Norval F. Babb owned five properties on the west side of Duke Street. He was a jeweller by trade and acquired the properties from his father-in-law, John Corrie. In 1914, the property at 43 Duke Street had a building value of $200.00. It was purchased by John Roberts Jr. and by the summer of 1915, the house was built.
John Jr. was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland on November 14, 1881 to father, John Sr. (1856-1942) and mother, Margaret Leadbetter (1857-1941). He was the first-born child, followed by Margaret" Maggie" on November 5, 1884, James in 1888 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, Bethia on May 28, 1891, Janet on February 25, 1894, Williamina on March 21, 1897 and Alan in 1900. He married Jessie Anderson in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland on August 9, 1905. They had a son, John on October 24, 1907 in Kelvin, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
In the 1911 Census, it showed John came to Canada in 1907 followed by Jessie and John in 1908. The family was living at 14 Victoria Street, in Stratford, Ontario and John is employed at the railway shops. John's father, mother and sisters Janet and Williamina immigrated to Canada on July 27, 1920. They arrived in Montreal, Quebec and made their way to Stratford. The 1921 City directories shows John Sr. living at 236 Front Street and working at Canadian National Railway. By 1922, John Jr. moved to 109 Caledonia Street and John Sr. moved into 43 Duke Street. John Jr. and his family moved to Montreal by
1931 and by 1942 he was the chief of motive power and car equipment for the Canadian National Railway. He died on April 4, 1957 in Hampstead, Quebec and is buried in Amstiere Mount Royal Cemetery in Outremont Region, Quebec.
John Sr. continued to live in the house until his death on May 25, 1942. Him and Margaret were married for nearly 62 years when she died on January 15, 1941. Williamina, who never married, continued to live in the house on Duke Street until 1953 when she moved to 71 Britanna Street with her brother James.