24) William Henry Crowther: Elected mayor for the Town of Welland in 1909 & 1910

Vital statistics

Birth: March 10, 1869 at Walsall, West Midlands, England

Death: March 11, 1947 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada (age 78)

Burial place: McNab / Christ Church Anglican Cemetery (Find a Grave)

Parents: Joseph / Sarah

Spouse: Margaret (née Byers)

Children: William / Dora Isabel / Wilfred Bridgewater / Dr. Thomas Albert

Occupation: Bakery business

Religion: Presbyterian

Political affiliation: Liberal

Community affiliations: Welland County General Hospital Board / Welland Presbyterian Church Board / Pastmaster Copestone Masonic Lodge / Canadian Order of Foresters

Profile

William Henry Crowther was born March 10, 1869 at Walsall, in the West Midlands of England, to Joseph and Sarah Crowther. The family moved to Canada in 1894, living in Toronto. William met Margaret Byers there and they got married, then deciding to move to Welland around 1900, which is where he established his bakery and confectionary business. His experience as a baker was reported to go back to 1884 when he was still living in England. His new store in Welland was located at 30 Niagara St., and the family lived in the upstairs of the building. It didn’t take long to prove a hit with Wellanders, selling cooked breadstuffs, pastries, sweets and other confectionaries. They also had a soda fountain, ice cream parlour, and a catering service. In a 1902 special souvenir newspaper focused on local businesses, his success was credited to the fact “that he uses nothing but the best of materials, be it flour or the components utilized in its leavening, and with the care exercised in its production, whether bread, cake, pastry, or fancy baking…”

As we’ve seen in previous profiles on the mayors of Welland, establishing a successful business proved a surefire way to getting elected as councillor or mayor, so long as the business owner was a civic-minded person. William was, and he ran for councillor for the first time in 1901 and was elected, along with six other times up to 1918. He also was elected as mayor two years in a row in 1909 and 1910.

When he handily win his first mayoral election in 1909 with a vote total of 452 to George Hamilton Burgar’s 147, in his inaugural address to council he said “It was his determination that every dollar of the public money should be spent in the common interest of every citizen. Last year the Council had exceeded its funds by a considerable amount… and he hoped to reduce the overdraft at the bank… Mistakes might mean the financial ruin of the corporation. A bonded town meant a hampered and crippled town. “My honest desire,” said Mr. Crowther in conclusion “is to quit this seat holding your approval and approbation.””

William, one of his three sons, was killed in WWI. It is possible his son’s death in 1917 changed William Sr.’s life and perspective. He ran for councillor again in 1918 but that was the last time he served in the city council. William then sold his bakery business around 1921 to Walter Carter and left Welland to move to the McNab area, around St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The small village was located between Port Weller and Virgil.

He died in 1947, and for a permanent mark in Welland we can look to Crowther Ave. on the west side of Welland off Broadway, which was named after him.

Sources

  • Allenov, Mark. “W. H. Crowther bakery: Sweets to bitter pills.” Welland Tribune, January 27, 2024.
  • “Death Claims W. H. Crowther.” Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, March 12, 1947.
  • “Mayor-Elect William H. Crowther Makes Splendid Inaugural Address.” Welland Telegraph, January 12, 1909.
  • “W. H. Crowther.” Souvenir of the Town of Welland, August 22, 1902.
  • The Welland Historical Society, “What’s in a Name? The Origins of the Street Names for the City of Welland” (2005), 81.
  • “William H. Crowther.” The Standard, March 12, 1947.
24) William Henry Crowther: Elected mayor for the Town of Welland in 1909 & 1910