Mary Brown

Biography and image contributed by Jennifer Clark, Mary's great-granddaughter.

Mary Brown (nee Carswell) was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 31 January 1836, the daughter of Robert Carswell and Mary Turcan.   Mary had an unsettled childhood as her parents died when she was young and she went to live with her aunt and uncle in Liverpool, England (Captain John Hill and Euphemia Hill (maiden surname Mercer)).  Sadly by the time she was eight years old, both her aunt and uncle had died and Mary was admitted to the Asylum School in London, a benevolent charity school under the auspices of the London Society for the Protection of Young Females.  It is not known of the circumstances which led her to be admitted to that school.  There she had an excellent education and was said to have become a governess.  She was described by her grandchildren as 'a lady'.  She married William Brown, a butcher, in Glasgow on 8 October 1858.

Marriage Certificate: On the eighth day of October 1858 at Regent Terrace, Glasgow, Marriage (after banns) was solemnized between us according to the forms of the Presbyterians. Signed William Brown age 26, of 101 Green St, Calton, Glasgow, flesher, bachelor.  Name of father:  George Brown, carter deceased. Name of mother:  Elisabeth Brown maiden name Blair and Mary Carswell, age 21, of 97 Green St, Calton, Glasgow, spinster.  Name of father:  James Carswell, engineer. Name of mother: Mary Carswell, maiden name Mercer. Signed John Graham, Minister of Barrack Street Church, Glasgow. Signed John Pendlebry, witness & Walter Arthur, witness.  (John Pendlebury was the husband of William Brown’s aunt Marion (nee Brown)).

Research has revealed that Mary’s parents were not James Carswell and Mary Mercer, as shown on her marriage certificate but Robert Carswell and Mary Turcan. The error was made because Mary was orphaned at such a young age and the names got muddled up. The maternal aunt she was brought up with was Euphemia Mercer, a half-sister of Mary’s mother Mary Turcan.  Research into Mary Carswell’s parents is documented in an article in The New Zealand Genealogist, February 2017, page 10.

William and Mary Brown’s first child Mary was born on 3 November 1859, followed by William George on 23 July 1862 and Elizabeth Smith Brown on 1 July 1864.  They were all born in Glasgow but sadly Elizabeth Smith Brown died when she was just four weeks old. William and Mary Brown with their two eldest children Mary aged 5 and William aged 2, departed Glasgow on the sailing ship Viola on 8 December 1864, arriving in Clevedon, New Zealand on 4 April 1865.  They initially lived in Papakura where William Brown was employed by Messrs Willis Bros as a butcher for some years. They moved to Thames a few years later where William Brown is said to have had the first butcher shop in Thames.   They had four more children in New Zealand – Charles, Agnes, Margaret and Walter. Their eldest son William George Brown died in Thames on 24 Jun 1886 and is buried in Tararu Cemetery. It was while in Thames that Mary (possibly along with her daughter, Mary) signed the suffrage petition.  At various times they were known to have lived in Tararu Road, Kirkwood Street, Albert Street and Queen Street, Thames.

In 1895 William and Mary Brown moved to Waihi.  Mary Brown died in Waihi on 3 May 1925 and is buried in the Waihi cemetery.  The headstone transcription reads: .  'In loving memory of William Brown died 7th Nov 1914 aged 82, also his wife Mary died 3rd May 1925 aged 88.  Peace Perfect Peace'.

Obituary Auckland Weekly News 14 May 1925:

MRS MARY BROWN
A very old resident of Waihi, Mrs Mary Brown, passed away last Sunday at the residence of her daughter Mrs Radford, Waihi, at the age of 87 years.  Mrs Brown, who was the youngest daughter of the late Mr James Carswell of Glasgow, accompanied by her late husband and two children, arrived in New Zealand in the sailing ship Viola in 1865 and took up residence in Papakura, where Mr Brown was employed by Messrs Willis Bros as a butcher for some years.  When the Thames goldfields opened they removed to that part, where Mr Brown later opened up a butchering business. In 1897 they left for Waihi. Mrs Brown was a great help in the Primitive Methodist church on the Thames, being a Bible-class teacher for some years. She did much for people in need and was of a gentle and kind disposition and highly respected by all who knew her. Her husband predeceased her 10 years ago. She leaves three daughters Mrs Dunstan, Mrs Radford and Mrs McDermott, all of Waihi and two sons, Mr Chas Brown, late of Hinuera and now of Tauranga and Mr Walter C Brown, Overdale, Taumangi. There are 23 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and a great great grandchild.

Sources

Ancestors & Descendants of William & Mary Brown (nee Carswell) researched and compiled by their great great grand-daughter Jennifer Clark (nee Ginn) September 2004

Photograph from family collection