1893
Henry Isaac Close Brown
York Castle High School
Henry Isaac Close Brown was born in Montego Bay on November 28, 1874, the son of George Phillpotts Brown, solicitor, and Agnes Kidd Close, daughter of the Rev. Isaac Close, rector of Kirby Hill, Yorkshire, England.
Daily Gleaner, April 21, 1893
'. . . Mr Justice Brown the famous coloured Jamaican jurist who was later to become titled as Sir Henry (Isaac Close) Brown whose judicial opinions and decisions won profound respect and constant approval from the members of the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council.' Daily Gleaner, Oct 16, 1977
'Prominent among the features of Mr. Brown's success, may be numbered the thoughtful application to his work: absence of display of superiority, courtesy of demeanour, and adhesion to the principles of justice and fair play' Daily Gleaner, October 24, 1919, letter James Nash
H I C Brown received a knighthood in the New Years honours in 1938. He received congratulations from all quarters, including from the citizens of Smith Village, an area of Kingston now a part of Denham Town.
Daily Gleaner, February 28, 1938
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Sir Henry at 80'
Daily Gleaner, November 28, 1954
In 1938, in the immediate aftermath of the Frome Riot, Sir Henry was appointed to chair a commission to enquire into the events. The other two members were Sir Charles Doorly, a colonial official, and Harold Allan, later Sir Harold, a leading local politician, and these men were both Jamaicans, like Sir Henry.
Sir Charles Doorly, born Lucea 1875, died St Andrew 1942.
Sir Harold Allan, born Port Antonio 1895, died St Andrew 1953.
Daily Gleaner, March 19, 1962
Please note: the dates of his knighthood given in the two resumés of Sir Henry's career in the press are incorrect - he was knighted in 1938; a warning not to believe everything you read in the newspapers!
