On the evidence of the 1851 census, James Brown, son of Robert Brown and Barbara Urquhart, was born c. 1802 in the Parish of Cluny, Aberdeenshire. His 1859 death certificate is indicative of an earlier date, c. 1800.

James Brown’s marriage to Helen Stuart is recorded in the Birse (Aberdeenshire) Parish Register, in an entry dated 9^th March 1828:

Contracted James Brown sawer (sic) of Wood with Helen Stuart in Newmill both in this parish, and after proclamation of marriage Banns & no objections offered were married on 20th currt before Witnefses

At the time of the 1841 census, James Brown, timber merchant, aged 35, was one of four householders living at Birkinhill in the Parish of Birse, Aberdeenshire. Living with him were Hellen, also 35, and Hellen, 1, presumably his wife and daughter. The other members of the household were Jane Strachan, 14, farm servant; James Lumsden, 25, saw miller; William Adams, 25, and Andrew Henderson, 15, manservants. All were entered as having been born in the county, i.e. Aberdeenshire.

In 1851, James Brown, 48, was a farmer of fifty acres, employing five servants, at Birslassie (a farm, whose name appears to admit of no fixed spelling) , in the Parish of Cluny, Aberdeenshire. Living with him were his wife Helen, 45, and born at Birse; daughter Charlotte, 19, unmarried, and born in Aboyne; son Robert, 14, born in Aboyne; son James, 11, born in Birse; daughter Helen, also 11, likewise born in Birse; son Peter, 8, born in Aboyne; and daughter Ann, aged 4, born in Aboyne. The remainder of the household was made up of five farm servants, all unmarried: Alexander Reid, 21; Andrew Milne, 20; John Yeoman, 15; Thomas Fowler, 15; and Mary Forbes, 17, all born in various parts of Aberdeenshire.

It may be noted that the family surname at this time was entered in all cases simply as Brown. ‘Stuart Brown’ as the family name appears to have been initiated by James’s son Peter.

James Brown died, aged 59, on 11^th October 1859, at 1^h 30^m am at Birselassie, Aberdeenshire. The cause of his death was given as sclerosis (or cirrhosis?) of the rectum, from which he had been suffering for several years, as certified by James Walker, MD. He was laid to rest in the churchyard of Cluny, as certified by William Nicol, the sexton. The death was registered by Robert Brown, his son, entered present, at the local schoolhouse.

James Brown was buried in Cluny Kirkyard. The family gravestone (Monumental Inscription No 114, The Kirkyard of Cluny, compiled by Sheila M. Speirs, published by Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society, first published 1991, 2008 reprint, p. 12), records the following details:

In memory of JAMES BROWN farmer Berlawsie (sic) d. 11 Oct. 1859 aged 59; his wife HELEN GORDON STUART d. 12 Dec. 1875 aged 71. Their daus. JESSIE d. Mar. 1836 aged 2, BARBARA URQUHART d. June 1844 aged 17, HELEN STUART d. 14 Mar. 1902 aged 62. JANE REID wife of JAMES BROWN jun. d. 12 Nov. 1871 aged 35; his daus. HELEN STUART d. 18 Dec. 1873 aged 4, CHARLOTTE CATTANACH d. 7 Oct. 1879 aged 11 weeks.

James Brown was recalled as a farmer (deceased) at the time of his son James Brown’s two marriage in 1868 and 1877, and when his son Peter Stuart Brown married in 1870. When daughter Anne married in 1873, he was recalled as a ‘Wood-merchant and Farmer (deceased)’.

Sister

James Brown had at least one considerably older sister, Agnes, whose baptism was recorded in the Tough Parish Register in an entry dated 16^th May 1781:

Robert Brownie in Mains of Tillyfour, & Barbara Urquhart his Spouse had a Daughter baptized called Agnes before witnefses Robert Brownie in Bridgend, and Peter Urquhart in Drumdaig.