Women's History Month: Elizabeth Welsh (1843–1921)

^{Elizabeth Welsh taken by Henry Van der Weyde of Regent Street, London, 1885 (archive reference GCPH 5/6/3).}

As part of Women's History Month 2024, we present the life and work of Elizabeth Welsh, one of Girton’s longest-serving Mistresses and the first Girtonian to be Mistress.

Elizabeth Welsh was the sixth Mistress of the College and the first Girtonian to be Mistress. In total she would spend 31 years at the College – 4 as a student; 9 as Resident Lecturer in Classics, 18 as Mistress. Across the history of the College, only Mary Cartwright (1900–1998, Mistress 1949–1968) would be Mistress for longer – and then only by one year. Sadly, the College Archive does not hold any of Miss Welsh’s personal papers and, as a result, she remains a bit of an enigma. As Mistress she is frequently referred to in official College records, but her character and personality are less well documented. However, the personal recollections that do exist portray her as extremely hardworking, dedicated to the College, and firm but kind with a wonderful sense of humour. 

She was a person of excellent intellectual endowment, a real lover of learning and books, and she had an inborn talent for finance. She was of unflagging industry, had a great sense of responsibility, was exquisitely orderly and admirably punctual. Miss Welsh  was, moreover, very “good company,” and had a true gift of Irish humour. She never bored one. She had also a gift of verse, and wrote some of the best among the much treasured “College Songs,” and was an admirable letter writer.

 – EE Constance Jones (1848–1922, Mistress 1903–1916)

^{Elizabeth Welsh Memorial Plaque, Girton College Chapel (photograph by Jeremy West)}

Early Life

Elizabeth Welsh was born on 31 July 1843 in County Down. Her father, John Welsh of Granshaw, was a descendent of John Knox, the leader of the Scottish Reformation. Her mother was Eliza (sometimes also called Elizabeth) Dalzell. Elizabeth was the eldest of four daughters. She was educated at home and attended classes given by Rev James Rowan, Presbyterian Minister of Kircubbin. Elizabeth was later to describe him as one of the ablest men she had ever known. At the age of 15 she attended a boarding school in Belfast, but with the early death of her father, and the family’s move to Portaferry, her formal education pretty much came to an end. However, desirous of something more and having seen an advertisement in the periodical, the Athenaeum, she decided to apply for a scholarship to The College for Women, Hitchin [to be renamed Girton College in 1872]. She called on the help of the village schoolmaster to help her prepare and, in the summer of 1871, she travelled to London to sit the entrance examination. She was delighted to learn that she had been awarded the second Lady Stanley scholarship. 

^{Extract from a memorandum written by Elizabeth describing the positive influence Rev James Rowan had on her life, not dated (archive reference: GCAR 1/6/2/1pt).}

^{Photograph of the first year students, taken by an unknown photographer,1871 (archive reference: GCPH 10/1/4). Elizabeth is pictured in the front row, on the left hand-side.}

The College for Women, Hitchin and Girton College, 1871–1875

Elizabeth joined the College at Hitchin in 1871, when she was aged 28. She was part of the College’s third intake of students and she moved with the College in 1873 to Girton. As a student she was diligent and hardworking, and was seen by her peers as very serious and obedient. She was great friends with Rose Aitken (1848–1923, Girton 1871), who had been awarded the first Lady Stanley scholarship, and they studied together for the Classical Tripos, immortalised by Constance Maynard (1849–1935, Girton1872) in her sketch ‘Girton’s History Anticipated’. It was Constance who nicknamed her ‘the good student’. 

However, her fellow students also knew Elizabeth for her ‘delightful humour’ and warmth. She was renowned for writing several of the early College songs and verses, including  'A White Sheet', 'Sonnet to Girton College' and ‘Girton, my Friend'. She also participated in the early College societies. The first Shakespeare play chosen by the Shakespeare Reading Society was Othello, in which Elizabeth took the part of Lago. She was also a founder member of the bible reading society started by Constance Maynard.

In March 1875 she passed the Classical Tripos.

^{Typed copy of an extract from a letter from Elizabeth to her mother, describing her room at Benslow House, Hitchin, 1871 (archive reference: GCAR 1/6/2/2pt).}

^{Sonnet to Girton College by Elizabeth Welsh, 1872 (archive reference: GCRF 7/1/2pt).}

^{Nonsense verse by Elizabeth Welsh, not dated (archive reference: GCRF 7/1/3pt).}

Constance Maynard’s diaries are held by the Queen Mary University of London Archive. Her ‘green book’ diaries and autobiography have been digitised and are available here: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/library/archives/digitised-records/constance-maynard/

View the full tribute to Elizabeth Welsh online, which includes:

• Resident Assistant Lecturer in Classics, 1876-1884
• Vice-Mistress, 1881-1885
• Garden Steward, 1883-1903
• Mistress, 1885-1903
• Elizabeth Welsh's retirement
• Life in retirement

^{Exhibition by Hazel Mills, College Historian, and Hannah Westall, Archivist. The facts in this exhibition are correct to our best current knowledge.}