Brown Sir William

Brown, Sir William, was born in 1784 at Ballymena, co. Antrim. After a few years spent in the United States, he returned to Liverpool, and entered upon a singularly successful mercantile career as a general merchant. He took a keen interest in local affairs, among his most munificent gifts being the founding of the Liverpool public library, at a cost to himself of £40,000. From 1846 to 1859 he represented South Lancashire in Parliament, and in 1863 was created a baronet. He was a strong advocate of a decimal coinage. He died in 1864 at Liverpool.