All John Scott wanted was for his sons to be farmers and make their living from the land. His oldest son did just that but his other sons had other ideas.

After his wife died, John Scott, a manufacturer from Aberdeen decided to take up the opportunity of a new life in Canada. Perhaps he had heard John Telfer speak about the new Township of Dumfries that was just being developed by William Dickson. In any case, in 1817 he sold up and moved to Canada to the new township with his son of fifteen years, also called John. He must not have been satisfied with his prospects because very soon afterwards he moved again, this time to the banks of the Etobicoke Creek in Chinguacousy Township in York County. His farm was in Lot 6 Concession 1 east of Hurontario Street and included all of the land bounded by Queen Street East, Main Street North, Ellen Street, Woodward Avenue, and Kennedy Road North. Centre Street runs down the centre of what was his land.

In 1819, John Lynch, his sister Mary, and other members of the family arrived from the Cornwall area, after immigrating from New York in 1813. About 1826, John Scott Sr. married the much younger Mary Lynch, who was about the same age as John Scott Jr. Another link was forged later when John Lynch and John Scott Jr. married sisters Susan and Eliza Monger.

John Sr., besides farming, had several businesses: a distillery, potash plant, and a mill, all powered by the Etobicoke Creek. In addition to farming and business, John Sr. also participated in politics, being Town Clerk in 1821 and serving as Justice of the Peace (a local magistate), in which position he was called Judge. In fact, in 1821 he was the only J.P. in Chinguacousy Township. He died in 1853. The house he probably built as his farm house is still standing at 80 Chuch Street East. What used to be the front door looking down on the Scott property toward the creek is now a side door, and two houses have been built between the old house and the diverted creek.

Old Scott Farmhouse, 80 Church Street East

John Sr. brought all of his sons up as farm boys although the younger children all had private education. Of John Sr.'s sons, only John Jr. stayed a farmer. He eventually acquired Lot 3 Concession 1 East of Hurontaio Street, land which extends from about the present Nanwood Drive to Peel Village Parkway and from Main Street to Kennedy Road. Two of John Sr.'s other sons became judges, another was a Member of Parliament, and yet another son became a surveyor.

Alexander Forsyth Scott, the eldest of John Sr.'s second family was born in 1828. Although brought up on the farm, he was known to read books while driving the tractor. He studied law in Toronto and was called to the Bar in 1858. He practised in Brampton for ten years, for three of which he was Reeve of the Village of Brampton. In 1867, when the county of Peel was split from York County, Brampton became the county town and Scott became the new county's first judge. He was also lieutenant-colonel of the 6th Battalion of the Peel Militia. When Alexander married in 1858, he moved into his new house on the Crescent where he was living at the census in 1861, a brick house with two storeys. This house is now 38 Scott Street. It still has fabulous stained glass in its front entrance. Whether this is original to Scott is unknown but it is nineteenth century work. Later, the Scotts moved to the old home on Church Street. When Alexander died in 1894, he was the oldest continuous resident of Brampton. Unfortunately, he also outlived his children.

Judge A. F. Scott House, 38 Scott Street

David Lynch Scott, known as Lazy Dave because he did not like to get out of bed before 1 PM, was born in 1845. His father and all of the family agreed that David would be a farmer even if the others would not. David thought otherwise. During the Fenian invasions he joined the militia as a private and later, like his brother, rose to become lieutenant-colonel. Also like Alexander, he studied law in Toronto and was called to the Bar in 1870. He practised in Brampton with Alexander's firm and later in Orangeville, where he served as Mayor from 1878-80. In 1882, he moved to Regina, where he became a lawyer and the town's first mayor. In 1894, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of the North-West Territories, and, in 1921, he became Chief Justice of Alberta. He died in 1924.