Person DS/UK/684 Weld; George (1883-1959); Roman Catholic Bishop; Jesuit Priest Weld George 1883-1959 Roman Catholic Bishop; Jesuit Priest Male Born 13 September 1883, Birkdale, Lancashire. Entered the English Province of the Society of Jesus 7 September 1901. Ordained as a Roman Catholic priest 31 July 1917. Final vows in the Society of Jesus 2 February 1922. Died 2 February 1959, Georgetown, Guyana.

George Weld was born 13 September 1883. He was a grand-nephew of Cardinal Weld and had two uncles in the English Province, Fr Alfred Weld and Fr Herman Walmesley, both of whom also had Jesuit uncles, Fr John Weld and Fr Henry Walmesley. His father was Walter Weld of Leagram, and he was born at Birkdale, Lancashire. Weld went to Hodder in April 1893 and on to the College in September 1894. He entered the Society in 1901. After his noviceship and one year’s juniorate at Roehampton, he did his philosophy at St Mary’s Hall, 1904-07, and then went to Campion Hall, Oxford, where he took a 2nd class in Classical Mods and also in Greats. He proceeded to his MA in 1914. His teaching was done at Stonyhurst 1911-13 and Beaumont 1913-14. He then went to St Beuno’s for theology, and was ordained there 31 July 1917. On completing his theological course he taught at Liverpool 1918-21. After tertianship at Tillabeg in 1921 he again taught for a year at Stonyhurst and was then appointed to St Stanislaus’ College, Georgetown. Fr Weld first went to British Guiana in 1923. After teaching for a year at St Stanislaus’, he was appointed Headmaster in 1924 and held that office for eight years. On 18 January 1932 Fr Weld was appointed Titular Bishop of Mallo and Vicar Apostolic in succession to Bishop Galton, who had died the previous April. He was consecrated at Westminster Cathedral, 15 May 1932. Cardinal Bourne was consecrator, assisted by Archbishop Goodier and Bishop Brown. He then visited Rome, where he completed arrangements for the sending of Czechoslovakian nuns to British Guiana, to take over the nursing at the Leper Hospital, Mahaica, for which it had been difficult to get trained nurses. During his episcopate, thirteen new churches were gradually built, and the number of Catholic schools was increased from 34 to 50. Advancing age and increasing deafness caused him at length to appeal to the Holy Father to be allowed to resign his office, and his resignation was accepted in September 1953. He remained Administrator Apostolic until the appointment of his successor he following year. In 1954 he was awarded the decoration of the CBE, and in 1955 Pope Pius XII named his Assistant to the Pontifical Throne. The Bishop continued to live at the Cathedral, and he emerged from his retirement to assist the Apostolic Delegate in the consecration of Bishop Guilly. However his health was visibly failing and he was anointed several times before his death, which took place on the Feast of the Purification, 2 February 1959. From noon the following day his body lay in state in the Cathedral and at 4:30pm the church was filled to capacity for the Pontifical Requiem and there were hundreds outside. Member of the English Province of the Society of Jesus Catalogus Defunctorum 1814-1970 (Society of Jesus); Letters and Notices vol. 64, pp. 199-205 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes Mihaela 13/11/2015 CURIA\RSomerset 24/11/2023 a57a0c79-4a28-4af6-9591-7f18f952d21a