I have done some work on this family several years ago for another Hughey researcher who is descended from Robert's brother, William. I have my files at home, but here's a link to what I have posted in the past about this family:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?b::canada...

You will see that their father, also named William, was tried for murder in 1859 and sentences to death (commuted to life imprisonment) and died in Kingston Penitentiary a few years later. The articles about the trial are now online:

http://news.ourontario.ca/newmarket/results?pn=William+Hughe...