158
ESSEX WORTHIES.
I.—MEMOIR OF THE LATE JOHN BROWN, F.G.S.,
OF STANWAY.
By ALFRED P. WIRE.
[Read May 17th, 1890.]
WHEN our President, Mr. E. A. Fitch, in January, 1889,
suggested that as I had been personally acquainted with the
late Mr. John Brown, of Stanway, I should write a memoir of him
for the Essex Naturalist, I readily acquiesced. The attempt
became a labour of love, but still one of difficulty, as it is thirty
years since Mr. Brown's death, and many of those who could have
supplied information have passed away; I fear, therefore, that the story
of his simple life, as now recoverable, is very fragmentary and imperfect.
John Brown should certainly rank as one of our Essex Worthies,
and it is the duty of the Essex Field Club to keep fresh the memories
of those who have in their time endeavoured to advance the cause
of science in our county by doing good local work.
John Brown was born at Braintree in the year 1780, and when
old enough was apprenticed to a stonemason. He was a very diligent
lad, and mastered his handicraft thoroughly. While working among
the stones in his master's yard his attention, like Hugh Miller's of
Scotland, was attracted to the science of geology. This subject
thereafter became his hobby, and he studied it unremittingly until
his death. During his apprenticeship he cultivated the habit of
close and careful observation, and he quickly became a first class
workman, many times receiving the approbation of his master for
his skilful use of the chisel. Once in particular, he used proudly to
tell, he cut a wheatsheaf in stone, the execution of which was much
admired for its accuracy and finish. After the expiration of his time
as apprentice, he worked for a few years as journeyman at Braintree
and when about twenty-five years old removed to Colchester, where,
as a master mason, he carried on business on East Hill about twenty-
five years. This brings us to the year 1830, and during this twenty-
five years of active business life I can find no record of any published
observations. But it had certainly not been an idle time, as John