Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase

BROWN, SIR SAMUEL (_eld. son of Wm. Brown of Borland, co. Galloway_). _b._ London 1776; entered navy 8 June 1795; commander 1 Aug. 1811; retired captain 18 May 1842; invented iron chain cables, described in _Philosophical Magazine_ Oct. 1814; built Union suspension bridge over the Tweed near Berwick 1820; erected chain pier at Brighton 1823; K.H. 13 Jany. 1835; knighted at St. James’s palace 21 Feb. 1838; took out patents for chains and chain cables and ten other patents. _d._ Vanbrugh lodge, Blackheath 15 March 1852. _G.M. xxxvii_, 519–20 (1852). BROWN, SAMUEL. Cornet 6 Dragoons 15 March 1798; assistant quartermaster general to the army in Egypt 1801; major York light infantry 25 Sep 1807 to 19 March 1817 when placed on h.p.; general 20 June 1854. _d._ Bromley, Kent 2 March 1855. BROWN, SAMUEL (_4 son of Samuel Brown of Haddington, founder of itinerating libraries_). _b._ Haddington 23 Feb. 1817; ed. at high sch. and univ. of Edin., M.D. 1839; delivered a course of lectures on philosophy of the sciences at Edin. 1840–1, and 4 lectures on the Atomic theory 1843; contested chair of chemistry in Univ. of Edin. 1843; experimented on the atomic constitution of bodies; author of _The tragedy of Galileo Galilei in 5 acts and in verse_ 1850; _Lectures on the atomic theory and essays scientific and literary 2 vols._ 1858, and of many articles in _North British Review_ and other periodicals. _d._ Canaan grove, Morningside, Edin. 20 Sep. 1856. _Macmillan’s Mag. xii_, 74–82 (1865); _North British Review Nov. 1856_. BROWN, SAMUEL. _b._ 1812; actuary of Mutual life office 1850 and of Guardian insurance company 1855; advocated uniform weights and measures throughout commercial world; an active founder of Institute of Actuaries 1848, pres. 1867–70, instituted the Brown prize; joint editor of _Journal of Institute of Actuaries_; pres. over section of Economic Science and Statistics at British Association in Norwich 1868; author of numerous papers in _Assurance Magazine_ 1850 to death and in _Journal of Statistical Society_. _d._ The Elms 42 Lark hall rise, Clapham, London 20 March 1875. _C. Walford’s Insurance Cyclopædia i_, 395–6 (1871). BROWN, THOMAS. Midshipman R.N. 1787; captain 22 Jany. 1806; commanded the Ordinary at Sheerness 1816–19; commanded Vigo 74 guns, Tartar 42 guns, Talavera 74 guns and Caledonia 120 guns, successively May 1833 to Oct. 1835 when placed on h.p.; admiral on h.p. 4 July 1855. _d._ Southampton 17 June 1857 aged 79. BROWN, THOMAS (_son of Christopher Brown, member of firm of Longmans, publishers, London who d. 1807_). _b._ near Paternoster Row, London 1778; ed. at Christ’s hospital; apprenticed in his father’s firm Dec. 1792; a partner 1811 to June 1859; a liveryman of Stationers Company 1804, warden and upper warden 1856–8; gave a stained glass west window to St. Paul’s cathedral which was uncovered 19 March 1867; left by his will £10,000 to Booksellers Provident Institution, £10,000 to Booksellers Retreat and £10,000 to Christ’s hospital. _d._ 39 Ludgate hill, London 24 March 1869. _W. H. Blanch’s Famous blue-coat boys_ (1880) 59–83; _Reg. and mag. of biog. i_, 480–2 (1869). BROWN, RIGHT REV. THOMAS JOSEPH. _b._ Bath 2 May 1798; received Benedictine habit at the college Acton Burnell near Shrewsbury 19 April 1813, removed with the college to St. Gregory’s college Downside near Bath where he was professed 28 Oct. 1814, professor of theology there 1823–40, prior of the college 18 July 1834 to 3 July 1840; ordained priest in London 12 March 1823; cathedral prior of Winchester 1833–40; D.D. 24 July 1834; vicar Apostolic of newly created Welsh district 3 July 1840; consecrated in St. John’s chapel Bath, Bishop of Apollonia in Archdiocese of Thessalonica 28 Oct. 1840; bishop of Newport and Menevia 29 Sep. 1850 to death; assistant at pontifical throne 29 Nov. 1854; author of various pamphlets and letters in defence of doctrines of Church of Rome. _d._ Bullingham near Hereford 12 April 1880. _M. Brady’s Episcopal succession iii_, 337, 354, 424–6 (1877); _Downside Review July 1880 pp._ 4–16. BROWN, REV. THOMAS RICHARD (_son of Richard Brown of Cambridge_). _b._ 1791; ed. at St. John’s coll. Cam., B.A. 1815, M.A. 1820; V. of Southwick near Oundle, Northamptonshire 1834 to death; author of _English terminations_ 1838; _Hebrew hieroglyphs_ 1840; _Etymological dictionary 2 vols._ 1843; _Essentials of Sanscrit grammar_ 1851. _d._ Southwick 1 Sep. 1875. BROWN, WILLIAM (_son of a small farmer at Foxford, co. Mayo_). _b._ Foxford 22 June 1777; went to Pennsylvania 1786; commanded an English merchant ship; commodore in navy of Buenos Ayres Feb. 1814; destroyed Spanish fleets at Martin Garcia and Monte Video 1814 and in Pacific ocean and Caribbean sea 1815–18; commanded Buenos Ayres fleet in war against Brazil 12 Jany. 1826 to 1828; assumed reins of government on breaking out of civil war 1842. _d._ Barracas near Buenos Ayres 3 May 1857. _M. G. Mulhall’s English in South America_ (1878) 144–69, _portrait_. BROWN, WILLIAM (_4 son of James Brown of Cononsyth, flax-spinner_). Flax-spinner with his brother James at East Ward mill Dundee 1809–56, in 1811 every mill in Dundee was stopped except their mill and the Dens mill; author of _Reminiscences of flax-spinning_ 1862 and of a volume of poetry. _d._ 14 Nov. 1864 aged 73. _Norrie’s Dundee Celebrities_ (1873) 245–8. BROWN, REV. WILLIAM. Professor of Biblical criticism and theology at St. Andrews University Scotland 14 June 1851 to death; author of _The scientific character of the Scottish universities viewed in connection with religious belief and their educational use_ 1856. _d._ St. Andrews 19 July 1868 aged 68. BROWN, SIR WILLIAM, 1 Baronet (_eld. son of Alexander Brown of Ballymena, co. Antrim, linen merchant 1764–1834_). _b._ Ballymena 30 May 1784; ed. at Catterick, Yorkshire; went to the United States 1800; partner in firm of Alexander Brown and Sons of Baltimore, linen merchants; founded firm of Brown, Shipley and Co. at Liverpool 1810 which became leading house in American trade; alderman of Liverpool 1831–8; M.P. for South Lancashire 21 July 1846 to 23 April 1859; raised and equipped a corps of artillery which ranks as the 1 brigade of Lancashire artillery volunteers 1859; a director of Atlantic telegraph company Dec. 1856, chairman; erected at a cost of £40,000 Free public library and Derby museum at Liverpool opened 8 Oct. 1860; created a baronet 24 Jany. 1863; sheriff of Lancashire 1863. _d._ Richmond hill, Liverpool 3 March 1864. Personalty sworn under £900,000, 21 May