17449

Generation: A

John Brown, II

Janet Wilson

Children:

• William Wilson Brown
• Janet Brown
• Ann Brown
• Margaret Brown
• John Brown, III
• Mary Brown
• Robert Wilson Brown
• Hellen Brown

John died accidentally, killed by a cart. Schoolmaster at Applegarth, Dumfries. Born Lammonbie Mill.

Janet died Barras, Lochmaben, aged 84.

Both burried with daughter Margaret at Applegarth Cemetery. See headstone (1970).

We have copies of birth and death certificates of J.B.II (witness = W.W.Brown, son) and of death certificate of his wife (witness = William Davidson, a son-in-law). See archive.

MBM: A gravestone of sandstone in the churchyard of Applegarth, near Dumfries, records: "In memory of John Brown, for 35 years Parochial Schoolmaster of this parish who died 29th September 1857, aged 60 years. Also Margaret, his daughter, who died at Lochmaben 1st August 1863, aged 38 years. Also Janet Wilson his wife who died at Lochmaben 22nd June 1877 age 84 years".

Janet's death certificate gives her address then as Barras, Lochmaben. It also shows that she was a daughter of the union of William ? Wilson, a farmer, and Phillis Carruthers. John II's certificate shows his parentage as already indicated, and states that he was born at Lammonbie Mill on 12th September 1797 and died on 29th September, 1857, "killed by a cart" coming from Johnstone Bridge, where there is a mill, a few miles north of Applegarth.

We know nothing about the Carruthers family to which Janet's mother belonged. The name is still common in the district. There is a stone in Sibbaldbie Cemetery to the wife of a Robert Carruthers. She died at Brownhills, Applegarth in 1889, aged 81 years. There was also a Dr. William Carruthers who died at Kirkpatrick in 1910.

Dr. Harry Brown of Stranraer (shortly moving to the Dumfries area) has a silver snuff box with the inscription: "Presented to Mr. John Brown, teacher at Applegarth as a testimony of respect for his public service by a number of his scholars and friends. 12th June". The figures for the year are rubbed a lot. It may be 1838.

We know little about John Brown II. His death certificate says the hour of his death was 12 a.m., and the place Dinwoodie, near the Applegarth Schoolhouse. Was it mid-day and the school children just coming out when a cart horse stampeded? Or was it midnight and John was on his way home? The "Dumfries and Galloway News" was not established until 1858. The Edinburgh "Scotsman" does not refer to the accident. Robert Walker is going to look up the relevant pages of the Glasgow Herald.

John's first born child arrived in 1819, when John was aged 22, so he must have had some sort of a job by then, possibly as an assistant teacher, for the memorial stone suggests he became schoolmaster at Applegarth in 1822. Where would he train?

The Reverend George W. Michie, now Minister at Applegarth, wrote: "John Brown, teacher at Sandyholme, was elected an Elder of Applegarth 14th November 1824".

A Kirk Session minute dated 25th October 1835 states: "The Session unanimously made the choice of John Brown, one of their number, to represent them in the Presbytery of Lochmaben and the Synod of Dumfries during their several Sessions till the Rising of the Synod in April next".

Another Kirk Session minute dated 4th November 1854 declares: "The Session considering that Mr. Brown has for some time past discharged the duties of Session-Clerk and received the emoluments thereof tho' never formally inducted into the office, judge it expedient to elect and induct him now, and he is hereby formally elected and inducted accordingly as Session-Clerk".

(There is a hiatus in the minutes for the period between July 1857 and 1862).

We have as yet found no trace of his other public, cultural, athletic, masonic and social activities. His wife produced eight children, two of whom became schoolmasters.

Along side or near the stone of John Brown I is another stone noted by Robert Walker and missed by us: "In memory of William Brown of Lammonbie Mill, and a son John, also buried here." Who were these? and dates?

The population of Applegarth parish in 1777 was 943.