Alexander Brown, Ironmoulder

[Kipper5]

Thank you for that. It was a different Robert Brown.

I still don't know where/when Robert Hamilton Browne died then. He's not buried with his wife and children in the city cemetery.

[aghadowey]

Do you mean that Robert Hamilton Browne isn't on a headstone or that he isn't listed in the burial records of the Cemetery? When and where did his wife die? does her death certificate list her as married, widowed or divorces? and who was the informant? What about the children's deaths- who registered them? All this might help pin down a date when Robert was still alive.

[A brown]

My grandfather was Robert Hamilton Brown's son. His name was john and he was born in 1902. According to my mother, Harriet (robert's wife) lived on her own, and no-one talked about Robert. A mystery! Robert did serve in the First World War, in the a.o.c.  We have his medals. He did survive , but then seems to disappear.

[Kipper5]

How interesting!
You don't happen to know Robert H Brown's parents, do you?
I found a birth record for him for 1857 in L'derry with parents Alexander Browne (Brass Fitter) and Anne Browne, and assumed that to be him.
And then I couldn't work out how that fitted in with the family of Alexander Brown, Ironmoulder that I am researching. But now I think Robert was a son of my Alexander Brown, and that I had the wrong birth record and parents.

If this is the case, my granny was the cousin of Robert H.

I've looked again for the death record of Robert H Brown.  I wonder if he died in March 1930 in Liverpool?? His eldest daughter Amy had moved there in 1911 and died there in 1912, so maybe there's a link.
I emailed the Derry City Cemetery to see if they have any record of him and to see if he could be buried with his first wife, Annie Elms, who died in 1890. They haven't come back to me yet.

I look forward to hearing anything else you may know!

[A brown]

From what I know robert hamilton's father was alexander brown, the same man who owned the foundry on foyle road. My mother and her brother remember this. His wife was Agnes ( there is also a daughter called Agnes as you can see in 1911 census for 7 foyle road).  Does this help?  I have no idea where R.H. Brown disappeared to after the war. My mother said that it was a forbidden subject!

[Kipper5]

Thanks, that's great.
Alexander Brown had his foundry on Foyle St, Alexander Brown + Sons. There was also a foundry Robert Hamilton Brown in William St. Was that a different Robert Hamilton Brown, or, then why did he have a separate foundry to his father+brothers?

[aghadowey]

You might want to look through the Valuation Revision books (www.proni.go.uk) to see the occupiers of those properties (goes from the printed version of Griffith's Valuation until c1930).

[Carole Hampton]

I was interested to read your message re the Brown family of Londonderry.
My paternal Grandmother was Mary Wylie born Liverpool 1875 (aprox)
Her brothers were John born 1870 (aprox) and Alexander Brown Wylie born ? he was the youngest.
I think you refer to him having married early WW1, I remember that his wife died whilst he was away at sea during WW1 as a marine engineer.
Subsequently he ran his own Engineer Marchants business in Liverpool.
He was my Dad's 'Uncle Sandy'.
John Wylie also a Marin Engineer is possible the one you refer to as lodging in Londonderry.
I believe that in the 1920/1930s he ran the Foundary because of problems
Alex Hampton

[Kipper5]

Thanks for that. How interesting.
Yes, looking at the census info, there was also a sister Kate Wylie, born in 1872 (and maybe also Mary Jane born in 1867 and Mazie in 1868).

I was sad to see about Amy J Brown/Wylie: she went to Liverpool to be married to Alexander B Wylie in 1911 and died in 1912. Particularly sad if Alexander was away. She was only 22 and her death was registered by M Hampton, sister-in-law (your grandmother?).

You don't happen to know how the family is connected with the Browns of L'derry, do you? As we've said, John Wylie was boarding with them in 1911.
Also a David Wylie was a witness at the wedding of Amy J Brown/Wylie's father, Robert Hamilton Brown to Harriet Lobb in 1899. Who was he?

I have found out that Agnes Brown nee Stewart, Amy J Brown/Wylie's grandmother, (married to the Alexander Brown, Ironmoulder who I am researching) was related to Wylies in Scotland: her grandmother was a Mary Wylie, born 1762 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. 

Thanks again.