George Brown

George Brown (7 December 1835 – 7 April 1917) was an English Methodist missionary and ethnographer.

Early life and education

George Brown was born in Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. Brown reacted badly to his stepmother's discipline and attempted to run away to sea.

Conversion and missionary work

He lived in Samoa between 1860 and 1874, mostly on the island of Savai'i. He learned the language and wrote about Samoan culture.

Brown was a key figure in the early days of training Samoans for the ministry and the establishment of Piula Theological College on the north coast of Upolu Island in Samoa. Brown began writing his manuscript journals in Samoa, recording his experience as a missionary in the Pacific. The George Brown Collection, with over 800 ethnographic samples, is housed in the National Museum of Ethnography, Osaka, Japan.