BROWN, JAMES ELDER (1823-1900) was born in Banffshire, trained as a school teacher and came to Otago in the Ajax (1849). He first accepted an engagement to erect Valpy's flourmill at Water of Leith and in 1850 he relieved James Blackie as the first teacher of a public school in Otago. His parents and brothers having now arrived in the colony, Brown assisted them to erect, at Grant's Braes for Dr Burns, a threshing mill made entirely of native materials. He showed a model of this machine at the exhibition of 1889-90. The family also made 25 winnowing machines. In 1856, under the new regulations, Brown and his father settled on 105 acres in Tokomairiro adjoining the land which P. McGill had taken for a flourmill, and they assisted to erect the mill (1857). In 1860 he sold half an acre to W. H. Mansford to open a store, and thus the town of Milton came into existence, McGill cutting up 25 acres for town lots. In 1866 Milton was incorporated. Brown was mayor for the first three years and he carried on the surveys and engineering work for 14 years. In 1882 he retired from business and gave his attention to public affairs. He was chairman of the school committee (1878, 1880-81) and secretary for a long period, and a justice of the peace for 30 years. Brown died on 16 Jan 1900.

Brown; Scholefield, Tokomairiro D.H.S., 1856-1931; Otago Daily Times, 17 Jan 1900.

Reference: Volume 1, page 67

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