Home Children Canada

In a biography by Nathanael Burwash, Chancellor of Victoria University, Margaret was described as a child of rare promise, beautiful in person, alert and strong in mind, deeply affectionate in disposition, winning in manners, and earnest and thoughtful; as well as cheerful in character.

Margaret received an outstanding education, of which she had scarcely completed when she met a tall and handsome man, George A. Cox. George, then working as an agent for the Montreal Telegraph Company and the Canadian Express Company, eventually became not only the Mayor of Peterborough, but also a very wealthy leader of this country. Eighteen-year old Margaret married George on 28 May 1862. She devoted her life to George, their children and their community of Peterborough. Margaret became a leader in their church and community with her unwavering compassion and care for others, especially the poor.

During a visit to England in 1882, Margaret was greatly moved by the extreme poverty and wretchedness found in the city of London. While there, she became acquainted with Dr. Barnardo and his work. Upon arriving back in Canada, she quickly dispatched a friend to England to observe Dr. Barnardo’s work. At home in Peterborough she worked to secure a receiving home for the children. She found the perfect property, a large home known as “Hazel Brae”, located on Conger's Hill, just off, what is now George Street. This threestory beauty was built by Thomas Belcher in 1872. The Cox’s offered the home to Dr. Barnardo - rent free. Dr. Barnardo, after outfitting the home for the children, quickly moved his head office from Front Street in Toronto to Hazel Brae. The main floor of Hazel Brae consisted of a secretary’s office, a staff dining hall for the children and a children’s play room complete with a lavatory. On the second floor were sleeping rooms for the staff, plus a section used for a dormitory. A further dormitory, outfitted with little cots - sufficient to sleep 150 children - occupied the third floor. Each cot had a pillow, fresh linens and was covered with a gray blanket. 

Dr. Barnardo, in his memoirs wrote: “I cannot be too thankful to God for his goodness in touching the hearts of this gentleman and his wife, neither of whom I have ever seen, to offer such aid.” Hazel Brae received its first Home Children in November of 1883. Dr. Barnardo visited Hazel Brae for the first time in 1884, describing it as such: ...[a]charming house situated a little outside of the town, upon a hillside, commanding a view of the country round about, and standing in its own grounds of some six acres”. Dr. Barnardo’s arrival to Canada was celebrated with a lavish reception, held at Hazel Brae. The reception was attended by Margaret and her husband, the then acting Mayor of Peterborough. All in all, over two hundred people attended; who were charged ten cents a head admission. 

In 1889 Margaret and her husband moved to Toronto. Dr. Barnardo wrote during the continued residence of Mr. and Mrs. Cox at Peterborough, “their personal interest in the Institution did much to promote its success; but of late years, to my great regret and to real loss of the work, Mr. and Mrs. Cox have removed their home to Toronto”. Dr. Barnardo visited Canada once again in 1890 to make some much needed changes to Hazel Brae. Margaret died 22 Jan 1905, in her sixty-second year, of a diabetic coma. Her husband George followed her in 1914. In 1912, the Haze Brae Home was renamed the “Margaret Cox Home for Girls” in her honor. In 1918 the home was signed over to Dr. Barnardo by their son, Herbert Cox. Four years later Hazel Brae was closed - all the children would be received in Toronto following this. The building was demolished in 1939 and in 1941 the property was sold to Morley Shaver of Peterborough. Today the only hint of the children’s receiving home is a black granite heritage plaque on its former site.