William L. Walsh

Who was William L. Walsh?

William Legh Walsh, KC was a Canadian lawyer and judge. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 1931 to 1936.

Walsh was born in that portion of the colonial Province of Canada which would later become the province of Ontario. Upon attending public schools in his hometown of Simcoe, Walsh received a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1878. After being called to the bar, he joined a practice in Orangeville, where he also held municipal offices as mayor and councillor. Drawn in by the Gold Rush, he then relocated to the Yukon where he established a practice with two others. Shortly after being created a King's Counsel in 1903, Walsh moved south to Calgary, where he quickly established another practice. He remained in that firm for 8 years, before being appointed to the Supreme Court of Alberta in 1912.

He was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1931 and would serve in the office until 1936, when he was succeeded by his friend, Philip Primrose. He then retired to Victoria, British Columbia, where he died in 1938.