A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Brown, Francis Thomas
BROWN. (Commander, 1840. f-p., 19; h-p., 8.)
Francis Thomas Brown, born 29 Oct. 1806, is son of the Rev. Walter Brown, Rector of Woodstock, and Prebendary of Canterbury.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 3 Feb. 1820, and embarked, 18 Nov. 1822, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Andromache 42, Capt. Joseph Nourse, with whom he served at the Cape of Good Hope, part of the time as Midshipman, until Sept. 1825. He passed his examination in Nov. following; was soon afterwards appointed Admiralty Mate of the Galatea 42, Capt. Sir Chas. Sullivan, employed on the Home, West India, and Lisbon stations; and, in June, 1827, removed, in the same capacity, to the Hussar 44, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Ogle in North America, where he was promoted, 20 Oct. 1829, as First-Lieutenant, into the Rose 18, Capts. Eaton Travers, Wm. Dewar, and Edw. Wm. Pilkington. He invalided from the West Indies in April, 1832; received an appointment in the Coast Guard 20 Nov. 1833; was subsequently transferred, in Jan. 1835, and 18 April following, as First-Lieutenant, to the Salamander steam-sloop, Capt. Wm. Langford Castle, on the Home station, and Clio 16, Capt. Wm. Richardson, in which vessel he served off the coasts of Spain and Africa, until paid off in Oct. 1838; and, on 26 April, 1839, joined, also as Senior, the Gorgon steam-frigate, Capt. Wm. Honeyman Henderson. For his services in that vessel throughout the operations on the Coast of Syria, from their very commencement until the fall of St. Jean d’Acre, Mr. Brown was advanced to the rank of Commander 4 Nov. 1840. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.