Political career

Brown contested the Ashley electorate in the 1871 general election against Albert Charles Gray and William Miles Maskell.^[11] On election day on 18 February, Brown achieved an absolute majority, with 171 votes, and 82 and 67 votes for Gray and Maskell, respectively.^[12]

The nominations for the 1876 general election took place in Leithfield on 30 December 1875. Brown and Maskell were put forward. Both reflected on their experience; Brown had by now been in parliament for five years, and Maskell had held the Sefton seat on the Canterbury Provincial Council for ten years (since 1866).^[13][14] The election was held on 11 January 1876, and Brown and Maskell received 266 and 197 votes respectively.^[15]

Brown announced several months before the 1879 general election that he would not stand again for Ashley, but that he may consider contesting another electorate.^[16] In response to several deputations urging him to stand again, Brown announced in mid August that his situation had now changed, and he would not stand at all. His friends would have to "release him from his promise not to stand", but he would consider putting his name forward if they did release him.^[17] Brown did not contest any electorate in 1879, but William Sefton Moorhouse, Walpole Cheshire Fendall^[18] and Cunningham contested the Ashley seat,^[19] with Moorhouse winning with a majority of 65 votes.^[20]

Brown contested the St Albans electorate in the 9 December 1881 general election with J. L. Wilson and A. W. O'Neill. They received 218, 168 and 85 votes, respectively. Brown was declared elected.^[21] He did not stand for re-election in the 22 July 1884 general election.^[22]

Family

His son William Vance Brown (b. 1864^[23]) was one of the first Lincoln College students. He managed the Wai-iti run for his uncle John Thomas Peacock.^[5] His second daughter Kate (Katy) Elizabeth Brown was born on 4 September 1867.^[4] His daughter Maria Theresa later married Reverend H. Fields.^[5] Hubert Evans was another son.^[24] The eldest son was John Peacock Brown. He was educated at Christ's College during 1873–74 and died on 5 February 1877.^[5] John Evans Brown, the youngest son, died only five days later on 10 February 1877, aged 11 months.^[25] At least three of Brown's children were buried in Christchurch's Barbadoes Street Cemetery. His wife Theresa never recovered from this loss and died on 11 February 1880, aged 42.^[6][26]

Through his wife Theresa, Brown had three brothers in law as fellow Members of Parliament.^[6][27]

John Thomas Peacock, Theresa's brother, was elected unopposed to Parliament at the 1868 by-election in the Lyttelton electorate^[28] He was confirmed in the 1871 election for Lyttelton, again elected unopposed.^[29][30] In early April 1873, Peacock was promoted to the Legislative Council (the upper house)^[31][32] and resigned from Parliament on 5 April 1873.^[33]

Henry Richard Webb married one of the Peacock sisters in 1857 in Sydney and emigrated to New Zealand in 1868.^[27] He succeeded John Thomas Peacock in the Lyttelton electorate in 1873, and held the seat until the end of 1875.^[34][35]

Francis James Garrick (1833–1890), from Sydney, married Theresa's oldest sister, Elizabeth. He came to New Zealand in 1864, and succeeded Brown in the St Albans electorate from 1884-87.^[6]