Owen Brown (abolitionist, born 1824)

Owen Brown (November 4, 1824, Hudson, Ohio – January 8, 1889, Pasadena, California), was the third son of abolitionist John Brown. He was "to some extent a cripple from childhood by an injury of the right arm."[1][2]:344 He described himself as "an engineer on the Underground Railroad and a "woodsman almost all my life", by which he meant not that he was a lumberjack, but that he was capable at hiking through woody terrain.[2]:346 Owen fought with his father in Kansas and participated in John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, escaping capture and making it to the safety of the home of his brother John Jr., in Ashtabula County, Ohio.[2] He later served as an officer in the Union Army in the American Civil War.

For other people named Owen Brown, see Owen Brown (disambiguation).
Owen Brown
Born(1824-11-04)November 4, 1824
Hudson, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJanuary 8, 1889(1889-01-08) (aged 64)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
Resting place34°13′3″N 118°9′37″W
Known for
Parent(s)John Brown
RelativesOwen Brown (grandfather), Watson (brother)

Owen Brown was the last surviving male member of the raiding party (his paternal sister, Annie Brown Adams, who outlived him, was also among the raiding party); he died of pneumonia January 8, 1889, in Pasadena, California, at the age of 64. Reportedly 2,000 mourners, equaling the entire population of Pasadena, marched in the funeral procession up to Little Roundtop Hill in West Altadena in the Meadows 34°13′3″N 118°9′37″W (34.217525, -118.160381).[3] Ten years later, a marker was placed at the grave site. It read: "Owen Brown, Son of John Brown, the Liberator, died Jan. 9, 1889." Two iron ornaments, a heavy hook on the left, and a 6" diameter ring on the right, were attached to eyelets in the marker and could be moved - symbolizing freedom from the shackles of slavery and rapture from mortal bounds.

The marker mysteriously disappeared from the grave site in 2002, along with the concrete base and surrounding rail fencing, after the property on which it was located was sold.[4] No legal action was taken. In 2012, the missing gravestone was found a few hundred feet from the gravesite.[5]

He is used as narrator in Russell Banks' novel about John Brown, Cloudsplitter.

Owen Brown is a supporting character in Ann Rinaldi’s novel Mine Eyes Have Seen. The book is from the perspective of Owen’s sister, Annie Brown.

Actor Jeffrey Hunter portrayed Owen in the 1955 film Seven Angry Men. The title refers to John Brown and his six grown sons, focusing mostly on the moral debate between Owen and his father.

He is portrayed by actor Beau Knapp in the 2020 Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird based on the 2013 novel of the same name by James McBride.

See also

References
  1. "History of John Brown otherwise "Old B," and his Family". Charleston Daily Courier (Charleston, South Carolina). October 22, 1859. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  2. Keeler, Ralph (March 1874). "Owen Brown's Escape From Harper's Ferry". Atlantic Monthly: 342–365.
  3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  4. Lindahl, Chris (January 14, 2019). "Abolitionist Owen Brown's Altadena grave to be preserved in compromise with La Vina developer". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  5. Figueroa, James (August 27, 2012). "Abolitionist Owen Brown gravestone, missing for 10 years, found in Altadena". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.