People of Angus
Alexander Brown ‘The Arbroath Astronomer’ 1814 - 1893
Alexander Brown was born at Grange of Conon on 8th February 1814 to Alexander Brown, and his wife Margaret Buick, in a small ‘but and ben’ near the centre of the hamlet, where his father was a weaver.
Alexander was baptised during one of the severest snowstorms for many years. He was poorly, described as a ‘weary bairn’. His parents carried him to Tarry House, then doing duty in the St Vigean’s Manse, for the baptism. Alexander remained at school until he was thirteen. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a weaver while continuing his studies. While working at his loom, he studied history, geography and scientific subjects.
On 2nd September 1830 there was a total eclipse of the moon and using his books, he was able to ascertain the nature of eclipses, which whetted his appetite for astronomy.
During 1833 Alexander began attending scientific lectures given by a native of Arbirlot, and author of several published works, George Carey. In 1835 he commenced trigonometry classes run by one Robert Naughty. However, after 3 weeks Naughty confessed that his pupil was more proficient than himself and began coming to his former pupil for instruction!
In 1835 Alexander first became known as an astronomer when the Rev. William Allan used Brown’s computations, calculations and diagrams at a lecture to illustrate the path of Halley’s Comet. About this time Alexander calculated and projected the different elements and planes of the annular eclipse of the sun that occurred on Sunday 15th May 1836, which brought him to the notice of Professor Nichol of Glasgow.
In 1840 Alexander accepted an appointment as a clerk in the law office of Lyon & Andson, remaining there for 17 years, until moving to the Arbroath Town Clerk’s office. He worked there until he retired in 1880. Over the years his scientific interest showed no sign of abating and, with the aid of his St Vigean’s minister, John Muir, he began to study meteorology and to move into higher scientific circles becoming acquainted with the geologist, Hugh Miller and, through a former Arbroathian, Dr John Kyd of Spynie, was introduced to Dr David Brewster of St Andrews. During 1843 Alexander wrote a paper on the extraordinary high tide that affected the East Coast, which Dr Brewster presented to a meeting of the British Association in Dublin, this being the first of many submitted by Brown to that body.
He began to contribute observations to the Meteorology Department of Greenwich Observatory until 1855, when he became the foremost contributor to the Meteorology Society of Scotland, at its foundation.
For 40 years he acted as Meteorology Observer at Arbroath and, it was at his suggestion that an Observation Station was erected at the New Cemetery, which, at his retirement, was removed to Dishland Hill.
Alexander was a prolific writer contributing both local topics for newspapers and specialist subjects for scientific publications.
In 1870, in recognition of his, largely self-taught, scholarship and proficiency in science the University of St Andrews conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws.
A devout Christian all of his life, which he did not allow to interfere with his scientific studies, he joined the Free Church at the Disruption becoming an Elder of Free Inverbrothock.
In his will, published after his death on 27th July 1893, the residue of his estate was used to establish a bursary to assist any Arbroathians studying the physical sciences at the Universities of St Andrews and Dundee.
Sources:
Eminent Arbroathians P415-423
Wardens Angus Vol 5, P155-158
© Angus Council 1998 - 2008