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Doors Open: Roxboro Introduction EARLY EMIGRANTS TO ROXBORO came from Jedburg, Roxburghshire, Scotland in 1833. They were two father-and-son pairs, Robert Scott Sr. and Jr., and Archibald and James Dickson. The elder Scott took up 400 acres in the Roxboro area and Archibald Dickson claimed 300 acres to the north and east, on the opposite side of the Maitland River. In 1834, about 40 more people arrived- the families of the earlier arrivals including the John Govenlock family (husband of Robert Scott Sr.'s eldest daughter, Margaret), as well as friends, the Grieve, Henderson and Habkirk families. 
Musings, a short history of the Scott and Dickson families of Roxboro, contains some letters written to family back in Scotland. They tell of the arduous journey to Canada that took over two months: "Our hardships and delay in coming up the river [St. Lawrence] cannot be well described, but there we were exposed to the burning sun through the day and dews so rank through the night that I could
almost have wrung our outer clothes in the morning, together with thunder and rain and a boat without any edge to prevent the children from falling over." They travelled by steamer from Brockville to Hamilton, then a three-days trip by wagon to the Roxboro area: "… we had no other covering at night save the shelter of an open barn or shed, so afraid were the people of cholera that they would not permit us to enter their houses in many places." Children of both Archibald Dickson and John Govenlock died of cholera and were buried at Grosse Isle. John Govenlock also lost his wife to cholera three days after finally reaching their destination.
Despite all this, the same writer also says: "… we have reason to be glad that we have taken the important step we have done in emigrating to this country, where persevering industry is sure to meet its reward."A year later they are able to report that each family had places of their own and a crop to support their families. Robert Scott Sr., in a letter to his eldest son in Scotland written in August 1835, talks about his log cabin, the plentiful fish and game. He also notes that sons Robert and James, and son-in-law John Govenlock, "have been working on the Goderich road and they make about 5 shillings a day, but they were not very long at it, only three weeks." One other immediate concern was that they were "with- out ordinance of God amongst us" and so Robert Scott Sr. and John Govenlock travelled to Galt to meet with church elders. The first Presbyterian congregation was organized in Roxboro in 1835 with 13 members and two elders, Mr. Scott and Mr. Govenlock. 
James Scott built a gristmill on the northeast corner of the intersection in 1843. It served a 50-mile radius, operating day and night. He sold the mill in 1860 to Alfred Brewer who built the brick house called Mill House.At its most prosperous, Roxboro could boast between 20 and 30 homes. There were also two hotels. One hotel, Roxborough House, was operated by a Mrs. Jamieson and was located south of the Maitland Wells farm. The second hotel was owned and operated by Hugh Latimer. It was located near the mill. Robert Habkirk had the cabinet shop east of the mill and just past there was William Wilson's blacksmith shop where he also made ploughs. Farther east, Sam Hannah had a pump factory. The two general stores were run by William Watson and Robert Dickson. The school was on the hill near where the Cresswell Vault in Maitlandbank Cemetery is now. Roxboro was first in the township to have a post office. In the early 1860s, the north road to Brussels was built from Seaforth, instead of from Harpurhey through Roxboro. The railroad had already bypassed Roxboro. Seaforth grew and outstripped its neighbours, Harpurhey and Roxboro and they became ghost towns. Today, all that remains of Roxboro are some of the houses. Site Submissions
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