Alexander Brown M.L.C. (1851 - 1926)

Born 9 Feb 1851 in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 28 Mar 1926 at age 75 in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Alexander Brown M.L.C. was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Alexander Brown M.L.C. is Notable.

Alexander was born in 1851. He was the son of William Brown and Mary Keefe. He passed away in 1926.

Alexander Brown

• Birth 9th February 1851 East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia
• Marriage (1) Mary Ellen Ribbands on 8 August 1872 and had issue, 3 daughters and 6 sons. Marriage (2) Edith Mary Adams on 27 March 1920.
• Death 28th March 1926 East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Life Story

The following are excerpts (quoted or paraphrased) from the book Remembering Cumberland Hall : the rise and demise of a great house at East Maitland by James Waddell.

Alexander Brown was born on 9th February 1851 at East Maitland where his father William Brown, having immigrated from Scotland a decade earlier, practised as a surgeon until his death in 1859. Alexander Brown had been educated at Fraser’s Sauchie House School in Church Street, West Maitland, then was articled to his stepfather Joseph Chambers and admitted as a solicitor in 1873. But his legal career was short-lived and he soon entered the employ of his uncles, James and Alexander Brown, the wealthy coal barons.

He inherited a fortune when he was named as a beneficiary in the will of his uncle, Alexander Brown senior who died in 1877. This enabled him to purchase Enoch Cobcroft's grand mansion Cumberland Hall in East Maitland on 9 February 1878.

Young Alexander Brown was dismissed from the firm of J & A Brown in 1883 by his surviving uncle, James Brown, whom he proceeded to sue in the Supreme Court but without success. He now became manager of the Newcastle branch of Dalgety & Co Ltd in whose service he remained for the rest of his life. He was also managing director of New Lambton Colliery for many years. From 1889 until defeated in 1891 he represented Newcastle in the Legislative Assembly, and was in 1892 nominated to the Legislative Council and appointed first president of the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board. He remained an MLC for the rest of his life, and acted as consul for Belgium and Italy. Whenever some festivity was due in the national life of those countries, Brown flew the Belgium or the Italian flag at Cumberland Hall.

His Mercantile interests frequently took him abroad. His trips abroad helped Brown to fill Cumberland Hall with beautiful works of art and with the finest furniture, china and glassware.

On the night of 20 March 1896 he opened the grounds of Cumberland Hall to the public for a promenade concert in aid of the organ fund of St Stephen's Presbyterian Church East Maitland.

He had a 324 acre farm called Glenthorne on the Alwyn River.

With his wife Mary Ellen, Brown had 6 sons and 3 daughters.

Although not a Roman Catholic he enrolled his granddaughter as a weekly boarder at the Dominican Convent School, West Maitland. He donated the money for the nuns to build an Assembly Hall, on condition of anonymity.

He owned the first motor car in Maitland.

Brown's wife Mary Ellen died on 15th May 1912 at Cumberland Hall.

His second marriage was to a nurse, Edith Mary Adams, from the Terrace Hospital, Sydney. In his will, Brown made provision for the future maintenance of his second wife by devising to her his property Glenthorne, by directing that for the period of 5 years following his death she should have the free use of Cumberland Hall, and by giving her an allowance of 1000 pounds per annum. The Hon. Alexander Brown MLC died at Cumberland Hall on 28th March 1926 age 75, and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Raymond Terrace Road, East Maitland.

His widow Edith Mary Brown lived on at Cumberland Hall until her death on 11 October 1929.

Obituary

Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 30 March 1926:^[1]

MR. A. BROWN, M.L.C.

DEATH ANNOUNCED.

NEWCASTLE, Monday.

After an illness extending over several weeks, Mr. Alexander Brown, M.L.C., died early yesterday morning at his residence, Cumberland Hall, East Maitland.

Mr. Brown, who was the son of Dr. W. Brown, was born in Maitland in 1851. He received his education in his native town and in Sydney. Later he was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court, although he never entered into practice. Returning to Newcastle, he entered upon a commercial career, and for some time held a responsible position in the management of J. and A. Brown. At the age of 34 he became managing director in Newcastle for Dalgety and Company, Ltd., a position which he retained until his death.

Keenly interested in the coalmining industry, Mr. Brown was for several years managing director of the New Lambton colliery. In the days when freetrade and protection were dominant factors in party politics, Mr. Brown became well known as a strong advocate of the latter policy. In 1889 he contested the Newcastle seat, and in close alliance with the late Mr. James Fletcher, the two gentlemen were returned as supporters of what was afterwards known as the National policy. In June, 1901, Mr. Brown sought re-election, but on this occasion was defeated. Two years later he was appointed to the Legislative Council, in which body he gained a reputation as a prominent debater.

Mr. Brown is survived by his second wife and eight children of the first marriage --Mesdames Newton (Sydney), A. J. Park (Narrabri), Forsyth (Sydney), Messrs. A. Brown (East Maitland), H. A. Brown (East Maitland), A. Russel Brown (Gresford), John Brown (Queensland), and D. B. R. Brown (Wee Waa).

Will and Probate

In his will, he mentions his wife Edith Mary Brown of Cumberland Hall, sister Lilian Dalton, brother John Brown, daughter Frances Park, nephew Reginald Dalton, niece Mary Anderson (formerly Law), niece Georgie Law (daughter of sister Marion Law).^[2]

The Demise of Cumberland Hall

From the book Remembering Cumberland Hall : the rise and demise of a great house at East Maitland by James Waddell:

The executors of their estates prepared to submit Cumberland Hall and its contents to the auctioneer's hammer on 20 November 1929. However the house was resumed preemptively for school purposes and only the sale of the furnishings went ahead. The Maitland district Inspector of Schools Mr J W Hayes recommended to the Chief Inspector of Schools the acquisition of Cumberland Hall as a hostel for boarders at the new girls' high school. When it became known that the Roman Catholic Church also was anxious to acquire Cumberland Hall, the State Government, determined to forestall the auction sale, resorted to its powers of resumption under the Public Works Act and the property became vested in the Minister of Public Instruction for the purpose of West Maitland Girls High School. However Cumberland Hall remained empty until February 1932 when it was used as an annexe for the Boys High School for the next 11 years. In 1943 Mrs Helen Church offered the Department of Education £50 per annum for the rental of Cumberland Hall and a small portion of the land for 15 years. She converted the building to flats and it was sub-tenanted when she left in 1946. Helen Church died in 1953 and Cumberland Hall continued to be leased by her estate until shortly before its demolition in 1960 by the Department of Education.

Sources

1. ↑ 1926 'MR. A. BROWN, M.L.C.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 30 March, p. 12. , viewed 07 Aug 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16265139
2. ↑ Alexander Brown MLC, Death date 28 Mar 1926, Residence East Maitland Will number 138443 and Will number 150591, Record set New South Wales Will Books 1800-1952, Find my Past database

• James Waddell, Remembering Cumberland Hall : the rise and demise of a great house at East Maitland. East Maitland, N.S.W. : J. Waddell, 2004
• J. W. Turner, 'Brown, Alexander (1851–1926)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brown-alexander-5641/text9121, published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 7 August 2023.
• "Mr Alexander BROWN (1851 - 1926)" Parliament of New South Wales https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=942
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207553164/alexander-brown: accessed 07 August 2023), memorial page for Alexander Brown (1851–25 Mar 1926), Find a Grave Memorial ID 207553164, citing East Maitland Cemetery, East Maitland, Maitland City, New South Wales, Australia; Maintained by hep1953 (contributor 49618498).

See also:

• "Cumberland Hall: A lost Maitland landmark", Maitland Library https://www.maitlandlibrary.com.au/discover/local-history/buildings-and-bridges/buildings/cumberland-hall
• Community contributors, "Alexander Brown (Australian politician)" Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Brown_(Australian_politician)