THE LATE CHARLES BROWN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11757, 3 September 1901, Page 2

THE LATE CHARLES BROWN.

Charles Brown was born in London in the year 1817, and was educated partly in Italy and partly in England. His father in early life was a Russipn merchant, but failing in* that business through the substitution of whalebone for bristles and the anticipation by England of a war with Russia, he devoted himself to literature and art. He was intimate with the literary men of the day, including Thomas Hood, Leigh Hunt, Walter Savage Lender, Lord Byron, Bleats, and others. Mr Brown, sen., was of Scotch extraction, but married an Irish lady, the only issue being the now deceased gentleman. A year after the subject of this notice was bora Mr Brown, sen., and Keats, the poet, made a walking tour amongst the English lakes and Scottish highlands, and the summer of the following year (1819) was spent by the two friends in the Isle of Wight, where they amused themselves sketching the beautiful scenery of the island. Keats, having caught cold during the excursion to Scotland, developed consumption and went to Italy, Mr Brown, sen., hearing of the state of his friends' health, followed him, but arrived in Rome too late to see him alive. Mr Brown then took up his abode in Florence, having his son with him, and employed his time in writing for some of the London maga-z-'ae*. In 1837 he returned to London and afterwards took up his residence at Laira Green, where he edited tho Plymouth Journal. New Zealand wag about that time attracting attention as a field for emigration. Mr Brown took great interest in the subject, and when the Plymouth Company was formed he decided to throw his and his son's' future into the scheme. He took an active part in the forming of the Company, and sent iiis son (the subject of this notice) out in the Amelia Thomson, which arrived at New Plymouth on September 3rd/ 1841, following binitelf in tho Oriental, which reached here on November 18fch of the same year. The l^ife of a pioneer was so different from the one ho had been leading in the past that h'» health failed him, and after only seven mont is' residensoin the colony he died suddenly of apoplexy. His son was then twentyfive years of age, and, following in his father's footsteps, he took an active part in the public affairs of the settlement When the Constitution Act was passed by the British Parliament freeing Now Zealand from the position of a Crown colony, Mr Charles Brown was chosen in 1853 as the first Superintendent of the Province of Taranaki, and was also elected to represent the Grey and Bell district in the House of Representatives in 1856. On the General Assembly meeting in Auckland and Responsible Government being established he was Colonel Treasurer in the second Ministry that was formed, of which Sir (then Mr) William Fox was Attorney-General and Sir (then Mr) John Hall Colonial Treasurer. Like its immediate predecessor, the Ministry lived only a fortnight, being succeeded by the first Stafford Ministry. Mr Brown was again elected Superintendent of the Province in 1861 and hold the position for four years. He took an active part during the war, being Major of the Militia, of which he had command. He ,

was with the late Colonel Stapp and the | late Sir Harry Atkinson, in charge of the local forces at the Battle of Waireka in 1861, and originated and worked out the scheme for compensation to the settlers who lost their property during the war. In 1868 he was again elected without opposition to a seat in the House of Representatives, and also on several occasions represented districts in the Provincial Council of- Taranaki before the abolition of provinces took place. For many years he carried on tne business of merchant in New Plymouth, and was Lloyd's agent for Taranaki until quite recently. He was also in business as an ironmonger, and for some time had Mr John Duthie, now of Wellington, as his partner, the style of the firm being Brown & Duthie. It will thus be seen that the deceased gentleman has been closely associated with the pubHo and commercial life of thi-j s^ttl«s»neut ever since its inception. Latterly he h.is lived a somewhat retired life, but notwithstanding his advanced age he continued to the last to take a keen interest in the land of his adoption. His close connection with the early political life of the colony and the province, his intimacy with the leading statesmen and politicians of his day, and the active part he took in the war, provided him with a fund of reminiscence which rendered him a most interesting companion. His figure has been a familiar one in this town for just sixty years, and there are many who will keenly miss him, especially un ler the tragic circumstances.

Major Brown was twice married. By his firgt wife, who was a Miss Home, he bad four daughters, Mrs Earp, Mrs Tobin, Mrs John Brown, and Miss Lucy Brown, and by his second wife, who was a Miss Northcrof t, he leaves two sons, Cha.lie, who is in South Africa, and Willie, who is in the local branch of the Bank of New South Wales, and Miss Mona Brown.