Jacob Cleal and his brother Daniel set up a successful biscuit company in Toronto and in 1846 Jacob is listed as a baker at 162 King Street East, Toronto. This was also the address of an inn which Jacob ran. In 1848 Jacob's daughter Rosabella married at the age of 16. However on 7 April 1849 a fire started in the stable of the inn and the resulting fire almost razed Toronto to the ground. Jacob and Daniel lost all they had - their homes and their businesses.