Return

FRANCIS LEONARD (Len) BROWN's story

This account has been adapted from "Browns of Kyeburn Peninsula" by Wally Brown - to whom many thanks



Born at Kyeburn Diggings in 1888, fourth child of Moses and Ellen, and may be assumed to have helped his father for a while after completing school in Kyeburn Diggings, but like his brother Arthur, he decided to try his hand at dairy farming and went to Taranaki with Arthur. As late as 1913 his name appears in the gold returns, and either he followed Arthur or he returned home - perhaps to raise enough funds to buy a farm of his own.

Len was a great cyclist, and as well as managing Naseby hill without the benefit of modern gears he used his bike in Taranaki to go courting his future wife Gladys Bridgeman who lived in New Plymouth, Taranaki - just a mere 43 miles! They were married at the Whiteley Memorial Church New Plymouth on 1st July 1920, and by 1924 Len had managed to buy his farm at Rowan on the Manaia Road, three quarters of a kilometre above the Stratford/Opunake Highway.

Len died from pneumonia in 1931 but Gladys carried on the farm. There is a new farm there now, with no trace of the old remaining to be seen.

Len, a man of a happy disposition, was well known for his entertaining abilities, especially his recitations, one of which was "Old Mother Hubbard". He could bring tears to the eyes of his listeners, and also played the violin with a masterly touch. Just the same kind of characteristics as the rest of the Brown family!

Return