Harold Brown papers (Ms.2007.006.TEMP)

Biographical Note

Harold Brown was born on December 24, 1863 to John Carter Brown (1797-1874) and Sophia Augusta Brown (1825-1909). He had one older brother, John Nicholas Brown (1861-1900) and one younger sister, Sophia Augusta Brown (1867-1947). Harold was educated at home by private tutors, one of whom was Brown alumnus and faculty member William Carey Poland. After his father's death in 1874 he spent many years living in Europe with his family. Harold entered Brown University in 1885 but withdrew after one year to pursue other interests.

In 1888 Harold and his brother John Nicholas Brown formed a business partnership called J.N. & H. Brown. The brothers invested in real estate and mortgage lending with the advice of George W.R. Matteson. Even though Harold was not primarily interested in a business career he was nonetheless thorough and careful in business affairs. For example, one letter written in May of 1885 to George Matteson asked for Mr. Matteson's expertise in interpreting a letter Harold had received concerning a mortgage since "need I say it is like Hebrew to me". Another letter from 1892 concerned a series of bills he had received from Houghton, Mifflin and Co. in Boston. After paying the full amount of the bill for $1006.85 he wrote:

"In #374 I think there is a slight error of 25 cents arising from a mistake in calculation. If it is so the 25 cents may be returned to me and the bill so corrected before return. It is a small matter, but the bill might as well be made perfectly right."

Harold contributed to many charitable and civic organizations. In 1888 he donated $100,000 to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He also made generous contributions to St. Ansgarius Church (a Swedish Episcopal church), to Grace Church in Providence and to St. Columba's Chapel in Middletown, R.I. He was a member of numerous clubs both in New York and Rhode Island. He owned a box at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. His collections of French Empire furniture and objects with Napoleonic associations are now in the museum of the Rhode Island School of Design and are described as a highlight of the department's holdings.

On October 4, 1892 Harold married Georgette Wetmore Sherman (1872-1960). She was the daughter of William Watts Sherman (1842-1912) and Anne Wetmore (1848-1884). Anne Wetmore was the sister of Rhode Island Senator (and Governor) George Peabody Wetmore, whose family owned the Chateau-Sur-Mer estate in Newport. After the death of his wife Anne, William Watts Sherman married Harold's sister Sophia in 1885.

In 1893 Harold purchased the Walter H. Burns estate on Bellevue Avenue in Newport and hired the architect Dudley Newton to design and build his home there. Ogden Codman was employed to design and furnish the interior in the Empire Style. In 1899 Harold purchased the three-acre George Nugent-William T. Ropes estate on Coggeshall and Bateman Avenues in Newport.

Harold and Georgette sailed for England on the liner RMS Oceanic on April 18,1900. Soon after arriving they received news that his brother John had passed away in New York City on May 1. Harold returned home on the first steamer available, the Oceanic, while Georgette followed several days later on the RMS Campania. While at sea Harold became gravely ill. When he arrived in New York on May 9 he was taken by ambulance to the Hotel Netherland, where his mother was living. He died the next day, May 10, of complications from pleurisy, pneumonia and erysipelas (Providence Journal, May 11, 1900). Georgette did not know of her husband's sudden death until she arrived in New York on Saturday, May 12. She was met at the revenue cutter by her father, who carried with him "a complete outfit of widow's weeds, which Mrs. Brown wore when leaving the ship." (New York Times, May 13, 1900)

After the funeral at St. John's Church, Harold was buried in the Brown family plot in the North Burial Ground in Providence on May 14, 1900.

Biographical outline

Date

Event

1863 Dec 24

Birth of Harold Brown

1874 Jun 10

Death of John Carter Brown

1874-1876

Living in Europe

1878-1879

Living in Europe

1885

Entered Brown University

1888 Apr 21

Distribution of the John Carter Brown estate on Sophia Augusta Brown's 21st birthday

1888 Apr 30

Harold and John Nicholas Brown form a business, J.N. & H. Brown

1888 May 10

Gift of $100,000 to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society

1892 Oct 4

Marriage to Georgette Wetmore Sherman

1893 Nov 8

Purchase of the Burns estate in Newport

1899 Apr

Purchase of the Nugent-Ropes estate in Newport

1900 May 1

Death of John Nicholas Brown

1900 May 10

Death of Harold Brown