In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:
R.M. Brown
Second Engineer Officer
S.S. “Slemish”
8th March 1941 age 55
Robert Melville Brown was born on the 17th August 1884, in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland the youngest of 4 children to father John, born 1847 and his wife born 1854.
The other children were: –
- James Brown, born 1879
- Jane Brown, born 1880
- Agnes Brown, born 28th April 1881.
In 1891, Robert Melville Brown was residing with his parents, John, born 1847 in Ireland, and Jane Brown, born 1854, in Greenock, Scotland, at 4 Garvald Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Robert Melville Brown married Hester Adelaide Bell, born 16th August 1881, in 1910, at South Shields and they had three children. [She was born in Mile End Old Town, London, to James Colquhoun and Sarah Bell nee Clark, who were married in 1874, at Poplar, London].
- James Melville Brown, born 10th July 1917, died 1985 in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He married Joyce Mary Nutt, born 19th November 1924, died 2000, in 1948, in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
- Frederick Victor Brown, born 4th July 1919, died 1996, in Surrey.
- Arthur Henry Brown, born 26th July 1921, died, aged 51, in 1972, in Co Durham.
In 1881, He and Sarah Bell and their three sons, were residing at 28 Woolmore Street, Mile End Old Town, London and he was a Foreman at a Colour Manufacturers. James obtained his Second Mate certificate on 24th April 1871, in London. In 1891, Hester was residing with her parents, James and Sarah Brown, at 5 Lyndhurst, Westoe, South Shields, and her father was a Marine Enameller. At this time, Hester was the second of six children.
In 1911, Hester Brown was residing with her widowed mother, Sarah Bell, born 1853, and brother, Victor Bell, born 1885, at 9 Alice Street, South Shields. In 1921, Hester was residing, with her two sons, James M. Brown and Frederick V. Brown, and her mother, Sarah Bell, at 17 Malvern Street, South Shields.
By 1939, Hester Brown was residing, with her husband Robert, at 69 Marlborough Street, South Shields, with two sons, James M. Brown and Arthur H. Brown, and Robert was a Marine Engineer.
Hester Adelaide’s mother, Sarah Brown died, aged 75, in 1929, in South Shields. Hester’s father, James C. Bell, born 1848, died, aged 59, in 1911, in South Shields. Sarah Brown died 1929 at South Shields.
Robert had served in WW1 onboard the SS Carol, ship number 136699, from the 4th August 1915 and SS Trinol from the 23rd August 1916.
Robert Melville Brown initiated into the Freemasons on the 2nd June1921. Lodge location Ireland Island, Bermuda in the Loyalty Lodge number 358.
On the 8th March 1941 whilst sailing to Devonport the SS Slemish, ship number 124677, became the focus of an attack by a lone German aircraft. Although the ship received no serious damage, but after being strafed by machine gun fire, the ships Second Engineer was mortally wounded after a bullet struck him in the neck.
Robert Melville Brown’s wife, Hester Adelaide Brown, of the General Hospital, South Shields, died on 3rd May 1963, and probate was granted at Newcastle upon Tyne on 28th June 1963, to Arthur Henry Brown, Joiner.
Sources: The James Hoy Archive; The British Newspaper Archive; The Merchant Navy Archive; Billy McGee; The National Archives; Jennifer Stephenson;
Robert Melville Brown is remembered at Westoe in W101.08, page 10, at South Shields on S86.37, panel 3, and on our List of Ships’ Crews.
