Few men now living are more worthy of a place in this book, as a pioneer in Elgin county and a self made man, whose self reliance, perseverance and industry in life made him successful, than Thomas Williams. He was born in Manchester, Eng., April 5, 1803. His father, a silk manufacturer, was Richard Williams, and the maiden name of his mother was Mary Rice. The latter died at the great age of ninety-three, and then from the effects of an accident, and the former lived to be seventy-eight. In 1816, the family left the old country, and came to New York, where they lived until the spring of 1817, when, Mr. Williams wishing his four sons to obtain lands in British possessions, they removed to Upper Canada. June 7th, they reached Southwold, near the Dunwich town line, and not far from the home of Col. Talbot, with whom our subject was well acquainted. The country was a wilderness at that time, and none of the family knew anything about farming; but Mr. Williams was a man of means, energy and intelligence one who could probably have done better elsewhere for himself, but who shrewdly foresaw the advantages to be derived in the future, and for the sake of his sons he preferred the log house and 200 acres of wild lands. He taught them that stability of character, persistent effort, economy and honesty were the necessities of a successful career. Our subject had received a limited elementary education before leaving England, and with that he had to be content as far as schooling was concerned. But even had there been schools in the neighborhood of their new home, he would have had little time to attend, for a large share of the work incidental to clearing and improving the homestead devolved upon him. When twenty-one years old he left home and cleared a farm for himself, about ten miles from where St. Thomas now stands. Here he made his home, and successfully prosecuted the business of farming until 1860, when he retired with a handsome competence, and has since lived in Port Stanley, and latterly in St. Thomas. Here he has done much for the improvement of the place; was the original owner of the Canada Southern Park, which he laid out and planted with trees, and which is now an ornament to the city.
If space would permit it would be interesting to give some of the personal reminiscences of Mr. Williams. His fund of experiences, as well as observations, are extensive, and he is a very entertaining converser, especially on the subject of the early settlers. Possessing a remarkable memory he can give the entire history, almost of nearly all the pioneers with whom he was acquainted. A few of the incidents which serve to illustrate the privations endured by those who made their homes in Western Canada more than sixty years ago, which were observed and often participated in by our subject, may properly receive brief mention. Such hardships as men being without boots all winter were not unknown; of going all the way to Long Point for flour; of paying, in work, ten dollars for an axe; of a family having to cut their wheat crop about an acre with table knives, sharpened for the purpose, when the one sickle of the neighborhood could not be borrowed; of settlers traveling sixty miles to Long Point on foot to serve as jurymen; and the roads were so bad that it once took Mr. Williams from daylight till dusk to travel eight miles, while teaming provisions to the first settlers of Aldboro. As we have said, he was well acquainted with Col. Talbot, and in speaking of that celebrated pioneer says “He was a middle sized man, stoutly built, but not corpulent. His manner was stern and penetrating, and his first words to anyone who went to him always were, What do you want V His questions were invariably brief, and he would have brief answers in return; and to the point. He was not the tyrant he is sometimes represented to have been. Though naturally brusque, and having no sympathy for lazy, thriftless people, yet he was a true and sterling friend to all industrious men.”
Mr. Williams has always been a thoroughly practical man, of decided conviction and a will strong enough to adhere firmly and unchangeably to what he considered right. At the age of twenty-one he was a constable, and to fill that position satisfactorily at that time required much strength of character. Later he was a Captain of volunteers, and in 1859 was appointed magistrate.
Our subject was first married Oct. 18, 1825, to Martha White, who, dying, nineteen months thereafter, left one child, a daughter. Mr. Williams was married the second time Oct. 26, 1829, to Mary Nash, who died in March 1875, leaving ten children. His eleven children were all well educated, and carefully brought up to become useful men and women. His present wife is Charlotte Ryall, of St. Thomas, married June 30, 1877.