Ellen Fuller Brown

Wife of Constable Frederick Brown

A baptismal record dated 24 April 1859, for St Gabriel’s Church, Pimlico lists Jonathan Ward (Joiner) and Emma Fanny Ward of 57 Hanover St, with four children; John Fuller b 3 Jan 1850, Ellen Fuller b 9 Jan 1855, Annie [cannot read] b 17 Sept 1857 and Frank Fuller b 15 Dec 1858. It has been difficult to trace when Ellen Fuller came to Australia or if any of her family came also.

Ellen Fuller Ward married Frederick Brown on 12 October 1882 at St David’s Church, Surry Hills in Sydney NSW. She gave her birth place as London and her parents as Jonathan Ward, a carpenter, and Emma Jones with her usual place of residence as Newton in Sydney. Frederick Brown’s birthplace was Picton NSW, his parents being William David Brown (deceased) and Emma Bamford. He lists his occupation as a Constable aged, like Ellen as 25 years. Given the baptismal record Ellen or ‘Helen’ as she was known would have been 27 years but she may have confused her birth and baptismal dates. Frederick ‘Fred’s’ usual place of residence was Grafton.

It appears Frederick Brown was working as a Police Constable in Grafton at that time. In 1875 there are reference for him in the local newspapers.

In 1900 Senior Constable Frederick Brown was transferred to Maclean Police Station.

From 1883 until 1892 Ellen & Fred Brown had six children registered in NSW Births deaths and Marriages.

In 1902 Constable Fred Brown was shot in the line of duty but survived and continued as a Police Constable. Accounts of the crime, arrest where Fred was shot and the outcomes were widely reported on as it was quite a shocking case in many ways. James Dowling who had been removed to Sydney obviously unstable return by steamer, walked from the wharf up to the Hotel he had previously owned which was now being run by his wife, and shot her. He was chased and confronted by three policemen one of which was Fred Brown. He was warned but has he went to fire one of the Constable’s guns misfired when he tried to shoot Dowling to defend the Sergeant Brown and as a result he was shot in the leg.

James Dowling owned the Criterion Hotel in Maclean, had previously attacked his wife in 1900 and been deemed insane at that time but no charges were laid and he was released. In another link between owners of the cottage, the Criterion Hotel later became the Royal Hotel and was owned by John Murphy who in 1927 purchased the cottage at 3 River Street, Yamba.

One report included a sketch of the three Policemen involved – Sergeant Brown, Constable Somerville and Constable Bradbury given us a little insight into what Frederick Brown looked like.

River Street Yamba – Allotment 10

On 8 Mar 1904 Section 10 Allotment was transferred to ‘Ellen Fuller Brown, wife of Frederick Brown of Palmer’s Island, Police Constable.‘ ¹

The Brown’s retained ownership of the property but with some changes to what is now 2 River Street where James Ryall had built his original Bakers Oven and operated the bakery. As seen in the previous chapter Emanuel Perkins removed the baker’s oven to his new bakery on Yamba Road, this was after the sale of the property in March 1904. It is after this point that the purpose of these properties became solely as residential and leased houses.

Ellen and Fred remained in Bangalow with Fred Brown continuing to serve as a Sergeant at Bangalow Police Station. until after 1917

George Lacey

References

1. _{Certificate of Title Volume 1130 Folio 10 New South Wales Land Registry Services (NSW LRS)}