Henry Brown (New Zealand politician)

Henry Brown
Henry Brown (year unknown)
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Taranaki
In office 1896 – 1899
Preceded by	In abeyance (last held by George Albert Marchant)
Succeeded by	Edward Metcalf Smith
Personal details
Born	1842 Lincolnshire, England
Died	10 March 1921 (aged 78) Inglewood, New Zealand
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Harriet Brown (née Brooking)

Henry Brown JP (1842 – 10 March 1921) was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was a prominent saw miller in the Taranaki Region.

Brown was born in 1842 in Lincolnshire, England. His parents were Sophia Brown and the Rev. Henry Handley Brown (1813–1893), who had been appointed to the Omata District by the Bishop Selwyn. In North Kesteven, the Reverend was Rector of Burton Pedwardine and Vicar of Howell, where his parishioners gave him £50 for land in the colony.

Henry Brown received his education in Neuwied, Germany and Lausanne, Switzerland. He arrived with his parents and siblings (Sophie, Francis 'Frank', Mary, Frances, Caroline, John, Thomas, and William) in New Plymouth on 4 March 1859 on the Eclipse and they settled in Omata. During the First Taranaki War, he served in the volunteers for about four years, and received the New Zealand Medal. When five settlers, including two boys, were either shot or tomahawked by Māori in the Omata district on 27 March 1860, the Browns were still in their house and felt safe, as church ministers were regarded as tapu or untouchable by the Māori. The events eventually led to the Battle of Waireka. The family relocated to Nelson, but the brothers Henry and Frank stayed behind to fight. They both fought at the Battle of Mahoetahi, where Frank was one of the two Pakeha settlers killed on 6 November 1860. Brown became an ensign in the Rifles in 1863, and in the militia became a lieutenant (1865) and then captain (1871).