East Of Aberfoyle
by Marjorie Clark
For the past 23 years, I have dwelt east of Aberfoyle, in the Corwhin section of Puslinch a naturally beautiful area, replete with a variety of landscape – flat fields and abrupt drumlins, tall, majestic hardwood bush and coniferous reforestation, little swails and lovely lily-pad ponds and every species of wildlife known to Southern Ontario – a truly splendid garden despite, like all of this world, being outside of Eden.
In all these years, I had given little thought to the origin of the name, “Corwhin” but had assumed that it stemmed, like the pioneers of this district, from association with Scotland. Until lately that is, when Robert Moore, who lived in this district some 60 years ago, embarked upon the collection of information for a book on tradesmen and business in Puslinch from the beginnings of settlement of the township until about 1965. Stay tuned for that book.
In the process of this, Robert asked me if I could clarify just which Campbell had been storekeeper and post master in Corwhin and I began to delve into it. It was then, that I started to consider the question of the derivation of the name. Assigned as it was by the earliest settlers, I speculated that it would have had meaning to the most prominent family at the time, the Campbells, who emigrated from Weem, Perthshire.
Robert discovered a website detailing the famous pipers of Scotland, which mentioned Campbell of Corwhin or Carwhin, as it was sometimes spelled, Earl of Argyll and we had the answer. Colin Campbell of Corwhin, Argyleshire secured territory in the area around Weem in Perthshire. He installed his son, John Campbell (1762-1834) as the 4th Earl of Breadalbane. The emigrant Campbells chose the most illustrious name recalled from their homeland to christen their new home in Puslinch.
A few years ago, a gentleman in the section, in jest, dubbed himself the “Earl of Corwhin” but his name is not Campbell.
