260                     THE OLD MERCH.ajVTS
 

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CHAPTER   XXX.

Since my last volume was written several of our old
merchants have died, among whom was Pelatiah Perit.
Another is William Brown of the great Brown family
of merchants. I gave the history of the first, Alexan¬
der Brown, of Baltimore — the one who first came to
this country, about 1800. He had, as I stated, four sons :
George Brown of Baltimore, John A. Brown of Phila¬
delphia, James Brown of New York (firm of Brown
Brothers & Co.), and William Brown, who was of the
Liverpool house of Brown, Shipley & Co. He, as
well as all of the brothers, the sons of Alexander Brown,
was born in Ballymenas, County Antrim, Ireland, be¬
fore the old gentleman came to America, and they ac¬
companied him. William Brown was created a baron¬
et before he died. At that time he was a member of
the English Parliament for South Lancashire, and re¬
sided at his mansion, Richmond Hill, near Liverpool.
William did business in the United States for some years,
made a fortune, and then he went abroad as agent for
the other American house of his brother. In Liverpool
he «as t'ne head of the well known firm of Brown,
Shipley & Co., to which place he returned from this
country, after a residence of many years, and established
the leading firm already referred to.    After establishing