The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Wixon family are mentioned in Joseph Gould's "Life and Times", as having well-cultivated farms with good orchards in the 1820's. They were the first settlers of Claremont, and prominent members of the Baptist Church. Joshua Wixon settle on Lot 18, Concession 9, circa 1801, and at the same time, his brother Joseph Wixon, settled on Lot 19, Concession 9. Joshua Wixon was a member of Council in 1851, and all during the intervening period, did much to build up the beautiful fanning Community of Claremont. Joseph's son, Randall, a founder of the Baptist Church in Claremont, marched with Matthews, and was imprisoned in England. We quote from his letters, from the papers of Mr. Robert Fuller, Windsor, who has supplied the following: Randall Wixson: ----------------------Letter (copy) written in Newgate Prison, England, June and July, 1839. He was a state prisoner there among other Canadians. He writes his own and father's name, Wixson; other and all forms I have found are Wixon. This copy of a letter loaned me by the Curator of Fort Malden Museum, Amherstburg, Ontario, a Mr. David Botsford. Other state prisoners at Newgate at the time were: John G. Parker Randall Wixson Leonard Watson Finlay Malcolm Paul Bedford Robert Walker Ira Anderson James Brown William Alves On the outside of the folded letter (no envelope) he says:."Mr. Howell will confer a favour by forwarding this in hast." The writer addressed his father thus: Mr. Joseph Wixson, 9 Con., Pickering, Home District, Upper Canada. Brougham Post Office Honored Father, It is two years this day since Queen Victoria, first ascended to the throne of Great Britain, above half of which, I have been imprisoned because her representative in Canada refused to Her subjects there, the rights of freeborn British subjects. I have now been in England something more than six months, using every endeavour to gain that justice here which was denied me in my own country. I have no doubt every step taken with me previous to coming here will eventually prove to be perfectly unconstitutional and illegal from beginning to end. But how long it may be yet to bring it fairly to the test, time alone can show. The Government have had my case before them for nearly 4 weeks and are yet considering—(I suppose how to screen Arthur, and hang on upon me and my fellow prisoners) ostensibly, which are worthy of Royal clemency. I really do not expect anything from the mercy of the Government. But from submitting the whole to a Parliamentary investigation, I have hopes of succeeding, and always have had. The foundation for such an ordeal is now laid. On the evening of the 13th Inst., Lord Brougham presented a petition from myself and fellow prisoners in the House of Lords; Accompanying the presentation, with a very lucid, though somewhat sarcastic, exposition of our illegal treatment. On the evening of the 13th, Mr. Leader presented its Counterpart to the House of Commons, reserving his remarks for Tuesday the 25th Inst. The Government declined answering Lord Brougham, simply saying that our cases were under the consideration of the Government and that they did not wish anything more said about it at that time, and so the matter rests. I have been quite unwell for several days and have been taking medicine, but I am getting somewhat better than I was.— I will give you more particulars as I learn them daily. So good evening. June 21st. Well good morning Father. My health is yet but very indifferent. I shall endeavour to bear up against sickness and sorrow and confinement as well as I can. I do not think there is much danger of being sent for further;—but I do think it quite probable that I may be remanded back to Canada, either to give bail, or to stand trial for High Treason. If the latter should turn out to be the case, I shall die on the scaffold cheerfully, rather than submit to transportation and the degradation of dragging out a miserable existence in foreign slavery. Yes, Father, after all that I have suffered, I think it would be worse than cowardice to shrink from any death that could be devised.—By the by, why don't you write, what are you afraid of, you never write me a single word, no more than if you were in another world. I do think this is too bad. So answer this. Good evening.