Born at Meerut in the East Indies.
Enlisted at Dublin, by "Special Authority, and to go to the Band", on the 12th of June 1847.
Age: 14.
Height: 4' 10".
Trade: None.
From Private to Trumpeter: 14th of January 1852.
Orderly Trumpeter to the Commanding Officer at Balaclava. His horse's leg was carried away by a cannon-shot and his own thigh pierced by a bullet.
Invalided to Scutari on the 26th of October, to Malta on the 15th of December, and rejoined the regiment on the 11th of May 1855.
From Trumpeter to Corporal: 1st of October 1855.
Corporal to Sergeant: 16th of November 1855.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. "Great Britain", 8th of October 1857.
The July-September 1858 muster rolls show no particular service movement during this period.
Served in action against the rebels at Zeerapore on the 29th of December 1858 and at Baroda on the 1st of January 1859 under Major White.
Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major, 1st of April 1859.
Promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major, 27th of May 1864.
Gazetted as Cornet (and to Adjutant on the same day), 23rd of March 1867.
Colonel Drury-Low had purchased his commission as a Cornet. This is possibly the solitary instance of a man being promoted "by purchase" from the ranks.
Lieutenant, 30th of October 1869 (by selection).
In 1876 he was offered the vacant position of Adjutant of the Derbyshire Yeomanry Cavalry, but refused it.
Captain, 12th of February 1879 (and on to half-pay).
To Paymaster, Dublin District, on the 18th of February 1879.
On his retirement from the Army on the 31st of March 1893 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, "for services to the Army". When he left, he had been associated with the 17th Lancers for 35 years.
He is said to been held in respect by all ranks: "a modest and truthful man, incapable of exaggeration".
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Sebastopol, the Turkish, the Mutiny medal without clasp, and the Zulu War medal without clasp. Employed at Pietermaritzburg on Staff duty during the campaign and was not present at Ulundi.
The Army List shows him as being entitled to the Egyptian medal with clasp for "The Nile 1884-85" and the "Khedive's Star", whilst serving in the Army Pay Department.
He and Major Berryman, V.C., also from the ranks and at one time Regimental Quartermaster, were the only two men of the regiment to have gone through the entire Crimean, Indian Mutiny, and Zulu campaigns.
Attended the first Balaclava Dinner in 1875.
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
A "John Browne" signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887, but this was most unlikely to have been him — it was probably 476, John Browne (see his record.)
Died in Dublin on the 26th of February 1905 and buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery on the 1st of March.
From the "Deaths" column of the Irish Times, 28th of February 1905:
BROWN. February 26th, at No. 44 Grosvenor Road, Dublin. Lieutenant-Colonel John Brown, A.P.D. and the 17th Lancers, aged 71 years. Funeral will leave for Mount Jerome at 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning.
According to the records of the Mount Jerome Cemetery John Browne was buried in G. Section, Grave No. 35-12120. Also interred in this are Eliza Brown, in 1908, and a John William Brown in 1952.
The inscription on his tombstone reads:
"In loving memory of Colonel John Brown, Late A.P.D. and 17th Lancers, who died Feb. 26th 1905, in the 71st year. "Peace, Perfect peace." Also of Eliza. his wife. Died 27th January 1908. aged 72 years. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Also of their second son [sic] John Frederick William, who died 2nd December 1952, aged 78 years. "And all the trumpets sounded when he reached the other side."
There seems to be an error here when referring to John Frederick William as their second son, when from all previously known information he was the third.
(See photograph of this gravestone in the 17th Lancer file. See copy of the funeral report taken from the "Irish Times" for Thursday the 2nd of March 1905 in the 17th Lancer file, and also copies of his birth, marriage, and death certificates in the "Certificates" file.
Some ambiguity exists about John Brown's parentage. According to the India Office records he was born at Meerut, India, the son of John and Judith Brown. The father was shown as a private in the 26th Regiment of Foot (Cameronians). The copy of the birth certificate from the Army Chaplain's records at St. Catherine's House however, whilst giving other details as the same, shows his father as being Thomas Brown. At this time both a John and a Thomas Brown were serving in the regiment as Privates.
The former, John Brown — 383, had enlisted in 1824 at the age of 13 years. Described variously as born in Lewis and Lewes, he was discharged from the Army in January 1840, "on medical grounds". Intending to live in Renfrewshire, Scotland, he is shown as having died in January 1846.
Thomas Brown was born at Lanark, Scotland, and enlisted at Glasgow on the 10th of August 1821, Regimental No. 267, at the age of 17 years. (Under age until the 8th of August 1822.) Height: 5' 7". Trade: a weaver. He had a fair complexion, with grey eyes and light brown hair. He joined the regiment in Gibraltar, leaving the Depot on the 24th of February 1822. Later returning to England, he embarked with the regiment for Madras, India, on the 21st of May 1828, aboard the "Ely", from Chatham. The regiment had been in Dublin from the previous August of 1827. He disembarked on the 19th of September 1828, then being shown as serving in No. 2 or Captain Thomas's Company. Made Corporal on the 30th of November 1836, he returned to England, 19th of February 1838, being "Sent to do duty at the Regimental Depot" and joined this at Chatham on the 26th of June 1838. (By acoincidence, John Brown, also by now a Corporal, came back with him on the same duty.) In 1839 he was in Edinburgh Castle, having been promoted to Sergeant on the 24th of September of that same year. For the next two years he seems to have spent most of his time on Recruiting Duties at Cupar. From 1841 to 1843 the Depot was again at Chatham.
The regiment returned to England on the 4th of July 1846, landing at Chatham and then going to Edinburgh. (In 1841 it had gone to China for the First China War and had served there with distinction.) From July to September of 1846 he was again employed on Recruiting duties at Lanark and for the three months prior to his discharge, was Orderly to the Assistant Adjutant General in Dublin. He was discharged from the Army at Dublin on the 18th of December 1846, "Being found unfit for active service" per Authority Adjutant General's Office, dated the 17th of December 1846. Served 24 years 190 days. In Gibraltar: 9 months, East Indies: 9 years 2 months. Awarded a pension of 1/10d. per day from the 12th of January 1847. Conduct and character "Unexceptionable." Aged 43 years 5 months on discharge. To live in Dublin.
"Medical report from the General Hospital at Dublin. Proceedings of a Medical Board held by Doctor Rennie's order to examine and report upon the state of fitness for active service of Sergeant Thomas Brown of the 26th Foot. Members, Dr. Pielle, Deputy Inspector of Hospitals, Surgeon Young, 13th Light Dragoons, Staff-Surgeon Humphrey, Staff-Surgeon O'Flaherty.
The Board having assembled and carefully examined Sergeant Brown of the 26th Regiment of Foot found that although he has been but rarely in hospital of late, yet from his age, length of service, want of activity and inability to carry his knapsack from shortness of breath are of the opinion that he is unfit for active service."
He was later awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, this being sent to No. 1 Pension District, Dublin, on the 17th of August 1847.
Died at Dublin on the 17th of August 1869. He had been employed as gate-keeper at the Royal Hibernian School in Dublin and this is where he died, of "Apoplexy". He is shown on his death certificate as being 65 years of age, and married. (See copy of this certificate in the "Certificates" file.) Thomas Brown was buried on the 20th of August 1869 in the cemetery of the Royal Hibernian School (now known as St. Mary's Hospital). The location of his actual grave is unknown. He is shown in the cemetery records as having died from "Brain-damage." Also as having held the rank of Sergeant, and having been employed there as a Gate-Porter. It appears that anyone who was either educated — or worked at — the Hibernian School had, and apparently still has, the right to be buried there.
Three other children apart from John are shown as being born to Thomas Brown and his wife whilst he was still serving, Mary, born at Meerut in 1831, George, born at Ghazepore in 1836 and Agnes, born at Chatham, Kent, in 1843. (See copies of the birth certificates of the girls, in the "Certificates file.) In that for Agnes the mother's name is shown as "nee Canty" and her Christian name as Julia. No trace can yet be found of any marriage record or if "Julia" was a second wife or the "Judith" shown as being the mother of the other children. George Brown is shown in the India Office records as being born at Ghazepore, India, on the 17th of April 1836, the son of Thomas Brown of the Cameronians and his wife, Judith. He was baptised on the 29th of April by the Revd. W.O. Ruspin, Chaplain,
W0/76/13 shows John Brown's stated age on enlistment as being "14 years", but in WO/25/827 "13 years and 3 months", and this would concur with his date of birth. W0/25/827 also shows him as having married a Mrs Eliza Gillon at Colchester on the 11th of October 1865, the ceremony being performed by the Revd. Goode, Minister of the Established Church. (See copy of this marriage certificate in the "Certificates" file.") He is shown as being a widower, but no trace of any previous marriage can be found at this moment. The only possible clue is an entry from a marriage record at the India Office — that of 1113 Thomas Gibson Clark, 17th Lancers to Esme Sarah Neville — when the witnesses were shown as John Brown and Fanny Harrap Brown. No trace can be found of anyone of this name having died at Secunderabad up to January 1865, when the Regiment left India for England, right up to the time of his second marriage. The marriage in India had taken place in December 1863, both men being Troop Sergeant Majors at the time.
Officers Services Records show that seven children were born into the family:
Agnes Kate: born at Baltinglas on the 28th of April 1866. [sic]
Laura Isabella: born at Brighton, 25th of December 1867.
Beatrice Clara: born at Hounslow, 2nd of December 1868.
George Robert Berryman: born at Dublin, 28th of December 1870.
Arthur Edmund: born at Ballincollig, 30th of October 1872.
John Frederick William: born at Dundalk, 4th of October 1874.
William Alfred: born at Aldershot, 10th of August 1876.
Of his sons, Arthur Edmund, entered the 2nd Bn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers on the 21st of January 1893. Lieutenant, 6th of November 1895. Transferred to, and Captain in the Army Pay Department on the 28th of July 1898. Appointed 1st Class Assistant Accountant in the Army Accounts Department with the rank of Major, on the 1st of May 1905. Substantive Lieut.-Colonel in the Army Pay Dept. from the 1st of January 1914. Awarded the O.B.E for his War Services, "London Gazette," 31st of January 1919. Retired from the Army with the rank of Lt. Colonel on the 21st of October 1921.
William Alfred, (see copy of his baptismal certificate in the "Certificates" file) joined the Navy, his first ship being the "Blake," which he entered as an Asst. Clerk (Warrant Rank) on the 3rd of September 1894 and served in her in North American and West Indian waters, and served aboard the "Tourmaline" as Asst. Clerk from the 20 November 1894 in the same areas. He served aboard the "Dreadnought" (a Coast Guard ship stationed at Bantry) from the 5th of July 1895,and aboard the "Pearl", as an Asst. Paymaster, in West Indian and North American waters from the 30th of September 1897. He served aboard the "Camperdown" (a Coast Guard ship stationed in Lough Sulley) as Asst. Paymaster from the 12th of July 1898 and the "Talbot" (still as Asst. Paymaster), in China waters from the 10th of April 1901. He is then shown in the Navy List as "deceased", and is believed to have died in Hongkong. This would have been between the 18th of June 1901 and the 18th of September 1901, when the Navy List entries were corrected.
William Alfred Brown is shown in the Marine Death's records at Somerset House as having died aboard the "Talbot", aged 25 years, in 1901.
See photographs of John Brown in the uniform of the 17th Lancers (as an officer) in that of the Army Pay Department and in old age, in the 17th Lancer file. Also photographs of his four sons. Particular identity of these has not been established.
From his great grandson, the Revd. A.P. Stanley, at the time Priest in Charge of the Garrison Church at Aldershot, comes interesting family information and the photographs previously mentioned.
According to a letter in 1974 from his mother, Laura Baldwin (John Brown's grand-daughter:
"When young Trumpeter Brown was in hospital (I think it was at Scutari) and the medical officers were going their rounds, they decided that his leg should come off. Grandpa wept and protested, and they moved on. They were very overworked, of course, and could not waste time in argument. Grandpa recovered and went back to duty. He carried that bullet as long as he lived.
Several years later his C.O. (Colonel Drury Lowe) sent for him and told him he would buy him a commission, but grandfather regretfully and gratefully declined on the grounds that he was a married man and could not afford to live in the regiment as an officer. However, just a year later, Colonel Dreary Low again sent for Grandpa and handed him his commission, saying, 'I'll have no other for my Adjutant'.
When the Commanding Officer died [if Colonel Drury Low was meant, he did not die until the 6th of April 1908] John Brown decided that he was correct in his assessment that he could not afford to live in the style of a cavalry officer, so he sought, and obtained, a transfer to the newly-formed Pay Corps. It was around this time that the purchase of commissions was abolished, the money being refunded, and so apparently my grandfather had the money paid for his commission refunded."
According to the Revd. Stanley, there are not many relics of John Brown in the family:
"My uncle having his miniature medals and a very fine helmet plate which he is considering loaning to the 17th/21st Lancers. My aunt has one of his "death's head badges" which she wears as pendant round her neck and I have a large tray approximately two feet in diameter which I would imagine he brought from India.
There did exist a very interesting relic which unfortunately has been rather defaced, and I do not know its present whereabouts. This was a rather ornate tea and coffee service which was presented to him on his marriage by the officers and men of the 17th Lancers, and was so inscribed. Unfortunately at one period my aunt needed the money and had the inscription polished off and the teapot and set were sold. An act which she has regretted ever since."
From the Royal Army Pay Corps records. Note: Age on attestation in 1847 stated to be 14, which would make him 45 in 1878, i.e., disqualifying him for admission to the A.P.D. according to current instructions, but exception was made to Captain Browne and real age accepted, i.e. under 14. (This confirms an entry in the "Record of Officer's Services" which commented on his real age as compared with his stated age on enlistment.)
He is shown as:
Captain, Half-Pay: 12th of February 1879.
Paymaster, 17th Lancers: 1st of August 1879.
Paymaster, 1st Dragoons: 17th of January 1882.
Honorary Major: 18th of February 1884.
Paymaster Cameron Highlanders: 17th of March 1884.
Dublin District Pay Office: 15th of September 1885.
Belfast District Pay Office: 8th of March 1887.
Staff Paymaster: 27th of March 1889.
Dublin District Paymaster: 25th of November 1889.
Retired on the 28th of March 1894 with a pension of £400 a year and granted the honorary rank of Lieut. Colonel on the same day. Was also "Recommended for Meritorious Service to the Army".
He had served:
In Turkey and the Crimea: 18th of April 1854 — 29th of March 1856.
East Indies: 6th of October 1857- 5th of May 1865.
Cape: February 1879 — November 1891.
East Indies: October 1879 — November 1881.
Home: 11th of January 1882 — 26th of February 1884.
Egypt: 27th of February 1884 — 3rd of July 1885
Home: 4th of July 1885.
From the same source comes the information that his son, Arthur Edmund, was lent to the Colonial Office and served with the King's African Rifles from the 20th of June 1917, and it was for his services with this unit that he was awarded the O.B.E. on the 7th of February 1919. He went on to "half-pay" on account of ill-health early in 1921 and to "retired pay" on the 21st of October 1921. He died at Brigg, Carrick, Tiffany, Ireland, on the 15th of October 1922. During his service he served in India from February of 1893 to July of 1897 and in South Africa at various times between 1897 and 1912 before again going to East Africa in June 1917.
Extract from the "Irish Times" of unknown date:
"It deserves to be mentioned that amongst the legacies left by the late Captain Wyatt Edgell (killed at Ulundi). was one of £500 to Captain John Brown, Paymaster of the regiment, and lately Adjutant. No officer of the regiment has done more to promote its interests than Captain Brown and Captain Edgell's acknowledgement of his services is only one of the many instances which might be quoted in which the officers of the 17th have borne testimony of their respect for him as a soldier and a comrade."
A short biography of Lieut. Colonel Arthur Brian Brown, O.B.E., was provided by his step-daughter, a Mrs. Price:
"Born in Ireland in 1902. Educated at Malvern College and Sandhurst. Was commissioned into the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1923. Served in India and on the North West Frontier for 7 years. After a spell in England he was seconded to the Sudan Defence Force in 1933. Commanded the Camel Corps and took part in the war with Italy, being mentioned in despatches. Rejoined the Battalion as 2nd i/c., and took the advance party to Normandy, where he lost an arm, and was again mentioned in despatches. Commanded the 9th Bn. Durham Light Infantry during 1945-47 in occupied Germany, then took command of the 2nd. Bn. KOYLI at Taiping, and later the newly-formed 1st Bn. which he commanded for the whole of the Communist emergency. Was awarded the OBE and mentioned in despatches. Retired from the Army in 1952 and took up an R.O.'s appointment at the MOD until 1967. Died in November of 1985."
(See extract from the Regimental Journal of the Light Infantry relating to an obituary report and picture of his grandson, Lt. Colonel A.B. Brown, OBE. in the 17th Lancer file.)
Extracts from a letter sent soon after the death of his grandson:
"'Bruno' kept wicket for the Army, whilst still a cadet, and also played for the 'Yorkshire Gentlemen' until the loss of his arm. In lieu of flowers a generous cheque was sent to a charity from the Regimental Funds at the time of the funeral and Brigadier John Turner, Colonel of the Regiment, corresponded with Lt. Colonel Brown just before his death, relating to the presentation of his famous grandfather's medals and a gold death's head stock or cravat pin, which were handed over as a dying bequest. Lt. Colonel Brown's father, who had died in 1922, just before he was commissioned, left him both his own and his father's medals in an old cigar box. [From this information his father must have been Arthur Edmund Brown, of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the A.P.D.]
"'Bruno' had them properly mounted and boxed and hung on the wall of his home. Sotheby's had put a tremendous value on them because of their rarity, the various campaigns, and all properly bevelled round the rim, or whatever, amd also the gold "Death's Head and Crossbones" cravat pin, beautifully boxed like an Egyptian sarcophagus, with room for the head, etc. 'Bruno' told Brigadier Turner that his wife thought it prettier than the device which headed his letter. Brigadier Turner replied — "I agree that the cravat pin is very attractive and I am inclined to support your wife's view that it is prettier than the badge on this paper."