BROWN, Frank

1858 - 1929

Francis Brown was born at Ipswich in 1858, second son of William Brown (1820-20 October 1891), a timber merchant of Gypeswyk Hall, Ipswich, and his wife Esther née Landon (1824-1889), Francis was a brother to Margaret Landon Brown and grandson of William Brown. Frank, as he was known, was educated at Ipswich Grammar School, and studied at the Ipswich School of Science & Art, in 1880 winning a pass certificate in Freehand Drawing and a prize for his Model Drawing. Articled, as his first pupil, to architect Brightwen Binyon and subsequently in the offices of George Edmund Street, R.A. (1824-1881), before going into partnership with John Shewell Corder who, in 1886, then had a practice at 9 Thoroughfare, Ipswich. Frank married at St Peter's Church, Ipswich on 17 October 1889, Annie Agnes Smythe, only daughter of artist Thomas Smythe. In 1911, Frank was a 52-year-old architect, living at 'Heathfield', Freehold Road, Ipswich with his 41 [sic] year-old wife and their seven children, Mildred Esther 20, Phyllis Mary 15, Frances Victoria 13, Vera Jermyn 12, Wilfred Jermyn 10, Gerald Frank 7 and Gwendoline 4, with his 66-year-old mother-in-law Jane Smythe. Brown unsuccessfully tried to resurrect the Ipswich Silk Weaving Company, and in conjunction with Luther Hooper, opened a factory in Handford Road, Ipswich, a book with 'Frost's Drawings of Ipswich' by Brown (1895) was bound in silk from this factory, but the factory was a failure. He then went into partnership, George Hastings Burgess, and they acquired the architect business of Brightwen Binyon. A member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1886-1919 but had exhibited from Gippeswyk Hall, Ipswich in 1885, a watercolour 'Sketch of Little Wenham'. Francis Brown died at 'Aysgarth', Lattice Barn, Woodbridge Road, Ipswich on 16 May 1929, aged 70 and his wife followed from 341 Colchester Road, Ipswich on 30 January 1949, aged 81.

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Works by This Artist