Nicholas Brown Jr. (April 4, 1769 – September 27, 1841) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Providence, Rhode Island, who was the namesake of

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Early life

Nicholas Brown Jr. was the son of Rhoda Jenckes (1741–1783) and

Nicholas Brown Sr. Nicholas Brown Sr. (July 26, 1729 – May 29, 1791) was a Providence, Rhode Island slave-trader, merchant, civic leader and co-signer of the charter of the College of Rhode Island in 1763. In 1771, Nicholas Brown Sr. was instrumental in convinci ...

(1729–1791), a merchant and co-founder of

(which was then called College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations). He was the nephew of

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

(1736–1803) and Moses Brown (1738–1836) and a descendant of the English colonist and Baptist minister Chad Brown (c. 1600–1650), who co-founded

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

. His maternal grandfather was Daniel Jenckes (1701–1774), a judge from a prominent family.

Career

Both Nicholas Brown Jr. and his father were members of and large donors to the

First Baptist Church in America The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as the First Baptist Meetinghouse. It is the oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, founded in 1638 by Roger Williams in Pr ...

. Nicholas Brown Jr. graduated from the College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1786. After the death of his father, Brown created the company of

Brown & Ives Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model use ...

with his future brother-in-law,

Thomas Poynton Ives Thomas Poynton Ives (April 9, 1769 – April 30, 1835) was an American merchant and banker from Rhode Island. Early life Ives was born on April 9, 1769 in Beverly in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in what was then British America, and was baptiz ...

, and served in the state legislature as a Federalist. After inheriting his father's estate in 1791, Brown became such a great benefactor to the school that it was renamed

for him in 1804 when he donated $5,000 to the college. His total gifts to the college totaled over $150,000. Brown also co-founded the Providence Athenaeum and was active in various Baptist and literary causes. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1813.

Personal life

He was married to Ann Carter (1770–1798), daughter of John Carter (1745–1814), a prominent printer in Providence. Together, they had: *

Nicholas Brown III Nicholas Brown III (October 2, 1792 – March 2, 1859) was the United States Consul to the Papal court from 1845 to 1853 and later was Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island from 1856 to 1857, serving under Governor W. W. Hoppin. Early life Nich ...

(1792–1859), who married his 2nd cousin, Abby Mason (1800-1822), daughter of

James Brown Mason James Brown Mason (January 28, 1775August 31, 1819) was an American physician and legislator who served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1804 to 1814, where he was speaker from 1812 to 1814. Elected to Congress in November 1814 ...

(1775–1819), in 1820. After her death, he married Caroline Matilda Cements (1809–1879) in 1831. * Moses Brown (1793–1794), who died as an infant * Anne Carter Brown (1794–1828), who married

John Brown Francis John Brown Francis (May 31, 1791August 9, 1864) was a governor and United States Senator from Rhode Island. Early life John Brown Francis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 1791, son of John Francis and Abigail Brown. Francis' ...

(1791–1864), the grandson of her father's uncle,

, in 1822. *

John Carter Brown II John Carter Brown II (1797 – June 11, 1874) was a book collector whose library formed the basis of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Early life John Carter Brown II was born in 1797, the youngest of three surviving children bo ...

(1797–1874), who married Sophia Augusta Brown (1825–1909), daughter of Patrick Brown and Harriot Theyer, and a descendant of minister

Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...

(1603–1683). Grave of Nicholas Brown II

After his death September 27, 1841, Brown was interred in

North Burial Ground The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island dating to 1700, the first public cemetery in Providence. It is located north of downtown Providence, bounded by North Main Street, Branch Avenue, the Moshassuck River, and Ceme ...

in Providence. When Brown died in 1841 he left a $30,000 bequest to form a mental hospital, which eventually became known as Butler Hospital.The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: Biographical, Volume 6, by the American Historical Society, Inc., 1920. Pages 188 - 191 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rigenweb/article3.html

References

External links

Encyclopedia Brunoniana - Brown Family

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Nicholas Jr. 1769 births 1841 deaths Brown University alumni Brown University people University and college founders Rhode Island Federalists Philanthropists from Rhode Island Businesspeople from Providence, Rhode Island Members of the American Antiquarian Society 19th-century American businesspeople Baptists from Rhode Island

Nicholas Brown Jr. Nicholas Brown Jr. (April 4, 1769 – September 27, 1841) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Providence, Rhode Island, who was the namesake of Brown University. Early life Nicholas Brown Jr. was the son of Rhoda Jenckes (1741– ...

Burials at North Burying Ground (Providence) People of colonial Rhode Island

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links