TORONTO OF OLD. 569 



*' Fast by the rorfd his ever-open door 

 Oblig'd the wealthy and reliev'd the poor." 



Governors, commodores, and eoiumanders-in-chief, on their tours of pleasure or duty, were 

 glad to find a momentary resting-place at a refined donaestic fireside. Here Sir John Franklin 

 ■was entertained for some days in 1S35 : and at other periods, Sir John Ross and Capt. Back, 

 when on their way to the Arctic regions. In 1S47, Mr. W. B. Robinson was Commissioner of 

 Public Works ; and, at a later period, one of the Chief Commissioners of the Canada Company. 

 Mr. Peter Robinson was instrumental in settling the region in which our Canadian Peterborough 

 is situated, and from him that town has its name. 



At Newmarket was long engaged in prosperous business Mr. John Cawthra, a member of 

 the millionaire family of that name. Mr. John Cawthra was the first representative m the 

 Provincial Parliament of the County of Simcoe, after the separation from the County of York. 

 In 1S12, Mr. John Cawthra and bis brother Jonathan ^vere among the volunteers who offered 

 themselves for the defence of the country. Though by nature inclined to jieace, they were 

 impelled to this by a sincere sense of duty. At Detroit, John assisted in conveying across the 

 river in scows the heavy guns which were expected to be wanted in the attack on the Fort. On. 

 the slopes at Queeuston, Jonathan had a hair-breadth escape. At the direction of his oflicer, 

 he moved from the rear to the front of his company, giving place to a comrade, who the follow- 

 ing instant had a portion of his leg carried away by a shot from Fort Gray, on the opposite 

 side of the river. Also at Queenston, John, after personally cautioning Col. Maedoneli against 

 rashly exposing himself, as he seemed to be doing, was called on a few moments afterwards, to 

 aid in carrying that officer to the rear, mortally wounded. 



"With Newmarket too is associated the name of Mr. William Roe, a merchant there since 1814, 

 engaged at one time largely in the fur-trade. It was Mr. Roe who saved from capture a 

 considerable portion of the public funds, when York fell into the hands of General Dearborn 

 and Commodore Chauncey in 1813. Mr. Roe was at the time an employ^ in the oflice of the 

 Receiver General, Prideaux Selby ; and by the order of General Sheaffe and the Executive 

 Council he conveyed three bags of gold and a large sum in army-bUls to the farm of Chief 

 Justice Robinson, on the Kingston road east of the Don bridge, and there buried them. The 

 army-bills were afterwards delivered up to the enemy ; but the gold remained secreted until 

 the departure of the invaders, and was handed over to the authorities in Dr. Strachan's parlour 

 by Mr. Roe. The Receiver General's iron chest was also rescued by Mr. Roe and deposited in 

 the premises of Mr. Donald McLean, Clerk of the House of Assembly. Mr. McLean was killed 

 while bravely opposing the landing of the Americans, and his house was plundered ; the strong 

 chest was broken open and about one thousand silver dollars were taken therefrom. 



The name of Mr. Roe's partner at Newmarket, Mr. Andrew Borland, is likewise associated 

 with the taking of York in 1813. He was made prisoner in the fight, and in the actual struggle 

 against captui'e he received six severe rifle wounds, from the effects of which he never 

 wholly recovered. He had also been engaged at Queenston and Detroit. In the Report of the 

 Loyal and Patriotic Society of Upper Canada, we have an entry made of a donation of sixty 

 dollars to Mr. Andrew Borland on the 11th June, 1813, with the note appended : " Tlie com- 

 mittee of the Loyal and Patriotic Society voted this sum to Mr. Borland for his patriotic and 

 eminent services at Detroit, Queenston and York, at which latter place he was severely 

 wounded." We also learn from the Report that Mr. D'Arcy Boulton had presented a petition, 

 to the Society in favour of Mr. Borland. The members of committee present at the meeting 

 held June lltli, 1813, were Rev. Dr. Strachan, chairman, Wm. Chev/ett, Esq., Wm. Allan, Esq., 

 John Small, Esq., and Alex. Wood, Esq., secretary : and the minutes state that "The petition 

 of D'Arc3' Boulton, Esq., a member of the Society, in favour of Andrew Borland, was taken 

 into consideration, and the sum of Sixty Dollars was voted to him, on account of his patriotic 

 and eminent services at Detroit, Queenston and York, at which latter place he was most 

 .severely wounded." Mr. Borland had been a clerk in Mr. Boulton's store. In the order to pay 

 the money, signed by Alexander Wood, Mr. Borland is styled "a volunteer in the York Militia." 

 He afterwards had a pension of Twenty Pounds a year. In 1838 his patriotic ardour was not 

 quenched. During the troubles of that period he undertook the command of 200 Indians who 

 had volunteered to fight in defence of the rights of the Crown of England, if there should be 

 need. They were stationed for a time at the Holland Landing, but their services were happily 

 not required. 



