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Peter Brown (June 29, 1784 - June 30, 1863) was a Scottish-Canadian journalist and publisher. He created numerous newspapers in the United States and Upper Canada, including The Globe, a precursor to The Globe and Mail.

Early life (Scotland)

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Peter Brown was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 29, 1784.[1] His father was James Brown, a farmer from Athelstaneford, Scotland, who moved to Edinburgh and became a builder, millwright, and a General Commissioner of Police.[2] His mother was Jean Lyon. He married Marianne Mackenzie in 1813 and they had six children survive to adulthood and three sons who died as infants.[1][3]

Brown worked as a linen draper on Cowgate by 1809. He then opened a glassworks in Alloa, often travelling between the town and Edinburgh throughout the 1820s. By the end of the decade he decided to devote his attention to his Edinburgh warehouse business and closed the glassworks.[3] His warehouse He worked as a textile and general merchant and owned a warehouse in the 1830s. He was also a burgess in Edinburgh. Politically, Brown was aligned with the Whig Party and supported the reform movement within Great Britain.[1] Within Edinburgh municipal politics, Brown supported borough reform and celebrated the passage of the Reform Act 1832.[4]

In 1835, Brown was appointed as collector of assessments. The following year, Brown was embroiled in a political scandal: Brown had placed some of the public funds obtained in his political position into his private bank accounts. When business speculations failed that year, £2,800 of public funds were accidentally used to pay the debts. There were few accusations of dishonesty, and relatives and friends helped Brown pay back the money. However, Brown thought this scandal negatively affected his political reputation. He tried unsuccessfully to pay back his debts as he struggled to combat the negative effects of an economic depression.[4]

First publication (US)

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Brown attempted to solve his continuing monetary struggles by emigrating to the United States. He sold his assets in Scotland and left most of the funds with his wife and younger children.[5] In April 1837, he travelled to Liverpool and boarded a boat called the Eliza Warwick to New York with his son, George.[6] When he arrived he used his remaining funds to open a draper's shop.[2] dried foods business.[1]

After opening his shop, Brown started writing the occasional article about British politics for the New York Albion,[7] a newspaper marketed towards British emigrants in New York.[1] When he became a regular contributor for the paper, he expanded his topics to American politics,[7] criticising the corruption and attempts to demagogue groups of people within the American political system. In 1842 he wrote The Fame and Glory of England Vindicated under the pseudonym "Libertas". The book was a response to Charles Edwards Lester's critique of British culture and institutions, published as The Glory and Shame of England the previous year. Brown's book critiqued Lester with statistics, political arguments written from a British Liberal perspective, and tried to give the impression that Lester had little experience with British culture. He also critiqued the hypocrisy of American concepts of liberty while it continued the institution of slavery, and denounced the American political system as "tyranny of the majority"[8] The book gained considerable attention in Britain, the US, and Canada, and Brown sold his shop and refocused his career on journalism.[1][9]

Brown capitalised on the success of his book to launch British Chronicle in July 1842 with his son George. Brown was listed on the masthead as "Editor". The paper was marketed to the Scottish community in the US and Canada, with many stories about British current events, religious affairs, and politics skewed towards a Whig-Liberal perspective. The paper grew in popularity in Canada so it started to also report on the affairs of the colony. The paper supported the union that created the Province of Canada, believing it would solve the problems exposed in the colonies during the Rebellions of 1837–1838.[10] Brown shifted the paper's priority towards covering the Disruption of 1843, when the Free Church of Scotland separated from the Church of Scotland, as he assumed his mostly Scottish Presbyterian readership would be interested in the conflict.[11] Brown supported the Free Church and his articles in Chronicle showed this support. Meanwhile, Free Church supporters in Canada did not have a publication that supported their views and were concerned that they would struggle to disseminate their message. Forty-five leaders in Toronto signed a letter asking Brown to move his paper's publication to Canada, offering a $2500 bond and guaranteeing a minimum circulation of customers. They presented their offer to George Brown, who encouraged his father to accept. Peter Brown acquiesced, disbanded the Chronicle in July 1843, and moved to Toronto.[12]

Later career (Canada)

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Brown founded a weekly newspaper in Toronto called Banner in August 1843. Brown was responsible for reports on religious institutions, focused on the affairs of the Canadian Presbyterian church. Brown's articles described the Free Kirk arguments against the main church and defended Presbyterian churches from the dominant Anglican institutions, who categorised Presbyterians as "Dissenters". He also called for unity amongst Christian denominations such as Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and evangelical Anglicans to defend against growing Catholic influence and Anglican dominance in Canada.[13]

His son George managed the "Secular Department", which included news articles and editorials about Britain, Europe, and Toronto issues. Politically, the Browns supported liberal and reform causes but avoided supporting specific political parties. The tense political climate made this unsustainable and the paper eventually supported Robert Baldwin's Reform party.[14] George founded The Globe in March 1844 to split the political articles from Banner. Brown wrote and edited articles for his son's paper while taking primary responsibility for Banner.[15]

In 1844, Banner welcomed a free Free Kirk delegation from Scotland that toured Canada to preach their viewpoint of the conflict. When the Free Kirks in Canada broke away to create the Presbyterian Church of Canada in July, Banner printed their support of the move. Brown supported a breakaway congregation from St. Andrew's Church in Toronto called Knox Presbyterian Church.[16]

In the summer of 1845, George went west of Toronto to grow the paper and his political fortunes in the region. Brown was left in charge of Globe while also managing Banner.[17] As Brown continued to build his political career in the region, Peter continued managing the affairs of both papers.[18] Globe became more successful and influential than Banner, and Brown struggled to manage both papers during George's frequent absences. Banner ceased publication in July 1848 so Brown could focus on Globe, becoming its deputy editor.[19]

By 1850 George was responsible for most of the editorial work of the paper, and Brown retired that year.[20] Brown remained involved with Reform and philanthropic groups such as the Toronto Anti-Slavery Society[1] and the Toronto Anti-Clergy Reserves Association.[21]

In 1857, Brown travelled with his daughter, Catherine, to visit his other daughter, Jane, in New York. On October 15 their train derailed and plunged into a creek. Catherine drowned, while Brown survived with bruises.[22] Brown died in Toronto on June 30, 1863.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Careless, J.M.S. (1976). "Brown, Peter". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ a b Careless 1959, p. 3.
  3. ^ a b Careless 1959, p. 4.
  4. ^ a b Careless 1959, p. 2.
  5. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 2–3.
  6. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 1, 3.
  7. ^ a b Careless 1959, p. 16.
  8. ^ Careless 1959, p. 17.
  9. ^ Careless 1959, p. 18.
  10. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 18–19.
  11. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 20–21.
  12. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 21–23.
  13. ^ Careless 1959, p. 34.
  14. ^ Careless 1959, p. 29.
  15. ^ Careless 1959, p. 42.
  16. ^ Careless 1959, p. 59.
  17. ^ Careless 1959, p. 61.
  18. ^ Careless 1959, p. 75.
  19. ^ Careless 1959, p. 78.
  20. ^ Careless 1959, p. 101.
  21. ^ Careless 1959, p. 138.
  22. ^ Careless 1959, pp. 241–242.
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