Brown, Elizabeth Jane - North Down & Ards War Dead

Brown, Elizabeth Jane

Civilian War Dead

Died as a result of enemy action on Sunday 4 May 1941 (aged 48)

Buried:

Comber New Cemetery, Co. Down (Grave 6. 224; no headstone)

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Mother of Civilian William Alexander Brown

Mother of Civilian James Brown

BIOGRAPHY

Mother and sons Elizabeth (Eliza, sometimes Cissie) Jane Brown, William (Willie, sometimes Billy) Alexander Brown and James (Jim) Brown lived at 48 Tamar Street, Belfast and it was there that they died during the blitz on Sunday 4 May 1941. Eleven death notices were published in the Wednesday 7 May 1941 edition of the Belfast Telegraph:

BROWN – Result of enemy action, Cissie, Willie and Jim the dearly beloved wife and sons of Edwin Alexander Brown. Deeply regretted by Father, Brothers and Sister; also Sisters-in-Law and Aunt Mary, 6 Dufferin Avenue and 40 Ava Street, Bangor.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, dearly-loved wife of Edwin Alexander Brown, also her sons William Alexander and James. Funeral from 20 Dundela Street tomorrow (Thursday) at 2.30 pm to Comber New Cemetery. Deeply regretted by her husband and their father, also her sons Wallace, Jack and Herbert.

It’s only good-night, dear wife and sons,

Just as we used to say;

We will meet again in the morning

At the dawn of a happier day.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, dearly-loved wife of Edwin Alexander Brown, also her sons William Alexander and James. Deeply regretted by her Sister and Brother-in-Law and family, Agnes and John Robson, 20 Dundela Street.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, dearly-loved wife of Edwin Alexander Brown, also her sons William Alexander and James. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing Brother and Sister-in-Law, William and Mary Morgan, Greengraves, Dundonald.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, dearly-loved wife of Edwin Alexander Brown, also her sons William Alexander and James. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing Sisters and Brother, Evelyn, Violet and Norman, Greengraves, Dundonald.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Billy Brown.

The call was sudden, the blow was hard

Deeply regretted by his sorrowing friend, Margaret, 203 Avoniel Road.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, William Alexander and James Brown. Deeply regretted by their friend, Mary Sloan, Chamberlain Street.

BROWN – The result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, William Alexander and James Brown. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing Niece and Husband, Phoebe and Billy Skimin, 42 Dundela Street.

BROWN – As result of enemy action, Eliza Jane, dearly-loved wife of Edwin Alexander Brown, also her sons William Alexander and James. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing Father-in-Law and Aunt, Mary Wallace, 6 Dufferin Avenue, Bangor; also her Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law, Mr and Mrs Wallace Brown, Ava Street, Bangor; also her Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law, Harry and Kathleen Brown, Abbey Street, Bangor; also Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law, Mr and Mrs Gilbert Brown, Bangor; also her Sister-in-Law and Brother-in-Law, Mr and Mrs Wright, Abbey Street, Bangor.

Eliza Jane Brown (nee Morgan) was born on 7 November 1893 in the townland of Commons, Newtownards and she was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Morgan (nee McKibbin) who were married on 6 February 1892 in First Comber Presbyterian Church. William Morgan, a labourer from Castleavery, was a son of James Morgan, a labourer. Lizzie McKibbin from Cherryvalley was a daughter of James McKibbin, a tailor.

William Morgan worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Lizzie had ten children:

Agnes (born 4 May 1892 in Cherryvalley, Comber; married John Robson, a labourer from 10 Agnes Street, Belfast on 1 March 1916 in St Anne’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Belfast)

Eliza Jane (born 7 November 1893 in Commons, Newtownards)

Minnie (born 6 August 1895 in Commons, Newtownards; married John Dunbar)

Margaret (Maggie, born 15 April 1897 in Commons, Newtownards; married Bertie Inch)

Eleanor McCrackin (born 24 January 1899 in Ballybeen, Dundonald)

William (born 19 March 1905 in Ballybeen, Dundonald)

James (born 24 February 1908 in Ballybeen, Dundonald)

Evelyn (born 14 March 1910 in Ballybeen, Dundonald)

Violet Finlay (born 2 January 1913 in Ballybeen, Dundonald)

Norman

The Morgan family lived in Newtownards, Dundonald, Belfast and Bangor.

In 1911 Eliza Jane Morgan was working as a domestic servant for John and Marion McClement who lived at 23 Shore Street, Donaghadee. John McClement was a chemist.

Eliza Jane Morgan from Ballybeen and Edwin Alexander Brown were married on 22 December 1915 in Dundonald Presbyterian Church. Edwin Alexander Brown, a grocer from Belfast, was a son of Edwin Alexander Brown, an iron moulder.

Edwin Alexander Brown subsequently worked as a groom and he and Eliza Jane Brown (nee Morgan) had at least five children:

William Edwin Alexander (born 10 October 1916 at 48 Tamar Street, Belfast)

Isaac Wallace (Wallace, born 7 November 1918 at 48 Tamar Street, Belfast)

Jack

Herbert

James (Jim, born around 1925/1926)

Elizabeth Jane Brown was 48 when she was killed during the Blitz on Sunday 4 May 1941. She was buried on Thursday 8 May 1941 in Comber New Cemetery in Plot 6.224; there is no headstone. Her son and daughter-in-law, Isaac Wallace Brown and Mary Brown, were buried in an adjacent grave (Plot 6.225). Isaac Wallace Brown died on 11 August 1988 and Mary Brown died on 25 December 1998.

Of the many civilians of the Commonwealth whose deaths were due to enemy action in the Second World War, the names of some 67,092 are commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located near St. George’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London.