17, 1886.
Lewis, William H. “Aqueduct, Merrittsville and Welland: A History of the City of Welland, Vol. 2” (2000), 101.
“Wm. A. Bald.” Welland Tribune, December 17, 1886.