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History of the County of Perth, 1825-1902
William Johnston, 1903
p.522-523
THOMAS ROTHWELL was born in Wexford, Ireland, in March, 1808. The family emigrated to Canada in 1815. In January, 1833, he married Eliabeth [sic] Tompkins, of Wicklow, which union extended over a period of 63 years, when death separated the aged pair in January, 1896. To them were born six sons, who all became professional men except one - Mr. B. Rothwell, the eldest, having been principal of Listowel public school for a quarter of a century.
Mr Rothwell arrived in Elma during 1853, settling on lot 29, concession 2, where he remained until his death. In his youthful days he was a man of robust physique, fine personal appearance, and a splendid specimen of the better class of our pioneers. He was an even-tempered, kindly man, well informed, and of far more than average intellectual ability. We are apt to inquire sometimes why people of education and refinement should ever enter the woods, where naturally nothing could be found we would suppose congenial either to their tastes or aspirations. To answer this we would require to know the man, for although fate does play strange vagaries with us all, there is a trend of thought and feeling in our hearts causing many events we blindly attribute to fortune. Whatever may have been the cause in this case of taking up backwoods life, Mr Rothwell fought the battle in a manner most honourable to himself, and left a record of honesty and upright conduct with all men, the fairest boon he could leave to his family.
Meg Fuller Perth County Coordinator
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