Located along the lower Kennebecasis River valley, Rothesay borders the city of Saint John to the southwest, and the neighbouring town of Quispamsis to the northeast. It is served by a secondary mainline of the Canadian National Railway, though there is no longer any passenger service on the line. Rothesay and Quispamsis are both considered part of 'KV' but Rothesay is considered to be the nicer of the two towns. It has a lower crime rate, higher average income and higher percentage of post secondary educated citizens.
History
The town developed first as a shipbuilding centre and later as a summer home community for Saint John's wealthy elite with the arrival of the European and North American Railway in 1853. There is a commonly known story that the new town was named in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, in 1860 because the area was said to have reminded him of Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, in Scotland. However, an entry made in the diary of William Franklin Bunting, of Saint John, during the same visit refers to the Rothesay train station. It is unlikely that the name would have taken hold less than a day after the prince's passage through the settlement and so it likely predates the visit or was specifically bestowed on the town in the prince's honour as Duke of Rothesay. In 1870, a Saint John-owned ship named Rothesay made a famous voyage when a 20-year-old woman named Bessie Hall took command of the fever-stricken ship and sailed it from Florida to Liverpool, England.
In 1996, the proposition that Grand Bay and the other Kennebecasis Valley communities amalgamate with Saint John was publicly opposed. Concern that a new city would compete with Saint John for government funding and business came after the province began discussing an amalgamation of the Kennebecasis Valley communities in 1997. On January 1, 1998, the former incorporated villages of East Riverside-Kinghurst, Fairvale, and Renforth; the town of Rothesay; and part of the community of Wells in the local service district of the Rothesay Parish were amalgamated to form the town of Rothesay as part of a province-wide rationalization of municipal-level governments. The town motto, Quinque luncta In Uno, represents the joining together of the five founding communities. Occasional discussion about the possibility of further amalgamating Rothesay with Quispamsis has not proceeded beyond the discussion phase, though the two municipalities do collaborate extensively to share services and facilities.
Jack Fairweather, was a lawyer and political figure, born in Rothesay.
Gordon Fairweather, was a lawyer and Canadian politician, son of Jack Fairweather.
Susan B. Ganong, was a widely respected Canadian educator and proprietor of the Netherwood School for 41 years from 1903 - 1944, aunt of R. Whidden Ganong.
R. Whidden Ganong, was a Canadian businessman, went to school in Rothesay.
Rear Admiral Daniel Lionel Hanington was sunk by a U-boat, participated in the sinking of another U-boat, eventually becoming Deputy Chief of Staff for NATO's naval command.
John Peters Humphrey resided in Rothesay while attending boarding school, although his permanent residence was in the municipality of Hampton, less than 20 minutes outside of Rothesay.
Billionaire industrialist James K. Irving currently resides in Rothesay, as well as some members of his family, including his niece Sarah Irving.
