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 on 7 May 1816 was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Lochmaben. On 22 March 1821 he was ordained minister of the parish of Crossmichael in Kirkcudbrightshire, and on 6 Sept. 1827 he was translated to St. David's Church, Glasgow. In October 1831 he was appointed professor of ecclesiastical history in the university of Edinburgh, and on leaving Glasgow received from the university the degree of D.D. At the meeting of the general assembly of 1842 he was chosen moderator of the assembly, which adopted ‘the claim of right,’ and was one of the leaders of those who, on 18 May 1843, formed themselves into ‘the general assembly of the Free Protesting Church of Scotland,’ with Dr. Chalmers as its first moderator. Welsh had the honour of laying their ‘protest’ on the table of the assembly. He had to resign his chair, and his appointment as secretary to the bible board, made in 1839, was cancelled. In two months he collected 21,000l. for building the ‘new college’ at Edinburgh. In 1844 he was appointed librarian of the college and professor of church history. He died suddenly at Camis Eskin on the Clyde on 24 April 1845, survived by his wife—sister of William Hamilton, provost of Glasgow—and four children. Welsh became the first editor of the ‘North British Review’ in 1844. He was the author of: 1. ‘Account of the Life and Writings of T. Brown, M.D.,’ Edinburgh, 1825, 8vo. 2. ‘Sermons on Practical Subjects,’ Edinburgh, 1834, 8vo. 3. ‘Elements of Church History,’ Edinburgh, 1844, vol. i. 8vo. 4. ‘Sermons: with a Memoir by A. Dunlop,’ Edinburgh, 1846, 8vo. He also edited the ‘Lectures on the Philosophy of the Human Mind,’ by Thomas Brown, 1834. He contributed the articles ‘Jesus’ and ‘Jews’ to the seventh edition of ‘Encyclopædia Britannica.’

[Anderson's Scottish Nation; Scott's Fasti; Wylie's Disruption Worthies; Dunlop's Memoir; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Allibone's Dict.; Chambers's Eminent Scotsmen; Addison's Graduates of Glasgow Univ. 1898.] 

WELSH, JAMES (1775–1861), general, Madras infantry, son of John Welsh, a Scotsman, was born on 12 March 1775. He obtained a commission as ensign in the army of the East India Company on 22 May 1790, and arrived at Madras on 23 Jan. 1791. He joined the 3rd European regiment at Velur, and in November ascended the ghats with Colonel Floyd's detachment to serve in the grand army under Lord Cornwallis.

Welsh was promoted to be lieutenant in the 24th native infantry on 1 Nov. 1792, and took part with it in the siege of Pondicherry in July and August 1793. Transferred in 1795 to the 9th native infantry at Mandura, he served at the capture of Colombo and Ceylon in February 1796, and remained at Point-de-Galle as fort-adjutant until the end of 1798, when he was transferred in the same capacity to Machlipatnam.

On 10 Dec. 1799 Welsh was promoted to be captain, and appointed adjutant and quartermaster of the 3rd native infantry, which in 1803 formed part of a force under Major-general Arthur Wellesley to operate against the Marathas. He marched with it across India to Puna, and in June took part in the siege of Ahmadnagar, which was successfully stormed on 12 Aug.

Welsh served on the staff at the battle of Argaum (29 Nov.), in the siege and assault (15 Dec.) of Gawilgarh, and led a body of 250 men, after a forced march of fifty-four miles, to the capture of Mankarsir on 6 Feb. 1804. He was appointed judge-advocate and assistant surveyor to the Puna subsidiary force, and, marching with it, in August took part in the assault and capture of Chandur on the 10th and the occupation of Dhurp on 14 Oct. He commanded a party of three hundred men at the capture of Galnah on 26 Oct., and on 13 Nov. proceeded with a small force to open communication through a difficult country, with Surat, where he arrived on the 25th. In December Welsh was sent on a mission to a Bhil chief by an unexplored pass to the northward, and caught a malignant fever which clung to him for many years.

On 15 May 1805 Welsh succeeded to the command of his battalion at Puna, continuing to hold his staff appointment until the end of the year, when he marched with his regiment to Palamkotta in the Karnatak, arriving on 27 March. He was in command there on 19 Nov., when, as the garrison were assembling under arms, he discovered a plot among the native troops to murder all the Europeans at the station. Acting with the greatest promptitude, he seized the ringleaders, disarmed the native soldiers, and expelled the Muhammadans from the fort. He was tried by court-martial for precipitate conduct in having disarmed the native garrison with insufficient cause, but was honourably acquitted on 20 March 1807, and congratulated by government on this vindication of his reputation. Welsh was promoted to be major on 22 May 1807, and went home on furlough.

Rejoining his regiment on 5 Feb. 1809 before the lines of Travancore, where it formed part of a force under Colonel St. Leger,