William Brown

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

William Brown

Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.

Mr. BROWN, who is president of the common council of Boonton and who has also attained wide reputation as an accomplished and skilled funeral director, is a native of Pequannock township, Morris county, New Jersey, where he was born on December 5, 1856, the son of Peter H. and Sophia (BLAUVELT) BROWN. When three years old he was brought to Boonton by his parents and here attended the public schools until attaining the age of fourteen years, when he entered the butchering business in his father's shop, remaining there for several years, and then removed to Newark, where he resided for eight years, engaged in the grocery business. Returning to Boonton he conducted a butcher-shop for three years, and from 1883 to 1897 he was engaged in the coal business, disposing of his interests in the same in order to establish himself as an undertaker, accomplishing that object on the 1st of April, 1897, since which time he has met with pronounced success in that line of enterprise.

Politically Mr. BROWN is a stanch Republican, and he is now serving his third term as a member of the common council, of which he was elected president in 1896. For eight years he has been a member of the Republican executive committee, and he is a charter member of the Boonton fire department and served three years on the board of engineers. In his social affiliations he is associated with Pequannock Council, No. 1060, Royal Arcanum, and with the Masonic fraternity, in the latter of which he has attained to the exalted degree of a Royal Arch Mason in Boonton Chapter, No. 21.

On the 9th of November, 1880, Mr. BROWN was united in marriage to Miss Emeline DIXON, a daughter of Josephus E. and Martha DIXON, of Boonton. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.

Peter H. BROWN, superintendent of streets of Boonton, was born in Passaic county, New Jersey, on March 22, 1826, a son of Henry and Catherine (DeBOW) BROWN, both of whom are of Dutch ancestry and natives of Passaic county, the former having been a prominent farmer and a member of the West Milford Reformed church. His death occurred in 1830, and he was survived by his widow, who subsequently married a Mr. FREDERICK and died some years later. Ten children were born to them, of which the following record is given :

John, deceased;
Garrett, deceased;
Hannah, now Mrs. Henry CONKLIN, of Passaic county;
Catherine, who married Stephen YOUNG, of Brooklyn;
Jane, now Mrs. Stephen FERRIS, of Hoboken;
Sarah, married Gordon RICHARDS, of Pompton;
Charles, deceased;
Rebecca, deceased;
Margaret, who married Jacob DeBAUN;
Peter H., who was reared in Passaic county by his uncle.

Peter H. BROWN was educated in the public schools of his native county and there learned the butcher trade, which he followed for many years. In 1851 he came to Morris county and located in Pompton Plains, whence he later removed to Boonton, having resided in the latter city for twenty-six years. He is a Republican in his political faith, has served as township committeeman and for the past twenty years he has been road supervisor of Boonton.

Mr. BROWN was married in 1849 to Miss Sophia BLAUVELT, a daughter of Joseph N. and Rachel BLAUVELT, and of the six children born to them, three survive, namely: John H., William and James, all of Boonton. Mrs. BROWN died on the 13th of January, 1892, and on the 1st of February, 1893, Mr. BROWN married her sister, Hannah A. BLAUVELT. He is a member of the Reformed church and has served as a deacon in the same.

This biography was scanned and contributed by Catherine Smith DeMayo.