Thomas Bramwell Welch

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Thomas Bramwell Welch

Born December 31, 1825(1825-12-31)
Glastonbury, England
Died December 29, 1903 (aged 77)
Vineland, New Jersey
Burial place Siloam Cemetery
Spouse Victoria C. Sherbume (m. 1895)
Parents Abraham Welch
Mary Fussel

Thomas Bramwell Welch (December 31, 1825 – 1903) was the discoverer of the pasteurization process to prevent the fermentation of grape juice.

Contents

[edit] Birth and emigration

Welch was born in Glastonbury, England. He came to the United States when his father emigrated in 1834. He attended public schools in Watertown, New York.

At age 17, Thomas Welch joined the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion[1], founded the same year (1843).

From its beginning, the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion strongly opposed (1) the "manufacturing, buying, selling, or using intoxicating liquors", and (2) "slaveholding, buying, or selling" of slaves.[2]

With the first edition of their Discipline, the Wesleyan Methodists expressly required for the Lord's Supper that "unfermented wine only should be used at the sacrament."[3] This requirement was about 25 years before Welch used pasteurization. So it is clearly evident that pasteurization was not the only method used to prepare it unfermented. There were traditional methods to prepare unfermented wine (juice) for use at any time during the year, e.g. to reconstitute concentrated grape juice, or to boil raisins, or to add preservatives that prevent juice from fermenting and souring.[4]

"Throughout his late teens, Tom was active in the Underground Railroad that transported escaped slaves from the south into Canada."[1] In fact, he was not the only Wesleyan Methodist connected to the "Underground Railroad."[5]

By age 19, he graduated from Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary[6] and became an ordained Wesleyan Methodist minister.[1] He ministered first in Poundridge, near New York City, then in Herkimer County, New York.[6]

While in Herkimer County, he married Miss Lucy Hult.[6] They would have seven children.[6]

"He continued in the work of ministry until his voice failed him, and he was obliged to direct his attention to other pursuits."[6] He then attended New York Central Medical College (Syracuse campus), becoming a physician in Penn Yan, New York.

Welch then relocated to Winona, Minnesota in 1856.[6] He changed his profession to dentistry.

In 1864, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church expressly recommended that "in all cases the pure juice of the grape be used in the celebration of the Lord's Supper."[7] In 1865, Welch relocated to Vineland, New Jersey, where a sister already resided. Then in 1869, Welch discovered a method of pasteurizing grape juice so that fermentation was stopped, and the drink was non-alcoholic. He persuaded local churches to adopt this non-alcoholic "wine" for communion services, calling it "Dr. Welch's Unfermented Wine."

[edit] Dentistry

He continued to practice dentistry in Vineland until 1880 and "enjoyed a very successful and lucrative practice through the entire time."[6]

His son, Charles E. Welch, also a dentist, returned to Vineland, New Jersey in 1875 and later relocated his dental practice to Vineland. By this time his father was a successful Prohibition crusader, and had "all but abandoned" attention to his old experiments.[1] He advised Charles, "Now don't think I'm trying to discourage your pushing the grape juice. It is right for you to do so, so far as you can, without interfering with your profession and your health."[1] Charles and Thomas Welch founded the Welch's Dental Supply Company in Philadelphia and began a dentistry journal.[1] Charles promoted the sale and consumption of grape juice. The Welch's sold grape juice as a sideline.[1] The industry had grown slowly until 1890.[6] So from 1890, the Welch's were able to spend more attention on the industry. Charles did not devote full attention to marketing grape juice until 1893, when Welch's Grape Juice Company was "officially launched".[1][8] However, Thomas Welch himself "never received a penny in return for his investment."[1]

Thomas Welch was a Methodist and staunch Prohibitionist, who actively worked to reduce or end the sale of alcoholic beverages in New Jersey and adjacent regions.

[edit] Second marriage and death

After the death of his first wife, Thomas Welch married Miss Victoria C. Sherbume in 1895.

On December 29, 1903, Thomas Welch died at Vineland and is buried in its Siloam Cemetery.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hallett, Anthony; Diane Hallett (1997). "Thomas B. Welch, Charles E. Welch". Entrepreneur Magazine Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 481-483. ISBN 0471175366. 
  2. ^ Haines, Lee M. (1990). "A New Denomination", An Outline History of the Wesleyan Church, 4th edition, Indianapolis, Indiana: Wesley Press, p. 68. ISBN 0898270766. 
  3. ^ Tucker, Karen B. Westerfield (2001). "The Lord's Supper", American Methodist Worship. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 151. ISBN 019512698X. 
  4. ^ Bacchiocchi, Samuele (1989). "The Preservation of Grape Juice", Wine in the Bible. Signal Press & Biblical Perspectives. ISBN 1930987072. 
  5. ^ Crooks, Elizabeth W. (1875). "Call to the South", The Life of Adam Crooks. Syracuse, New York: Wesleyan Methodist Publishing House, p. 17ff. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Welch, Charles (1903). Dr. Thomas B. Welch.
  7. ^ (1864) "Appendix", Doctrines & Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Cincinnati: Poe & Hitchcock, p. xvii. “The Methodist Episcopal Church had already ruled against drinking intoxicating liquors. Again, the 1864 General Conference earnestly recommended grape juice always for the Lord's Supper and called each pastor to preach specifically and 'to urge total abstinence from all that can intoxicate.'” 
  8. ^ Welch's Company History.


Persondata
NAME Welch, Thomas Bramwell
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION discoverer of the pasteurization process
DATE OF BIRTH December 31, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH Glastonbury, England, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH 1903
PLACE OF DEATH