Ernest Nicholson Brown

Ernest Nicholson Brown was born in Lower Newcastle, New Brunswick, on the 12th of July, 1867. His father, Robert Brown, went from Dumfries, Scotland, to Pictou, Nova Scotia, in 1823, and settled as a young man in Miramichi, New Brunswick, in 1835. He married Ann Noble, of United Empire Loyalist descent. Her grandfather fought on the British side at the battle of Bunker Hill. James Nicholson, an uncle of Robert Brown fought at the battle of Trafalgar and the medal awarded him for his services on that occasion is now in possession of Mr. Brown.

After attending the high school at Chatham, New Brunswick, Ernest N. Brown entered Dalhousie University at Halifax, from which he was graduated in 1889 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He followed that course with post-graduate study at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, after which he was engaged for some years in teaching. In 1902 he won the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law upon the completion of the regular course in law in McGill University. He was admitted to the bar in the province of Quebec in 1902 and for two years was in practice in the office of Duncan McCormick, K. C., while subsequently he became a member of the firm of Patterson & Brown, and in 1908 he became a member of the firm of Brown & Staveley.

Mr. Brown is a liberal in politics, and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church. In 1904, Mr. Brown married Miss Elizabeth Malcolm Fraser, a daughter of the late John Fraser of Lachine Rapids, author of “Canadian Pen and Ink Sketches”, “Historic Canadian Ground” and various articles dealing with points of interest in Canadian history, especially those connected with the scenes of his boyhood in and about Lachine.