W. G. Rockwood

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W. G. Rockwood
MLC MD MRCS MRCP
டபிள்யூ. ஜி. ரொக்வூட்
Unofficial Member (Tamil),
Legislative Council of Ceylon
In office
1898–1906
Preceded byP. Coomaraswamy
Succeeded byA. Kanagasabai
Personal details
Born(1843-03-13)13 March 1843
Died27 March 1909(1909-03-27) (aged 66)
ChildrenJohn Rockwood
Alma materPresidency College, Madras
Madras Medical College
ProfessionPhysician
EthnicityCeylon Tamil

William Gabriel Rockwood (Tamil: வில்லியம் கேப்ரியல் ரொக்வூட்; 13 March 1843 – 27 March 1909) was a Ceylon Tamil physician and member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.

Early life and family[edit]

Rockwood was born on 13 March 1843.[1][2] He was the son of Sinnathamby Elisha Rockwood, a customs sub-collector from Alaveddy in northern Ceylon.[1][3]

Rockwood was educated at Vembadi Boys School before being sent to study at Presidency College, Madras from where he matriculated.[1][2] He then joined Madras Medical College in 1861 on a scholarship, graduating in June 1866 with a first class degree in medicine and surgery.[1][2][4]

Rockwood married Mutthammah, daughter of Sinna Mudaliyar Kathiravetpillai from Moolai, in 1871.[1][2] They had four sons and four daughters.[5]

Career[edit]

Two months after returning to Ceylon Rockwood joined the Government Medical Service as Medical Officer of Puttalam.[1][2] He was involved with dealing with the 1866/67 cholera epidemic in Jaffna.[2] He returned to Puttalam and served there until 1875.[2] He was involved with dealing with the 1875 cholera epidemic in Jaffna.[1] He later received a MD degree from the University of Madras.[2][4] He then served as Medical Officer of Hambantota and Gampola.[2][5] In 1878, following the death of E. L. Koch, Rockwood was appointed surgeon-in-charge of Colombo General Hospital.[1][2][4] He also lectured in surgery and midwifery at the Ceylon Medical College.[1][2][4] He ceased to be surgeon-in-charge in 1883 but he continued to work as a surgeon at the hospital.[2] In 1884 he went to England from where he obtained MRCS and MRCP qualifications.[2][4] After retirement, Rockwood was appointed to the specially created post of consulting-surgeon of the Colombo General Hospital in 1898.[2][4]

Rockwood was appointed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1898 as the unofficial member representing Tamils, replacing P. Coomaraswamy.[1][2][6][7] He was re-appointed in 1903.[2][8] He was one of the leading supporters of constructing a new railway line to northern Ceylon and Chilaw.[1][5] Ill health forced him to retire from the Legislative Council in 1906.[1][2][4]

Rockwood was president of the Ceylon Branch of the British Medical Association.[1][2][4]

Rockwood died on 27 March 1909.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. pp. 165–166.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Wright, Arnold, ed. (1907). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon. Lloyd's Great Britain Publishing Company. pp. 555–557.
  3. ^ Martyn, John H. (1923). Notes on Jaffna – Chronological, Historical, Biographical. Tellippalai: American Ceylon Mission Press. p. 291. ISBN 978-81-206-1670-7.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Obituaries". British Medical Journal. 1 (2521): 1034. 24 April 1909. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.2521.1034-a. PMC 2318809.
  5. ^ a b c d "Dr. W. G. Rockwood". Jaffna College Miscellany. XIX (3). Tellippalai: American Ceylon Mission: 1–4. July 1909.
  6. ^ "The London Gazette". The London Gazette (26981): 3858. 24 June 1898.
  7. ^ de Silva, K. M. (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press. p. 368. ISBN 9780520043206.
  8. ^ "The London Gazette". The London Gazette (27578): 4589. 21 July 1903.
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