Publisher's Synopsis
Cobourg is a town in Southern Ontario ninety-five kilometers (59 miles) east of Toronto and 62 kilometers (39 miles) east of Oshawa. It is located along Highway 401. To the south, Cobourg borders Lake Ontario.The settlements that make up today's Cobourg were founded by United Empire Loyalists in 1798. Settlers started arriving in Cobourg in the 179s when at the time it was known for its forty houses, two inns, four stores, several distilleries, a grist mill and about 350 people. The Town was originally a group of smaller villages such as Amherst and Hardscrabble, which were later named Hamilton. In 1808 it became the district town for the Newcastle District. It was renamed Cobourg in 1818, in recognition of the marriage of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (who later become King of Belgium).James Cockburn, born in England, moved to Montreal with his family in 1832. In 1845 he came to Cobourg to practice law and, until 1849, shared a practice with D'Arcy Boulton, another prominent politician. Married in 1854 to Isabella Susan Patterson, Cockburn began raising a family and found interest in public affairs. He was elected to the Cobourg town council in 1856, 1858 and 1859. During this time, when plans for Victoria Hall floundered due to lack of finances, Cockburn offered the leadership which saw the project completed in 1860. While serving in local politics Cockburn acquired a reputation for honesty, fair dealing, integrity and sound logic. He was one of the Fathers of Confederation.Cobourg retains its small-town atmosphere, in part due to the downtown and surrounding residential area's status as a Heritage Conservation District.
