Red Brown (politician)

John "Red" Brown
2nd Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office March 3, 1846 – March 9, 1846
Preceded by	William E. Crump
Succeeded by	Edward T. Branch
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
In office November 3, 1851 – November 6, 1851
Preceded by	William Hardeman
Succeeded by	Jonathan Russell
Constituency	17th district
In office February 16, 1846 – December 13, 1847
Preceded by	State legislature established
Succeeded by	Adolphus Sterne John H. Reagan Elisha Everett Lott
Constituency	Nacogdoches County
Member of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives from the Nacogdoches district
In office September 6, 1841 – 1842
Member of the Alabama Senate
In office 1825–1827
Preceded by	John Wood
Succeeded by	John Wood
Constituency	Jefferson County
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
In office November 18, 1833 – January 18, 1834 Serving with Hugh M. Carithers
Preceded by	Samuel Sidney Earle
Succeeded by	William A. Scott John Cantley
Constituency	Jefferson County
In office November 17, 1828 – January 15, 1831
Preceded by	John Brown
Succeeded by	Emery Loyd Harrison W. Goyne
Constituency	Jefferson County
In office November 17, 1823 – December 31, 1823 Serving with Isham Harrison
Preceded by	Isaac Brown Thomas W. Farrar
Succeeded by	Thomas W. Farrar Benjamin Worthington
Constituency	Jefferson County
In office 1819–1821
Preceded by	Legislature established
Succeeded by	Marston Mead
Constituency	Blount County
Personal details
Born	1787 South Carolina, U.S.
Died	c. 1852 (aged 65–66) near Van Zandt County, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Margaret Hodges Brooks ​ ​ (m. 1806; died 1849)​ Elizabeth Ann Rainer ​ ​ (m. 1851)​

John "Red" Brown (1787 – c. 1852) was an American politician that served in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature, as a representative in the Republic of Texas and later as a state representative for Texas. He served briefly as the second Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in the First Texas Legislature. Brown was also one of the founders of the Democratic Party in Texas and is the founder and namesake of Brownsboro, Texas. He had the shortest term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, with only 7 days in office.

Linda S. Hudson wrote that Brown was likely born in Ireland and that early Texas census records list him as an Irishman and a farmer. However, John "Red" Brown was born in South Carolina in 1787. He was commonly known as Red due to his ruddy complexion, to distinguish himself from the other John Browns in the county.

He moved to Alabama from South Carolina in about 1818. On September 17, 1822, Brown was appointed as the presiding judge of Jefferson County, Alabama. He held the judicial office until January 1, 1823. He succeeded Peter Walker in county court, now known as the probate court, and was succeeded by Walker Keith Baylor. He was a member of both houses of the general assembly and moved to Tuskaloosa in 1834. He was the steward of the University of Alabama until he moved to Texas two years later.

He moved to Texas in 1836, settling in the Nacogdoches district. Brown represented Nacogdoches in the 6th Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1842.

Brown was elected to the First Texas Legislature after annexation of Texas into the United States. On March 3, 1846, Speaker William Crump was given a leave of absence, and Brown was elected Speaker of the House pro tempore. On March 9, 1846, Brown resigned as Speaker pro tempore, and the House elected Edward Thomas Branch.

He was a founder of Henderson County when it was formed from Nacogdoches County in 1846. Brown served as a notary public and a ferry operator, and received a license to operate a toll-bridge over Kickapoo Creek near Old Normandy (present-day Brownsboro, which was named for John Brown). On 27 April 1846, Brown helped to found the Texas Democratic Party in Austin. Brown served as a commissioner to help locate the state penitentiary in 1848. Brown established the town of Brownsboro in 1849, now the oldest town in Henderson County. In 1850, Brown was one of the commissioners that selected Athens as the seat of Henderson County.

Brown was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 17th district for 4 days. He was sworn in on November 3, 1851, and was unseated on November 6 following a contested election. He served until a vote recount proved that his opponent, Jonathan Russell, won the election.

Brown was married to Margaret Hodges Brooks. After her death in 1849, he married Elizabeth Ann (née Rainer) Holland in 1851. In the 1850 census, he was recorded as living in Van Zandt County, Texas. Brown probably died in the vicinity of Van Zandt County in 1852.

Bibliography

• Brewer, Willis (1872). Alabama: Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men from 1540 to 1872. Montgomery, Alabama: Barret & Brown, Steam Printers and Book Binders. ISBN 0871522020. OCLC 1713289 – via the Wayback Machine.
• Du Bose, John Witherspoon (1887). Jefferson County and Birmingham Alabama Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Alabama: Jeeple & Smith. LCCN rc01002471. OCLC 1047516396.