ESSEX WORTHIES.
165
John Brown's old house is at present inhabited by Mr. Wagstaff, a
relative of the family.
As far as I can ascertain no memoir of Mr. Brown has yet been
published. I thought and had heard that probably his nephew, the
Rev. F. Wagstaff, had published an account in some magazine.
Knowing that he wrote largely for "Cassell's" and for the "Christian
World," I put myself in communication with the publishers of these
periodicals. They very kindly searched the files, but no trace of any
such article could be found.
In the "Essex Standard" (Colchester) of December 7th, 1859,
there is a paragraph containing a very brief account of John
Brown :—
" The following obituary notice of John Brown occurred in the
Anniversary Address of the President of the Geological Society,
1860 (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xvi.) :—
" 'Mr. John Brown paid close attention to the Pleistocene deposits in the
vicinity of his residence at Stanway, and collected a remarkable series of specimens
of extinct Mammalia from that locality and other parts of Essex, especially Clacton.
He liberally supplied the Oxford and other Museums with Crag fossils drawn from
his own collections, and maintained to the last a strong and intelligent interest in
our pursuits. As a final proof of his goodwill, he left us a legacy of £300 to be
employed without restraint in the advancement of his favourite science. Died
28th of November, 1859, in his eightieth year.'"
In Smiles' "Self Help" there is the following paragraph on page
152:—
" The late John Brown, the eminent English geologist, was, like Miller, a
stonemason in his early life, serving an apprenticeship to the trade at Colchester,
and afterwards working as a journeyman mason at Norwich. He began business
as a builder on his own account at Colchester, where by frugality and industry he
secured a competency, It was while working at his trade that his attention was
first drawn to the study of fossils and shells ; and he proceeded to make a collection
of them, which afterwards grew into one of the finest in England. His researches
along the coast of Essex, Kent and Sussex brought to light some magnificent
remains of the elephant and rhinoceros, the most valuable of which were presented
by him to the British Museum. During the last few years of his life he devoted
considerable attention to the study of the Foraminifera in chalk, respecting which
he made several interesting discoveries. His life was useful, happy, and honoured;
and he died at Stanway, in Essex, in November, 1859, at the ripe age of eighty
years."
This is slightly inaccurate. I wrote to Dr. Smiles and asked if
he could give me any further information, and if he would be so good
as to tell me where he obtained the above statement. I received a
reply from the Doctor in which he says, "Surely you can have no