George Mackenzie Brown
Encyclopedia
George Mackenzie Brown was a Canadian
-born Scottish
publisher who also followed a political career. As a publisher, he produced Arthur Conan Doyle
's books; as a politician, he beat him to win election to the House of Commons
.
, the son of Hon. George Brown
who was Liberal Party
Member of Parliament for Ontario South
. He was sent to the leading private school Upper Canada College
, and then back to his father's native Scotland to Merchiston Castle School
from where he won entry into King's College
, Cambridge
.
, an Edinburgh
-based publisher; as a publisher he was following in his father's profession. One of Nelson's most popular authors was Dr Arthur Conan Doyle
. In 1901 Brown married Mary Nelson, daughter of the founder of the firm.
Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh Central
, Brown was chosen to fight the seat. The Unionists did not choose their candidate for the seat until much closer to the election, but when they did, Brown found himself opposed by Dr Conan Doyle, standing as a Liberal Unionist
. Conan Doyle did better than any previous Unionist candidate in the constituency, but Brown was elected by a majority of 569 votes.
a deputation from the Scottish Temperance
Legislation Board, who were campaigning for a change in the law to prohibit the sale of alcoholic liquor. He also pressed for more underground telegraphy
lines between England and Scotland to aid communication.
motion condemning the imprisonment of Irish MPs who were campaigning for the United Irish League
and land reform. He also joined the council of the Free Trade Union when it was set up in response to the demand for Tariff Reform in 1903.
After the end of his political career, Brown moved to Taynuilt
in Argyll
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-born Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
publisher who also followed a political career. As a publisher, he produced Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's books; as a politician, he beat him to win election to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.
Canadian origins
Brown was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the son of Hon. George Brown
George Brown (Canadian politician)
George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...
who was Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament for Ontario South
Ontario South
Ontario South was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1925. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. He was sent to the leading private school Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
, and then back to his father's native Scotland to Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
from where he won entry into King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Business life
On leaving Cambridge, Brown became managing trustee of Thomas Nelson and SonsThomas Nelson (publisher)
Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in Scotland in 1798 as the namesake of its founder. Its former US division is currently the sixth largest American trade publisher and the world's largest Christian publisher. It is owned by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company...
, an Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
-based publisher; as a publisher he was following in his father's profession. One of Nelson's most popular authors was Dr Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
. In 1901 Brown married Mary Nelson, daughter of the founder of the firm.
Political career
When William McEwan announced his retirement as LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, Brown was chosen to fight the seat. The Unionists did not choose their candidate for the seat until much closer to the election, but when they did, Brown found himself opposed by Dr Conan Doyle, standing as a Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
. Conan Doyle did better than any previous Unionist candidate in the constituency, but Brown was elected by a majority of 569 votes.
Campaigns
Brown was regarded as unknown by the political world when elected. On 16 October 1901 he introduced to H. H. AsquithH. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
a deputation from the Scottish Temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
Legislation Board, who were campaigning for a change in the law to prohibit the sale of alcoholic liquor. He also pressed for more underground telegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
lines between England and Scotland to aid communication.
Retirement
In the autumn of 1902 Brown announced that he would not seek re-election at the next general election That October he voted for an Irish Parliamentary PartyIrish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
motion condemning the imprisonment of Irish MPs who were campaigning for the United Irish League
United Irish League
The United Irish League was a nationalist political party in Ireland, launched 23 January 1898 with the motto "The Land for the People" . Its objective to be achieved through agrarian agitation and land reform, compelling larger grazier farmers to surrender their lands for redistribution amongst...
and land reform. He also joined the council of the Free Trade Union when it was set up in response to the demand for Tariff Reform in 1903.
After the end of his political career, Brown moved to Taynuilt
Taynuilt
Taynuilt is a large village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland located at the western entrance to the narrow Pass of Brander.-Location:The village is situated on the River Nant about a kilometre before the river flows into Loch Etive at Airds Bay. This is just to the west of a narrowing of the loch down...
in Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
.