Hubert Nathaniel WELDS

1927 - 2024  (96 years)

• Name	Hubert Nathaniel WELDS  [1]
  Nickname	Bertie
  Birth	21 Sep 1927	Jamaica   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Alias	Woodburn Fitzherbert Nathaniel WELDS  [1]
  Education	Bef 1961	Jamaica   [1]
  	Agricultural College
  Occupation	Bef 1961	Jamaica   [1]
  	Immigration Officer
  Occupation	Bef 1961	Jamaica   [1]
  	Jamaica Constabulary
  Occupation	Aft 1961	London, England   [1]
  	Salesman & trainer. British Telecom
  Residence	Aft 1961	Lewisham, Kent, England
  Death	13 May 2024	Lewisham, Kent, England
  Note	5 Jul 2024	Brockley, Kent, England   [1]
  	Woodburn Fitzherbert Nathaniel Welds was not born on 21 September 1927 in Jamaica. This identity was actually created sometime later, I assume, by his paternal grandparents. The person we knew as Bertie was, according to his original birth certificate, named Hubert Nathanael by his birth mother, a Ms Ida Baily. She had in some way succumbed to the charms of Mr Tom Welds some nine months prior and dutifully registered his birth but was unfortunately and for reasons undisclosed not to play a role in his upbringing. But his childhood was not without the love of a mother figure for his grandmother eagerly stepped in and christened him with a name she believed to be more befitting a member of a Jamaican family of standing. My father always spoke very fondly of his grandmother and of his grandfather who he referred to as the Welshman. From the proud descriptions of his grandmother’s ability to keep house and entertain I am sure it is from this time that he acquired all his airs and graces. My great-grandparents had already had 12 children and therefore, as grandparents are apt to do, they proceeded to coddle and indulge their new grandson. As I said my father had no contact with his mother and as he informed my sister, even when he came of an age to be curious he did not turn the black of his eye to look for her. Those halcyon days living with his doting grandparents came to an end when, some years after his grandfather’s passing, his grandmother - no longer able live independently - moved in with her son, my grandfather, to be nursed until her death by her loving daughter-in-law. For my father this meant a decline in circumstances, no longer the darling of the household, to live with his biological father with whom there was constant conflict. Dad rapidly progressed through school showing a natural aptitude for learning. Once he had progressed through all the stages of education well in advance of his peers he was called upon to teach the other students as was common practice with particularly gifted students. His polymathy meant that he could turn his hand to anything but following his graduation from agricultural college in a bid for freedom to escape the shadow of his father’s influence he joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force. It was during this time that he really came into his own cutting a dashing figure as rode up and down the island on his police-issued motorcycle. Had he remained in Jamaica he would have risen through the ranks at record speed but having married a Ms Clara Younger, an ambitious nurse who was determined to pursue a career abroad, he adapted his plans. Now working as an immigration officer, Bertie remained in Jamaica while Clara travelled ahead to the UK with their infant son, Glenn (I have since found out that this was not correct and that she travelled to the UK without Glenn who remained in Jamaica with his mother’s family until he was sent for). It was during this time that my sister Jacqueline, his first daughter, was born. My father arrived in the UK in 1961 and the birth of his second son Michael followed shortly after. These are the snippets of his personal history that I have picked up from overheard conversations, or stories he shared with my older siblings and other family members. Growing up my father was not keen to divulge personal details and my little brother and I knew better than to ask questions. I learned of Jacqueline and Michael’s existence as an aside rather than a full debrief but as the youngest we were too excited about the discovery of a funny, sassy Jamerican big sister and cool American big brother to dwell on the specifics for long. My father’s resounding memory of my great-grandfather is encapsulated in the pearl of wisdom dropped in response to my father confessing that he had just misplaced one of his books. His grandfather explained *“We are not people who are accustomed to losing things but rather we are people for whom things are acquired!”* This little anecdote was shared with my sister who in turn shared it with me. And because of it I acquired a better understanding of who my father was which helped me to understand why the only dating advice that I ever got from my father was delivered in a similarly cryptic and allegorical style. He was extremely unimpressed by the first young man that came knocking on his door asking for his 17-year-old daughter. So once the boy had been expediently dismissed my father returned to the front room and proceeded to quiz me on his name, age, heritage and pedigree. Once I had answered all of his questions he resumed watching his television show and I believed that that was the end of it. And so it was until a few days later when without any preamble I was asked: “If you have a prize cow, who would you breed your prize cow with…not a prize bull?” I looked back at him in confused silence but I knew that I would not be able to get away with that for long and so I quickly nodded assent. He continued staring at me until he was sure that the point had hit home and then resumed watching his show. When told the nationality of my sister’s husband he exclaimed “Norway, oh no way!” Suffice it to say that no one was good enough for any of his children but especially not his daughters. My dad had great affection for his siblings and these relationships made possible some of the most prominent memories of my childhood. The big family gatherings at Aunty Florence’s house where all the children were banished upon entry to the backroom and therefore far from her immaculate reception room. Running through the flats near my Uncle Bevin’s house getting up to mischief. My Aunty Wren’s infectious laughter as she caught a joke with my father and my Aunty Valerie’s rich, sumptuous black cakes at Christmas. My father never lost the love of learning. The acquisition of knowledge was my father’s real passion; the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and he had very little time for those who could not engage with him on his level. This was both a blessing and a curse for Hayden and me during our school years. He was always capable of helping us with our homework unfortunately it invariably meant that that offer of assistance became a hostile takeover. Looking back we both remember the dread we felt at having to enlist his help but the feeling is now tempered with an appreciation of his encyclopaedic knowledge base and lightning recall. It is one thing to learn about history from books written for a curriculum designed to maintain the status quo or from the mouthpieces of media giants offering their brief synopses for so-called historical context but serves to help cultivate the right type of biases. It is quite another to learn from someone, a child of empire who actually lived through so much of the history which lies at the root of current conflicts. He always offered a controversial take which prompted us to do our own research. I really think that he might have missed his calling as a political correspondent. But my dad never felt welcome here; that the UK could ever truly be home and in a person who prided himself on good manners, his arrival to the mother country and lack of welcome wounded him deeply. There were a slew of disappointments with the breakdown of his first marriage, his court battles for reunification with his eldest son, Glenn, and unfulfilled career aspirations. My father was dissatisfied with his lot and longed for his real home, Jamaica. In his senescence became increasingly frustrated with the realisation that he was not going to be able to reconcile his unfulfilled promise. He spoke often of his ambitions to join the police force in the UK only to have those hopes dashed by the openly discriminatory practices of that institution. He had built a career with British Telecom or BT and had established himself as a talented salesman and trainer with well-developed interpersonal skills that could turn his hand to anything. His signature look of a bow-tie and tailored suit set him apart from the crowd and however hard-won he had gained the respect and friendship of his peers. Once he was retired from work he also retired from his public life, withdrawing into himself with occasional bursts of activity with his writing or DIY projects around the home. The tireless efforts of my mother to keep him motivated granted him those few extra years with his family. His decline was in direct contrast to her indefatigable spirit, ever playful and busy. She effortlessly balanced my father's personal care and numerous hospital appointments with being an active grandparent, prominent church member and supportive parent and neighbour. My father’s light did indeed dwindle towards the end but given how brightly he shone in his heyday and how long it took to be extinguished everyone that met him right up until the end was warmed by the glow. Denella Welds, Daughter, 5 July 2024
  Cremation	5 Jul 2024	Camberwell New Cemetery, Camberwell, Kent, England
  		Funeral Order of Service Hubert Nathaniel WELDS
  Person ID	I1796	UK Thrale family
  Last Modified	29 Oct 2024

  
  

  Father	Tom WELDS
  Mother	Ida BAILY
  Family ID	F1056	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Clara YOUNGER
  Marriage	Jamaica
  Children	1. Glenn WELDS   2. Jacqueline WELDS   3. Michael WELDS
  Family ID	F1059	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	28 Oct 2024

  
  

  Family 2	Marlene DAVIS
  Children	+ 1. Denella WELDS m. Elias DELIGNY + 2. Hayden WELDS m. Reniece (2019)
  Family ID	F888	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	28 Oct 2024

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 21 Sep 1927 - Jamaica Education - Agricultural College - Bef 1961 - Jamaica Occupation - Immigration Officer - Bef 1961 - Jamaica Occupation - Jamaica Constabulary - Bef 1961 - Jamaica Occupation - Salesman & trainer. British Telecom - Aft 1961 - London, England Marriage - - Jamaica  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Hubert Nathaniel Welds aka Bertie
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Hubert Nathaniel Welds aka Bertie At a work event
  		Hubert Nathaniel Welds aka Bertie

  
  

• Sources

  [S111] Denella Welds.