wealthy merchant, and was, it is said, the first in Rhode Island to carry trade to China and the East Indies. He was the leader of the party that destroyed the British sloop-of-war “Gaspée” in Narragansett bay on 17 June, 1772, and was sent in irons to Boston on suspicion of having been concerned in that affair, but released through the efforts of his brother Moses. Anticipating the war of the revolution, he instructed the captains of his ships to freight their vessels on their return voyages with powder, and he furnished the army at Cambridge with a supply when it had not four rounds. He was chosen delegate to the continental congress in 1784, but did not take his seat. Later he was elected to congress, serving from 2 Dec., 1799, till 3 March, 1801. Mr. Brown laid the corner-stone of the first building of Rhode Island college, now Brown university, to the endowment of which he was one of the largest contributors, and was for twenty years its treasurer. A view of some of the buildings is given on page 395. —
Moses, b. in
Providence, R. I., 23 Sept., 1738; d. there, 6 Sept.,
1836. He was brought up in the family of his
uncle, Obadiah Brown, whose daughter he
married, and a portion of whose estate he inherited
by will. In 1763 he became engaged in business
with his three brothers, but, after ten years'
active experience, withdrew to follow more congenial
interests. Although brought up in the
Baptist faith, he became, subsequent to severe
domestic affliction, a member of the Society of
Friends, and remained until his death a firm
adherent to the doctrines of that society. He exerted
a strong influence in all its concerns, and filled
many of its important offices with dignity and
usefulness. The Friends' boarding-school in Providence
was founded by him, and his donations to
its support were frequent and liberal. In 1773 he
manumitted his slaves, and was one of the founders
of the abolition society of Rhode Island. He
was also an active member and liberal supporter
of the Rhode Island Peace and Bible societies. —
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Nicholas, philanthropist, son of Nicholas, b. in Providence, R. I., 4 April, 1769; d. there, 27 Sept., 1841, was graduated at Rhode Island college in 1786, and in 1791 the death of his father left him with a handsome fortune. Forming a partnership with his brother-in-law, Thomas P. Ives, he became a merchant, and, by his wisdom and honorable dealing, made the firm of Brown & Ives one of the most successful in the country, notwithstanding the dangers with which commerce was threatened by the French revolution and the war of 1812. For many years he was a member of the Rhode Island legislature, and was a delegate to the Harrisburg convention of 1840, which nominated Harrison to the presidency. He was one of the most munificent patrons of Rhode Island college, which, in 1804, changed its name to Brown university in his honor. His donations to the college amounted in all to nearly $100,000. In 1804 hs gave $5,000 to found a professorship of oratory and belles-lettres. In 1822 he erected the second college building, which he presented to the corporation in a letter dated 13 Jan., 1823. At his suggestion it was named Hope college in honor of his only surviving sister, Mrs. Hope Ives. In 1835 he erected the third building, requesting that it be named Manning hall, after Dr. Manning, who was president of the college during his undergraduate days. He also gave $10,000 toward building Rhode Island hall and the president's house. Mr. Brown was officially connected with the college for fifty years, during twenty-nine of which he was its treasurer. He was chosen a trustee in 1791, and was a member of its board of fellows from 1825 till his death. Besides his donations to the university, he gave nearly $10,000 to the Providence Athenæum, liberally aided in the building of churches and the endowment of colleges and academies, and bequeathed $30,000 for an insane asylum, to be established at Providence. See Hunt's “Lives of American Merchants” (New York, 1856). — Obadiah, merchant, the only son of Moses, b. in Providence, R. I., 15 July, 1771; d. there, 15 Oct., 1822. He engaged in business with William Almy, and they associated with them Samuel Slater, who introduced into this country the spinning of cotton by machinery on Arkwright's principle, under the firm-name of Almy, Brown & Slater. The business developed very largely under their management, they became very wealthy, and the source of support to a large population. Mr. Brown continued in the religious faith of his father, and, as he had no children of his own, distributed his wealth among deserving objects of public and private charity. His benefactions were extended to worthy enterprises in all Christian bodies, although his principal donations were to the Friends' boarding-school, founded by his father, to which he left $100,000 by his will, to form a permanent charitable fund. — John Carter, merchant, son of the second Nicholas, b. in Providence, R. I., 28 Aug., 1797; d. there, 10 June, 1874, was graduated at Brown university in 1816, and at once entered his father's counting-room, becoming, in 1832, a partner in the business. Mr. Brown was part owner in several cotton-factories, and was interested in business enterprises in Rhode Island, New York, and elsewhere. Although an active merchant, he continued his interest in literary topics, and gathered a fine library of Americana prior to 1800, which was considered the most complete in the world, and its treasures were freely placed at the service of scholars. On several occasions he sent to eminent historians in Europe books that, if they had been lost, could not have been replaced. The library contained the most complete known collection of the “Jesuit Relations”; the letters and journals of the Jesuit missionaries in North America, embracing forty-eight volumes; books relating to the settlement and history of New England, scarcely an important work being wanting; volumes relating to Spanish and Portuguese America, the north polar district, and other regions of North and South America. It comprised in all 6,235 separate works or titles, of which an elaborate catalogue was prepared by John Russell Bartlett, and printed (4 vols., 8vo, 1865-'71). Mr. Brown was liberal in his gifts for educational purposes, and gave to Brown university more than $160,000, which was devoted principally to the erection of a fire-proof library building. He was a trustee of the university from 1828 till 1842, and a fellow from 1842 till 1874. On his death he left about
