The house at 42 Milton Street was built in 1877 by David Simpson.  David, his wife Jane, and son George are listed as the first occupants of the house.  In the 1876 City directory, the Simpson family was living at 217 Downie Street. 

 David was born on June 3, 1819 in Kirkalday, Fifeshire, Scotland to parents David (1794) and Christian Lockart (1793).  David’ father and mother, Christian, were married on March 7, 1819 in Scotland.

His wife, Jane Gray was also born in Fifeshire, Scotland in 1816.  They married on December 13, 1839 in Markinch, Fifeshire, Scotland.  They immigrated to Canada by 1854 as their son, George, was born in Montreal in 1854, followed by a daughter, Fannie, in 1855. 

 In the 1880 city directory, David is listed as working as a machinist and George is a fitter. Jane died on August 12, 1881 and is buried in the Avondale Cemetery.  David and George continued to live in the house.  George, married Elizabeth (Eliza) Jane Anderson (1862) on June 22, 1886 in Stratford and Eliza moved into the house. David died on January 31, 1887 and is buried along side Jane in Avondale Cemetery.  

 George and Eliza expanded their family with sons, David Amole, born August 8, 1887, Arthur, born in January 1880, and Ralph Lambert born on December 26, 1892. A daughter, Edith Lovina Barton, was born on December 12, 1898.   David Amole moved to United States and worked for the railway as he received a US railway retirement pension.  Arthur is listed as living in Toronto in the1911 Census.  Ralph moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he enlisted in the US draft and worked as a mechanical draftsman.  Ralph died in Clearwater, Florida in 1996 at the age of 104.  Edith married Claude Fleming in Detroit, Michigan.

 George died on February 3, 1908 from pernicious anaemia- an infection caused by a cut on his hand, and exposure to contaminated water.  He is buried with his parents.  Eliza is listed in the City Directory as the owner of the house in 1910 and continued to live in the house until it was sold to Sidney Cook, who worked at Stillman’s Dairy in 1920, and in 1925 was a sales manager at McLagan Furniture Co.  On May 12, 1923, Eliza is listed as entering the United States to live with her son David in Detroit, Michigan.  She died on March 13, 1956 in Michigan and is buried in Avondale cemetery in the family plot.