Photo: Derek Haynes
H. Brown
Royal Field Artillery
1st October 1920
Derek Haynes has provided the following:
Harry’s birth was registered in the September 1900 in Sunderland; census records give his birthplace as the village of Castletown in the County of Durham. He was the third child of John Henry & Mary Ann Brown (nee Maughan). John and Mary were married in the December 1896 in the registration district of Chester le Street.
Including Harry, I have found eight children from the marriage: Dora born June 1897 in Chester le Street; John Richard born December 1898 in Sunderland; George Anthony born December 1902 in Morpeth; Mary Elizabeth born June 1904 in Morpeth; Ethel born December 1906 in Tynemouth; Ada born December 1908 in Auckland; Edward Albert born September 1910 in Sunderland.
I cannot say for certain if any other children were born to the parents after the 1911 census, more research would be needed.
By 1901 Harry and the family were residing in three rooms at 37 Baron Street, Castletown. Father John is employed as a hewer in one of the local coal mines. Dora the eldest child is not with her parents but is residing with her mother’s parents, George and Frances Maughan, in the parish of Urpeth, Chester le Street.
Between the 1901 census and the 1911 census the family has moved to the parish of Southwick and was residing in four rooms at 18 Dryden Street. Harry now aged 11 years was attending one of the local schools along with four of his siblings.
It is known that Harry later followed his father into the mining industry; the cemetery records for Southwick give his trade as a miner.
As no service records can be found for Harry we know practically nothing of his time in the army. What is known is that he served as a Gunner with the Royal Field Artillery, his service number being 299449. At some time Harry was either taken ill or had been badly wounded as he passed away in Connaught Hospital, Aldershot on the 1st October 1920 aged only 20 years. His body was returned home to 11 East View, Castletown and he was laid to rest on the 7th October 1920 in Section P, grave no. 5653 of Southwick Cemetery.
The 1911 census shows that John and Mary had a child Ethel who died in infancy. GRO records show two Ethel Browns recorded whose details could fit their child:
Ethel Brown died September 1907 Tynemouth
Ethel Brown died September 1908 Tynemouth
Looking at the census return the record for Ethel has been crossed out (mistakenly inputted by one of the parents) but the age does appear to be in months which would make it more likely that the correct death is 1907.
Harry’s father, John Henry, aged 59 years, died on the 29th August 1928 in Monkwearmouth and Southwick Hospital, and was laid to rest on the 1st September 1928 in the same plot as his son. His address at the time of his death was 11 East View, North Hylton.
His mother, Mary Ann, aged 65 years, died in early January 1940 at 18 Alice Street and was laid to rest on the 16th January 1940 in Section P Grave no. 5765 only a short distance from where her husband and son are buried.
Harry Brown is not remembered on a local War memorial.
