Introduction
This
page provides a very preliminary outline of the family of Sigismunda
Broun, wife of Dr Walter
Brown. Eventually I hope to create another large section
of the site for the Broun family.Although many records acknowledge
the Scottish spelling and ancestry Sigismunda's family used
the surname BROWN in Australia, and even in Denmark, far more
often than the surname BROUN. It seems that BROWN has been adopted
by most descendants.
While
this page refers only to Sigismunda's direct family other branches
of the Broun family have also settled in Australia. Many of
these branches are even more closely connected to the ancestral
family and home in Haddington, Scotland. The Broun/Brown family
tree is very confusing indeed and there is much to be done to
sort it out and verify the charts but a descendant in Australia
explains the connection between the two "Australian"
branches of the family in this way:
George
Broun (b. abt 1573) married Euphemia Hoppringle in 1599
Issue:
1. George Broun (b. about 1599) m Marion Turnbull in 1633
2. James Broun (b. 14/6/1601) m Anna Herriot
in 1625
John
Brown, my ancestor, descends from James Broun (who was his 4th
great grandfather) whereas another branch in Australia (the
David Limond Broun family) descends from James's brother, George
Broun. The descendants of George Broun, who became the baronets
of Colstoun, kept the original spelling of their name, whereas
many of his brother's descendants changed to Brown. Even in
France members of the family were known as "Brown de Colstoun".
John Brown of Colstoun,
Upper Paterson, NSW
For
the benefit of search engines on the web, the spelling of this
surname in the Danish records varies greatly - Bruun, Brun,
Brunn, Bruvn, Brouvn, Brown, Browne, Broune and Broun, to name
just a few.
Broun
Ancestry
According
to the Tartans
of Scotland site "the Brouns of Colstoun claim descent
from the Royal House of France. They bear on their shield, the
three fleur-de-lys of the French Monarchy. The Brouns of Colstoun
also claim descent from George Broun who in 1543 married Jean
Hay second daughter of Lord Yester, ancestor of the Marquess
of Tweeddale.
Patrick
Broun of Colstoun was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1686,
the title to be passed on to his male heirs. On his death he
left only a daughter who inherited his possessions while the
title went to the male branch of the family. Members of a younger
branch of Broun of Colstoun settled in Elsinore, Denmark where
they became prominent merchants; the name is still found there
today."
Our
first Broun ancestor in Australia
Our
family historians advise that John Brown/Broun's grandfather
had to flee Scotland after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Lord William Broun of Colstoun was killed at Culloden. Two
of his sons went to France and one went to Denmark. The oldest
son established himself in Denmark and acquired the home "Kokkedal"
about 25 miles out of Copenhagen. John Broun was born there
on 28 April 1787.
John's father
William Broun / Brown, died in 1788, when John was only
one year old, and his mother Elizabeth married again. At
the time she had two daughters, Anna Margaretha, aged five
and Louise Elizabeth, aged three. Her second husband was
Andreas Alexander V Berner, a Captain in Maritime Services
and Custom Inspector. They had a son named Alexander, a
half brother to our ancestors.
John's sister
Anna Margretha Brown married Compte de Foucault. It is not
known whether they had any descendants.
Their second
sister Louisa married Count Schulier IV. They had two daughters,
Elise born 1813, who married General Strinmann, and Louise
born 1815 who married Count Danurmann, natural son of King
Frederick of Denmark. As far as I know these branches of
the family remained in Europe.
At some point
John went to India where he married Charlotte Dowling in
1823. It has been said that she was the daughter of a Judge,
perhaps even the Chief Justice, in India but I haven't been
able to confirm that.
Charlotte
Brown, nee Dowling
of Colstoun, Upper Paterson, NSW
In India, family
stories say, John and Charlotte Brown "made a lot of money
out of indigo plantations and lived in great splendour,
entertaining King Christian on many occasions". Then someone
invented a chemical dye and the bottom dropped out of the
indigo market so John Broun decided to come to Australia.
He chartered the ship Marquis of Hastings (skippered
by Thomas Richard Simpson) and brought his wife and nine
children, two servants and all his household furniture and
treasures to this new country.
The family arrived
in Sydney, Australia on 23 January 1838, having left England
on 20 September 1837. John Brown was 51 years of age when
they arrived. They acquired a house at Parramatta where
they lived while they looked for a suitable property to
buy. John Brown found one in the Upper Hunter and called
it "Colstoun" after the ancestral home in Haddington, Scotland.
Many members
of their large family settled in the district while others
moved to the Tumut area. There are many descendants in Australia
today - Dowling Brown and le Brun Brown are last names associated
with the family.
In 1860 John
Brown became ill (aged 73) and went to Parramatta where
his son-in-law, Dr Walter Brown. cared for him. He died,
however, and is buried in St John's Cemetery, Parramatta.
The memorial
in the Cathedral of St John, Parramatta reads:
In
memory of
JOHN
BROWN Esq
of Colstoun, Upper Paterson N S Wales
Born at Copenhagen, April 28th 1787. Died at
Parramatta, July 9th 1860. Aged 73 years.
His remains rest in the cemetery of St John's Parramatta.
Also
in memory of WILLIAM, his son.
Born at Serampore, India, October 5th 1826.
Who was barbariously murdered by the Chinese at Canton together
with five of his companions December 5th 1847. Aged 21 years.
His remains rest in the British cemetery at Whampoa
"Come
unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will
give you rest"
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall
I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall
I be afraid?"
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