Robert  Biggar along with his wife Mary Lauder came to Canada in 1806 from Scotland U.K.   Biggar along with his sons fought in the War of 1812 in the 2nd Flank Company 5th Regiment Lincoln Militia under Captain James Durand.  Biggar was awarded a land grant and came to the Mount Pleasant area in 1816.

He established a tannery  in Brant’s Ford and began to accumulate more land.   Biggar built a bridge across the Grand River after the original one was destroyed in a flood.  He called it after himself,  Biggar’s Bridge.

In 1827 when there were 200 to 300 settlers in the area the subject of naming the settlement came up.  Biggar suggested Biggartown, while two other gentlemen suggested other names. In order not to offend anyone, the settlers wanted to keep the name of Brant’s Ford.  Within a short period of time the “s” was dropped and the name just became Brantford.

Robert and Mary had 11 children but sadly Mary died ten years after their arrival in Mount Pleasant and never lived to see the success that her family enjoyed.

Robert died in 1836 at the age of 75 years and is buried beside his wife Mary in a family plot on private property.  (Source:  The Work of Our Hands by Sharon Jaeger.  From the writing of Peggy (Margaret) Smyth)