Mediterranean; there removed, 15th March, 1804, to the Kent 74, Captain John Chambers White; and on 30th January, 1805, joined as First-Lieutenant the Phoenix, of 42 guns and 145 men, Captain Thomas Baker. On the 10th August following, Mr. Brown was present in the brilliant action which rendered the French frigate Le Didon, of 46 guns and 330 men, a prize to the Phoenix, after a furious action of three hours and a half, which cost the former a loss of 27 killed and 44 wounded, and the latter of 12 killed and 28 wounded; yet were six years suffered to roll away before he was awarded that promotion to which, as second in command on an occasion of such heroic gallantry, he was so pre-eminently entitled. After sharing, on November 4th, in the same year, in Sir Richard Strachan's action off Ferrol, and capturing four of the French line of battle-ships that had escaped from Trafalgar, and receiving for that service the war-medal, he was transferred, with Captain Baker, to the Didon, which ship had been added to the British Navy. He was subsequently appointed, 23rd August, 1806, to the Impérieuse 38, Captains Lord Cochrane and Alexander Skene, employed in the Channel; and, for short periods, 28th December, 1807, and 14th November, 1809, to the Flore 36 and Ulysses 44, the latter commanded by the Hon. Warwick Lake. He was ultimately advanced to the rank of Commander 1st August, 1811; and on the 18th May, 1812, unable to procure further promotion, he accepted the rank of Retired Captain. In January, 1835, King William IV. made him a Knight (3rd Class) of the Hanoverian Guelph Order. He attained the rank of Knight Bachelor in 1838, and in that year Queen Victoria also conferred upon him the honour of Knighthood. He married 14th August, 1822, Mary, daughter of Mr. John Hume, of Edinburgh, Writer to the Signet.

Sir Samuel Brown's chief reputation was gained as an engineer. He invented an improved method of manufacturing links for chain cables, which he patented in 1816, conjointly with Philip Thomas; and the experiments which he carried out led to the introduction of chain cables into the Navy. He also patented in 1817 improvements in suspension bridges, the patent including a special sort of link which enabled such bridges to be constructed on a larger scale than had ever before been possible. The first large suspension bridge which was erected under his auspices was the Union Bridge across the Tweed, near Berwick (which was commenced in 1819, and finished in 1820), a picture of which, painted by Alexander Nasmyth, before the erection of the bridge, in order to see what it would be like when completed, was, and probably is now, in the possession of the Society of Arts. Captain Brown's principle was also used by Telford in the suspension bridge across the Menai Straits. It may also be mentioned that the Captain erected a Pier at Newhaven (Leith, near Edinburgh), a Bridge at Heckham, and supplied the ironwork for Hammersmith Suspension Bridge. But, unquestionably, the greatest effort of his genius was the construction of the Brighton Chain Pier, which was erected in 1823, in the face of exceptional difficulties, in less than twelve months, and which, after standing for nearly three-quarters of a century, was destroyed, amidst general regret, by the fearful storm of December 4th, 1896. In addition to his inventions connected with chains and cables, Captain Brown took out numerous other patents (ten in all) most of them for matters connected with naval architecture or marine engineering. Sir Samuel Brown died on the 13th March, 1852, at his residence, Vanbrugh Lodge, Blackheath, leaving a widow but no issue.

No engraving of a portrait of Sir Samuel Brown is, so far, known to be in existence, although it has been said that a full-length picture in oil has been seen, and may still exist, in the possession of one of his nieces who is now living in one of the Colonies. The following description of Sir Samuel Brown has, however, been given us by Miss Sarah Gurr:-He was of medium height; not stoutly built; had a ruddy complexion, and his hair was iron grey. Owing to some injury or defect, he walked somewhat limping with the assistance of a stick. In his latter days, he was frequently to be seen on “the Front," drawn about in a hand-chair.

During the construction of the Chain Pier Captain. Brown resided at 48, Marine-parade.

INDEX.

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