Biography of Captain Kenneth Ashby Brown

Kenneth Ashby Brown was born on 5 August 1887, son of Nicol Paton Brown, a manufacturer, and Maria Crowley Ashby Brown of 22 Bellhaven Terrace, Glasgow.

Brown studied at Glasgow Academy and Marlborough College. He then matriculated at the University of Glasgow in the academic year 1904-5, in which he studied Latin, Greek and Mathematics. Brown was admitted into Jesus College, Cambridge in 1905.

On leaving education Brown went into business and became the Director of John Brown and Sons Ltd., Glasgow, a muslin manufacturing company in Glasgow. He was also involved in OTC training at the University of Glasgow, serving as a commissioned officer and a member of the OTC Committee from 1909 until his resignation in February 1914.

Brown was appointed to the 5th Battalion Scottish Rifles with the rank of Second Lieutenant on 1 April 1908. He was then granted the local rank of Captain on 24 May 1910 and finally promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January 1915.

Brown was deployed to France in 1915, where he was killed in action on 14 April 1917. At this time the Scottish Rifles were involved in the Battle of Arras; a British offensive during World War One against the German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front. Brown was buried in Heninel-Croiselles Road Cemetery, France.

Sources

Other Online Resources

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Casualty Details for Kenneth Ashby Brown
• Glasgow Academy WW1 Roll of Honour

Printed Materials

• London Gazette, 24 June 1910, Issue 28389, p.4493
• London Gazette, 26 January 1915, Issue 29051, p.889
• London Gazette, 8 September 1908, Issue 28175, p.6532

Archival Materials

• Ch4/3/2/3/966
• COL/3/2, Jesus College Archives, Cambridge
• DC099/1/1, Glasgow University OTC Joint Committee meeting minutes, University of Glasgow Archives
• KOR/1/2, Jesus College Archives, Cambridge
• R8/5/25/1, Matriculation Album 1904-5 (A-B), University of Glasgow Archives

Summary

Captain Kenneth Ashby Brown
Born 5 August 1887.
Died 14 April 1917.
GU Degree: Arts, 1904-1905;
University Link: Student
Occupation categories: military
English snippet: Arts student at the University of Glasgow 1904-05
Record last updated: 19th May 2014

Country Associations

Scotland, Glasgow
Place of Birth

France, No Region
Place of Death

England, Cambridgeshire, Cambridge

University Connections

University Roles

• Student

Images

Captain Kenneth Ashby Brown