Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wikipedia
Quelch is an English surname, with alternative spellings of Quelche, or Qulch
It derived from the Old English nickname for a Celt or foreigner "woelisc", via Middle English "walsche", to Welch, Welsh or Wels(c)he. Notable people with the surname include:
- Harry Quelch (1858–1913) one of the first Marxists in Britain
- John Quelch (b 1951) British-American academic
- John Quelch (pirate) (1666-1704) English Pirate
- Lorenzo Quelch (1862-1937) British trade unionist and politician, and younger brother of Harry Quelch
- Tom Quelch socialist politician and son of Harry Quelch
- Victor Quelch (1891–1975) Canadian farmer, soldier and politician
Usage examples of "quelch".
On leaving Marblehead the crew mutinied, locked the captain in his cabin, and elected Quelch their commander.
Within a week Quelch was in gaol, and was taken to Boston, where his trial began on June 17th, 1704, and he was found guilty.
Captain Quelch was captured with his crew, Roach escaped near the Cape by Snake Island.
The demon could not bear to grasp it and tear it free, though the embedded blade, its magic quelching the fires it had been wrought to destroy, was surely winning the conflict.