John Carter Brown (1797 - 1874)

Born 28 Aug 1797 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Sophia Augusta (Browne) Brown — married 24 Jun 1859 in Providence, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 10 Jun 1874 at age 76 in Providence, Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sarah Malakauskas [send private message] and Mary Van Deusen [send private message]

Biography

John Carter Brown, son of Hon. Nicholas (2) and Anne (Carter) Brown, was born in Providence, R. I., August 28, 1797, and was a graduate of the class of 1816, Brown University. On completing his collegiate education, he entered business life, and in 1832 became a partner in the house of Brown & Ives. In 1841, on the death of his father, he came into possession of an ample estate, and was able to indulge his tastes, which were not mercantile, but rather of a literary, scholarly nature. Shortly after 1841 he went abroad, and spent several years in the continental capitals.

Early in life he began to develop a love for rare and curious books, and with unwearied pains and at great expense, he collected one of the best, if not the best library, of American History in this country. He procured nearly all the publications found in different languages relating to this subject, beginning with the Columbus letters of 1493, and ending with the political pamphlets of 1800. The catalogue of this truly incomparable collection of works on American history, which with explanatory notes, was prepared by Hon. J. R. Barlett, contained, at the time of its publication, 5925 letters, in a large number of instances representing two or more volumes. The number was considerably increased, however, during Mr. Brown’s lifetime, after the printing of the catalogue.

The collection forms a perfect thesaurus of the best books on the history of the entire continent of America, and, as a taste for historical investigation grows stronger, assumes inestimable value as a reference library. Indeed, it has always been “accessible,” remarks Professor Gammell, “to scholars and authors who were studying the subjects to which it relates. Eminent men from other States, and even from Europe, have visited Providence on purpose to consult or to study some work which they could find nowhere else than in Mr. Brown’s library. So great, indeed, has been his readiness to make this collection useful to historians in other countries, that in at least three instances he has sent across the Atlantic books which, if they had been lost, could never have been replaced. In one instance this was done to meet the wishes of Sir Arthur Phelps, the historian of ‘The Spanish Conquest in America,’ who in one of the volumes of that work makes a graceful acknowledgment of the unexampled courtesy which he had thus experienced.”

Mr. Brown was chosen a trustee of Brown University, in 1828, and a fellow in 1842. His gifts to various departments of the college were liberal in the extreme. The library of the college was especially benefited by his support, in the departments of English and Continental literature. His contributions gave most timely aid to the philosophical department, and were largely the means of erecting some of its buildings and extending its real estate. His gifts in this direction amounted to upward of $70,000. the library, since named in his honor, with the land on which it stands, the whole valued at the time at not far from $100,000, was his gift. The total of his benefactions to Brown is not less than $175,000, and his name stands far in the front rank of the benefactions to Brown University, his father’s name only taking precedence of his. His interest in educational affairs was not confined to the institutions of Providence. His aid went to colleges and seats of learning all over the country.

He was also deeply interested in the benevolent institutions of the city and State, and was one of the original corporators of the Butler Hospital for the Insane, and throughout his life contributed generously to its support. At the time of his death he was president of the Corporation. The Rhode Island Hospital was also an object of continued generosity, and he gave to it all different times what in the aggregate amounted to over $84,000. For more than a year he was president of the New England Emigrant Aid Society, which was founded for the purpose of encouraging emigration to Kansas in the effort to make the territory a free state. During the Rebellion he upheld the cause of the Union ardently, and placed all his resources at the call of the nation. While upholding to the fullest his duty as a citizen, he eschewed public life and, unlike his father, remained outside the field of public affairs all his life. He was essentially the scholar and student, when removed from business activity, a man of culture, refinement, and high ideals, whose influence on the life of the city of Providence of his day cannot be overestimated. Mr. Brown died in Providence, June 10, 1874, in the seventy-seventy year of his age.

In May, 1859, Mr. Brown married Sophia Augusta Brown, daughter of Hon. Patrick Brown, of the New Providence, Bahamas, who was descended maternally from Roger Williams. They were the parents of three children: 1. John Nicholas, mention below. 2. Harold, mentioned below. 3. Sophia Augusta, who became the wife of the late William Watts Sherman, of New York.

Residences

• 1860: Providence, Rhode Island with his new wife, 25-year-old British immigrant servant Mary Evans, and 30-year-old Irish immigrant servant Margaret Graham
• 1850: Providence, Rhode Island with 67-year-old Amy A. Stella of unspecified race, 24-year-old black Lucy Pennater, 28-year-old black Rachel Babcock (possibly this Rachel Babcock), 30-year-old black servant Thomas Jefferson, and 65-year-old black George Smith

Race

• 1850, 1860: Unspecified

Sources

• Dictionary of American Biography, Including Men of the Time, page 133

• brown.edu Encyclopedia: The Brown Family of Providence

• Wikipedia John Carter Brown

• John Carter Brown Library, Brown University

• 1850 United States Federal Census Year: 1850; Census Place: Providence Ward 3, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: M432_844; Page: 222A; Image: 449

• "Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F82M-WY2 : 22 January 2020), John Carter Brown, 1859.

• 1860 United States Federal Census Year: 1860; Census Place: Providence Ward 3, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: M653_1208; Page: 315; Family History Library Film: 805208

• "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F83K-DF3 : 17 December 2019), John Carter Brown in entry for John Nicholas Brown, 1861.

• "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8QD-TL8 : 17 December 2019), John C. Brown in entry for Harold Brown, 1863.

• "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8QC-BVK : 17 December 2019), John C. in entry for Sophia Augusta Brown, 1867.

• "Rhode Island Town Deaths Index, 1639-1932", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D6B8-R5ZM : 9 November 2020), John Carter Brown, 1874.

• "Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8VG-21B : accessed 10 March 2021), John Carter Brown in entry for William Watts Sherman, 7 Oct 1885; citing Marriage, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archive, Providence City Archives, city and town clerk offices; FHL microfilm 2,188,896.

• "Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8KS-7LK : accessed 10 March 2021), John Carter Brown in entry for Harold Brown, 4 Oct 1892; citing Marriage, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archive, Providence City Archives, city and town clerk offices; FHL microfilm 2,188,896.

• "Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8VK-7X7 : accessed 9 March 2021), John C. Brown in entry for John Nicholas Brown, 8 Sep 1897; citing Marriage, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archive, Providence City Archives, city and town clerk offices; FHL microfilm 2,188,896.

• "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WX7-G4S : 3 June 2020), John Carter Brown in entry for Harold Brown, 10 May 1900; citing Death, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,322,975.

• "Rhode Island, Vital records, 1846-1898, 1901-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F86T-72Z : 4 November 2020), John C Brown in entry for Sophia Augusta Brown, 28 Feb 1909; citing Death, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archives, Providence; FHL microfilm 004250590.

• "Rhode Island, Vital records, 1846-1898, 1901-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F84C-3T9 : 4 November 2020), John Carter Brown in entry for Sophia Augusta Sherman, ; citing Death, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, Rhode Island State Archives, Providence; FHL microfilm 004024502.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #12621890

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Sarah Willson for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Sarah and others.