Andrew Brown

In North America In 1787, Brown travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to serve as a minister at St. Matthew's Church. He also served as chaplin to the North British Society and British naval and army forces in the area.

He remained in North America until 1795. During this period he gathered historical information for a future publication on the history of North America. For the rest of his life this research continued but he failed to publish the materials. He attempted to compose the disputes between various factions in the parish and the region. He was particularly interested in the history of the Acadians both before and during their expulsion from Canada, and wrote sympathetically of them. He was strongly critical of Acting Governor Charles Lawrence for his role in the Expulsion of the Acadians.

In 1791 Brown visited Philadelphia and met Benjamin Rush, who described Brown as "a man of genius learning and observation". Brown's research appears to have included extended correspondence with the American historian Jeremy Belknap, whom he met during this same visit.

Return to Scotland

In 1792 Brown briefly returned to Scotland to marry his first wife before returning with her to Nova Scotia. He returned to Scotland permanently in 1795, finding employment as a minister of Lochmaben Church in Dumfriesshire. He was aided in securing this position by a recommendation from Prince William Henry.

Brown continued his research after his return to Scotland (covering the period 1790 to 1815) but it was not published during his lifetime. He wrote several drafts of what he intended to be a comprehensive History of North America, but it was never completed and published.

In 1833 he is listed as living at Primrose Bank in Edinburgh. This had been the home of his third wife's first husband.

He died in Carrington, Midlothian Notes on the Acadian French