The Rumours Circulating

Mar 17

June 30, 1843

Dear Mr. Grant,

I hope you read this in good conscience. I write to you today to consult you as a fellow member of the church and a man of good breeding, to implore you to hold steadfast in your belief within my character. It is with a heavy heart and a concerned spirit that I pen this letter, beseeching thy support in a matter most grave, which toucheth upon the very tenets of truth and Christian charity we hold dear.

Throughout the colony, I have heard hearsay among our fellow man about my legal altercation with Ms. Helen Rothnie, regarding her cessation of employment under my household. The circumstance of her dismissal was impacted by her condition, which rendered her unable to fulfill her duties. In line with both the moral expectations and legal rights preserved under our contracts, I found it necessary to terminate her employment.

However, despite my moral upstanding, I was forced to endure being a defendant in my own courtroom as Helen had sued for back wages. The jury of mostly half-breeds whom reject proper English law, have been swayed by sentiment over justice, ruling in her favour despite my testimony.

The court mandated I compensate Ms. Rothnie for the remainder of her contract, including her housing expenses following her dismissal, something that I gravely disagree with. However, a lack of an appellate process within our governance leaves me with no formal recourse to challenge this verdict.

Despite the court matter being concluded, the colony has turned against me as rumours percolate like my broiling grounds in the morning, defiling my reputation. The whispers are most frequent, where proper respect for authority and governance remains wanting. It has been wrongly rumoured that I am the father of Mrs. Rothnie's child, which is a slanderous and utterly baseless claim. Such nonsense seeks to tarnish my reputation and distress my family, particularly my wife.

I ask for your counsel on how to address these malicious attacks on my character. We must uphold the moral fabric of our society here, which is now being threatened. How should one proceed in such a situation where legal avenues have failed and public opinion is perhaps irrevocably swayed by falsehoods?

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
Adam Thom, Esq.

Positionality | Adam Thom, Esq.

Adam Thom was a Scottish scholar and the First Recorder of Rupert’s Land in the Red River Settlement. In British Colonial systems, a Recorder was a legal position that combined the roles of a legal advisor and judge. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1802 and educated at King’s College in Aberdeen, Thom was appointed to the position in 1839 by the Hudson’s Bay Company after working as a political writer and lawyer in Montreal.

In his role, Thom was responsible for organizing the administration of justice within the settlement. His letter to a Hudson’s Bay Company official captures his perspective on a legal dispute he faced. In 1843, Thom's former governess, Helen Rothnie, sued him for unpaid wages after he dismissed her during her pregnancy. A jury ruled that Thom must compensate her for the remainder of her contract. While he initially refused to pay, he eventually agreed to settle the matter.

The Red River Settlement and the Council of Assiniboia lacked an appeals process, leaving Thom unable to challenge the jury's decision. Around this time, Rothnie married William Drever amid rumours that she intended to lead community members to believe that Thom was the father of the child she was carrying. This incident marked the beginning of several legal disputes involving Thom, and Rothnie demonstrated how gossip could be used to influence public perception.

Adam Thom remained a divisive figure in the settlement as tensions over trading grew. Thom’s openly discriminatory views toward Métis rights and French-language rights, eventually ended his role in 1854, after he lost support among Hudson’s Bay Company officials and members of the Red River community.

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