Introduction
In the course of my research into the connections between my great-grandfather, Hamilton Police Chief Thomas Brown, and notorious prohibition-era mobster, Rocco Perri, I discovered that the head of the Royal Commission who investigated Rocco Perri in 1926 was Chief Justice James Thomas Brown.
Chief Justice James Thomas Brown
Chief Justice James Thomas Brown headed the Royal Commission on customs and excise, 17 Nov 1926, investigating customs corruption in cross-border alcohol smuggling, involving Rocco Perri and Thomas Hatch. He was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Saskatchewan. He represented Souris in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1905 to 1908 as a Provincial Rights Party member. (Full biography below)
Portadown, Armagh, Ireland
Chief Justice Brown’s family originally came from Portadown, Armagh, Ireland — the same place as my ancestors. Notwithstanding the fact that Brown is the 3rd most common surname in the English language, the coincidence of the same surname and same place of origin for both families connected in this story was too enticing for me not to investigate the possibility that Chief Justice Brown and Police Chief Brown might be related. Chief Justice Brown’s family tree is presented below. Police Chief Tom Brown’s family tree is presented on the Brown Family in Hamilton page.
While both of our Brown families originate within walking distance of each other in Armagh, Ireland, disappointingly, no direct connection has been found between the two families.
DNA Evidence
In 2022, a descendant of Chief Justice Brown took a Y-DNA test which were compared to mine. The test results showed conclusively, that, despite both our Brown families having such close geographic origins, we are not genetically related in the male line.
Chief Justice James Brown and Mobster Rocco Perri
On 17 Nov 1926 Chief Justice James Thomas Brown headed the Royal Commission on customs and excise investigating customs corruption in cross-border alcohol smuggling, involving notorious Canadian mobster Rocco Perri and his associate Thomas Hatch. For more on that story, click here.
John Brown in Portadown, Armagh, Ireland
John Brown, b. 1793, Armagh, Ireland , d. UNKNOWN, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
married in 1811 in Portadown, Armagh, Ireland
to Martha Thistle, b. Abt 1792, Armagh, Ireland
, d. 18 Jan 1870, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
. According to his son John’s biography, the John and family emigrated from Ireland to Canada in 1831, where they settled in Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada.
John and Martha had the following children:
1. William Brown, b. 1812, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. 26 May 1890, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (Age 78 years)
2. Nancy Brown, b. 1816, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. 1915, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (Age 99 years)
3. Mary Jane Brown, b. Abt 1819, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. UNKNOWN
4. Martha Thistle Brown, b. Abt 1822, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. UNKNOWN
5. Robert Brown, b. 1826, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. UNKNOWN
6. John Brown, b. 13 Sep 1827, Portadown, Armagh, Ireland, d. 30 Oct 1919, Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, USA (Age 92 years)
7. Samuel Brown, b. 24 May 1828, Killylea, Armagh, Ireland, d. 21 Jan 1915, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (Age 86 years)
8. Charles Brown, b. 1835, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada, d. 1915, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (Age 80 years)
9. Sarah Brown, b. 2 Mar 1837, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada, d. 1 Jul 1912, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada (Age 75 years)
10. Elizabeth Brown, b. 1838, Elgin, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada, d. UNKNOWN
Historic Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
John Brown and his family left Ireland in 1831 and immigrated to Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada.
Huntingdon is a small town in Huntingdon County in the Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality and the Montérégie region of the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is 75 km southwest of Montreal, and 15 km from the border with New York State.
The town was settled by British soldiers after the War of 1812 and the fertile land in the area led to a successful farming economy. Once the fear of attack from the Americans was gone, in the 1820s businessmen established lumber and grist mills on the banks of the Chateauguay River. (Wikipedia)
Samuel Brown in Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada
Samuel Brown, b. 24 May 1828, Killylea, Armagh, Ireland , d. 21 Jan 1915, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
(Age 86 years) . He was the son of John Brown and Martha Thistle, shown above.
Samuel married on 28 Sep 1859 in Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada to Margaret White, b. 9 Mar 1835, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada
, d. 18 Sep 1910, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada
(Age 75 years).
Samuel’s son, Chief Justice James Thomas Brown, did an informal family history in the 40’s and his first page reads:
“The forebears of the Browns at Huntingdon, Quebec, on father’s side, came originally from the County of Armagh, Northern Ireland, and more specifically from the town of Killylea. This town is located on the south-west side of Lake Kircubbin. It’s not far from Belfast and directly across the North Channel from Scotland. My father was born there in 1829.”
“b 24 May 1828 in Ireland, d 21 Jan 1915 (aged 85-86) in Huntingdon, Quebec. Married 28 Sep 1859 in Huntingdon, Quebec to Margaret White, (1835-1910), b 9 Mar 1835 in Huntingdon, Quebec. d 18 Sep 1910 (aged 75) in Hinchinbrooke, Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada” — FindAGrave
His wife: “Margaret White was the third daughter of John White (b 1793 in Kirkmichael, Perth and Kinross, Scotland) and Jane Elder, Margaret born in 1835. She married Samuel Brown on Sep 28, 1859 in Hinchinbrooke. To this union were born seven children: Jane Elizabeth, Samuel Robert, George Andrew, William Charles, James Thomas, Francis Walter and Margaret Edna. Margaret died on Sep 18, 1910 at her home in Hinchinbrooke.” — FindAGrave
Samuel is recorded as a widower residing in Hinchinbrooke Township, Huntingdon County, District of Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada, at the time of his marriage to Margaret White.
In 1851, Samuel was residing in Elgin, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada, as a labourer and a Presbyterian.
In 1861, Samuel was residing with his brother Charles’ family in Huntingdon, as a Presbyterian with his wife Margaret and two of their children: Alexander and John.
In 1891, Samuel was residing in Hinchinbrooke, Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada, as a farmer and a Methodist. He had the following family residing with him:
The Browns in Quebec had John Hyde and family working as domestic servants.
Samuel and Margaret had the following children:
1. Alexander Brown, b. 1857, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. UNKNOWN
2. John Brown, b. 1860, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. 1885, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada (Age 25 years)
3. Jane Elizabeth Brown, b. Oct 1862, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. 8 Jun 1866, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada (Age ~ 3 years)
4. Rev. Samuel Robert Brown, b. 1865, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. 30 Jun 1899, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Age 34 years)
5. George Andrew Brown, b. 29 Nov 1867, Valleyfield, Beauharnois-Salaberry, Quebec, Canada, d. 1924, Strasbourg, Saskatchewan, Canada (Age 56 years)
6. William Charles Brown, b. 25 Nov 1869, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. 15 Jan 1920, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (Age 50 years)
7. Chief Justice James Thomas Brown, b. 22 Oct 1871, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, d. 28 Apr 1957, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (Age 85 years)
Chief Justice James Thomas Brown
Chief Justice James Thomas Brown, b. 22 Oct 1871, Hinchinbrooke, Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada , d. 28 Apr 1957, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
(Age 85 years). He was the son of Samuel Brown and Margaret White, shown above.
James married in 1902 to Alice Matilda Lewis, b. Aug 1880, Quebec , d. UNKNOWN.
Chief Justice James Thomas Brown headed the Royal Commission on customs and excise, 17 Nov 1926, investigating customs corruption in cross-border alcohol smuggling, involving Rocco Perri and Thomas Hatch.
He was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Saskatchewan. He represented Souris in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1905 to 1908 as a Provincial Rights Party member.
He was born in Huntingdon, Quebec, the son of Samuel Brown and Margaret White, and was educated there and at McGill University. Brown moved to Manitoba in 1833 and to Saskatchewan in 1896. He practised law in Moosomin, Saskatchewan and later served as Crown Prosecutor for Assiniboia district.
In 1891, James was residing in Hitchingbrooke, Quebec, Canada with his parents and siblings. He was a law student.
In 1922, he married Alice M. Lewis. Brown was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the House of Commons in 1908.
He later lived in Regina. Brown served as a puisne judge for the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan. He was named Chief Justice for the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench in 1918.
Brown died in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, on April 28, 1957, at the age of 86.
The Honourable James T. Brown
1910 – 1918 Justice Supreme Court of Saskatchewan
1918 – 1957 Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan
James T. Brown was born in Huntington, Quebec in 1871. He graduated with honours from McGill University in 1893. He was admitted to the Manitoba Bar in 1896 and then moved to Moosomin (one of the most active judicial centres in the Province at that time) to establish the well-known, successful firm of Brown, Wylie and Mundell.
In 1910 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan and in 1918, when the Saskatchewan Courts were reorganized to establish an Appeal Court and a King’s Bench Court, he was appointed the Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench where he presided for thirty-nine years.
Justice Brown served on the Regina Riot Inquiry Commission (1935-1936), the Royal Grain Inquiry Commission (1928-1931) and the Brown-Elwood Royal Commission (1916).
Chief Justice Brown died on April 29, 1957.
Source.
Chief Justice Brown and his wife Alice had the following children: