William Edmond Brown
William Edmond Brown is my biggest ‘Brick Wall’. He was my great grandfather from my mother’s side of the family.
What I do know of him is that he came to New Zealand in the early 1860’s. He married in Auckland to a Mary Ann Percival on the 13 January 1862 and in1865 he came home one day and found his wife in a compromising position with another man. Confronted, she attacked him with a pair of scissors. She was arrested and imprisoned. He left Auckland and in 1865 set up a Photography Studio in Nelson, New Zealand. At the time there was no divorce court in New Zealand. When he was financially able to obtain a divorce and a Divorce Court was now in place in Wellington, he proceeded with a divorce process.
From the Southern Cross 20 April 1865
THREATENING LANGUAGE - MATRIMONIAL INFELICITY
Mary Ann Brown, Freeman's Bay, was brought up on a warrant, charged by William Brown, her husband, with having used threatening language towards him on several occasions within the last two months, but especially on Saturday last, when she threatened to take his life. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Beveridge appeared for the prosecution.
William Brown deposed: The defendant is my wife. During the past two months she has been using threatening language towards me. I was obliged to leave two months ago in consequence of her conduct. I then lived in Freeman's Bay. I went to Coromandel. She threatened to take my life on Saturday last, and said she would follow me wherever I went. She attempted to stab me with a pair of scissors. I defended myself, and was struck on the arm. She said she would bring her "bullies" and pull the house down. I swear that I am in danger of my life in consequence of her threats and conduct towards me.
By Prisoner: I did not say I wished to leave you. I did not pull you by the hair of the head and throw you out of the house.
The Bench ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £25, to keep peace towards the prosecutor, or be imprisoned for three months.
From the Wellington newspaper Evening Post 22 November, 1876 pg 2.
Divorce Court Proceedings
Brown vs Brown
Mr Pill appeared for the petitioner, William Edmund Brown, who had been married in Auckland and who now lives in Nelson, carrying on the business of photographer. He had personally discovered wrongful conduct on the part of his wife in 1865. On that occasion she had assaulted him with a pair of scissors and failing to find sureties to keep the peace, underwent 3 months imprisonment. She afterwards lived in Auckland with co-respondent known as Simeon Full(er) or George Blowes and then followed a disreputable life on the West Coast. He had been unable until know to take proceedings.
From a column in the Nelson Evening Mail of November 22, 1876
The case of Brown vs Brown and Blowes alias Simeon Full was heard today. Mr Pitt appeared for the petitioner who married his wife in Auckland. Finding her one day sitting on the knee of the co-respondent, she left him, taking her infant child with her, and went to live with Full. He (petitioner) shortly after went to live in Nelson, where he practised as a photographer in 1865. There was no Divorce Court then, and when one was established, his business was so precarious that he had not the means to sue for divorce, though he had in the meantime ascertained that his wife was living as a prostitute. Witness adduced evidence to satisfy the Bench that he took proceedings as soon as his circumstances warranted. Wm. Purdy, of Auckland, testified to Mrs Brown being at a house of ill fame. Detective Jeffrey said he knew Blowes' proper name to be Full. The Bench considered the petitioner had proved his case, and granted a decree nisi upon the usual terms.
The most interesting information in these clippings is the mention of a child in the Nelson Evening Mail. No other mention of this child was made. No mention what happened, whilst his mother underwent 3 months imprisonment. The child did not accompany William to Nelson.
On June 8, 1877, William Edmond Brown by then 36, married Frances Wimsett age 23 in the Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Waimea South, Nelson.
On the marriage certificate he stated he was a ‘Batchelor’, occupation Photographer. Frances is a Spinster occupation Dressmaker. There was no requirement to mention parents or birth place. It was not until the registration of the birth of my grandfather Ashton Grennel Brown on the 24 Oct 1884, that it is stated that he was born in Manchester, England and at the time states he is 43. This gives his birth date of about 1841.
William Edmund and Frances had seven children. William Edmund (Will) 1877, Leonard Bacon 1878 (died 1879), Mabel abt. 1880, Constance 1883, Ashton Grennel (Ash) - my grandfather 1884, Harold Wilfred 1885 and Viola Beatrice abt. 1887.
He died on the 17 November, 1922. On his death certificate his age is given as 82 and that he had resided in New Zealand for 60 years. This would give his birth as 1840. It also gives very little information on his parents. i.e. Father -------- Brown, Mother -------- Brown!!! It was only at this time that there is an indication that he had been married before, with statements of where married 1st time – not known, age - not known, to whom - not known. From all this I assume he was born 1840-41 and that he arrived in New Zealand about 1861-1862 when he would have been about 21 years old.
What I do know is that he became a well known photographer and currently there are some 6,000 negatives & photographs by him in the Nelson Provincial Museum. He had a Photography Studio in Nelson from 1865 to about 1894/95. In the book The Fruits of Labour by Bernard Wells is a history of the Tasman area. It states that William Edward (sic) BROWN bought a major part of the Tasman in 1893 known as the White Bluffs. A newspaper comment about the Tasman in 1910 says “leaving Tasman the party drove through Mr. W.E. Brown’s property, which is considered to comprise some of the very best land in the district. Here too, are several giant gum trees, while on the low hills sheep pasture in large numbers.” In another statement it made reference that Mr. McKee acquired 2000 acres from Mr. W.E. Brown, being most of the lower Tasman – this was about 1910.
William Edmond Brown (circa 1868)
Here are some of his photographs; the top left photograph is of
Huria Matenga – ‘the Grace Darling of New Zealand’
Named so for the heroic efforts in September 1863,
When the brig Delaware was wrecked and she and
her husband Hemi, bravely rescued all the crew.
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Pictures believed to be from around Nelson and the Tasman late 1800s
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I believe this was around Queen Victoria's Jubilee.
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If anyone can recognize the location of these photographs or by any chance the names of the other Maori portraits, please let me know.
I have also included a photograph of his of the famed Pink & White Terraces – at one time acknowledged as the 8th Natural Wonder of the World, which was destroyed for all time, by the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Tarawera on the 10th of June 1886.
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The children of William and Frances married as follows:
William Edmund b 1877 to Lilian Mary Tunnicliffe in 1903
Leonard Bacon b 1878 d 1879
Constance b 1879 to William Montgomerie in in 1903
Mabel b 1881 to Wilfred Herrick Perry in 1903
Viola(o) Beatrice b 1883 to William (Bill) Best in 1904
Ashton Grennel b 1884 to Elsie Hickmott in 1906
Harold Wilfred b 1887 to Gladys Victoria White in 1921
If anyone can help me in finding out more on my great grandfather, I would be most interested to hear from them. Where did he learn the photography trade? Did he learn in Auckland? On his first marriage certificate when he married Mary Ann Percival his occupation was 'Boatman'. Which ship did he come out on? Did he come direct or did come via Australia? Who were his parents in Manchester? Did he have any brothers or sisters? What happened to the surviving child of the first marriage – His name was James Frederic Brown? All of this and more is a mystery – as are some of the siblings of my grandfather! In latter years, I think only his younger brother Harold remained in contact.
My grandfather and some of his siblings added a (e) to Brown – was this in some way to disassociate themselves? From whom? There is some information on them on the Dynamic Family Tree - see Family Genealogy Pages.