what type of complexion??

[Hampshire Lass]

Now I can't see that word says brown....... to me it says swarthy

[spices]

Ruddy complexion -- I understand it to mean Reddish usually seen in people working outdoors.

[Cas (stallc)]

Hi,

I am having trouble trying to work out what type of complexion my ancestor had according to the attached Canadian British Register of Service.  His eyes were grey and his hair brown - he's the second up in the attachment and it's the first column.  His name is John Mockford b1765 Rottingdean, Sussex and I found this on Ancestry.

Thanks very much.

Liz

1st column

Fresh
Ruddy
Fair
Brown
Fresh

I agree

[Hampshire Lass]

Now I can't see that word says brown....... to me it says swarthy

Now I look at the whole page on Ancestry I definitely agree it's brown.

Please ignore my previous comment 

[Liz_in_Sussex]

Thank you all for the interesting discussion! 

If there weren't others described as "swarthy" or "ruddy" then I would have thought it was just meaning he had the complexion of someone who had lived by the sea all his life.  For what it's worth one of my sisters might be considered "brown" - she always looks like she has a great tan - perhaps John Mockford had a similar colouring and she has inherited the gene from his line.

Or perhaps it was a simple mistake and the form filler was thinking of his hair!

Liz

[spices]

Sorry L i S
I was looking at 2nd down NOT 2nd up
Thus my comments on Ruddy

Opps

[Treetotal]

Unless the person writing it got confused and wrote eye colour instead of complexion? This looks to be written on a list and sometimes things can be written in the wrong columns when writing lists.
Do any others have a "brown" complexion. 
(not that it really matters I suppose but it's just a curious term to use)

I think this is the most logical explanation...Someone with dark skin would surely be described as having a "Dark" complexion....Dark, Pale, Fresh, Ruddy, Sallow...but Brown 

Carol