William Hoile Brown (sometimes named as William Hoyle Brown)[1] was a shipbuilder in Auckland from 1864[2] to 1918[3] and a local politician.

William Hoile Brown
William Hoile Brown in 1902
Born(1838-05-04)May 4, 1838
Died6 May 1928(1928-05-06) (aged 90)
OccupationShipbuilder
Known forAuckland Harbour Board, president of the Master Shipbuilders’ Federation
SpouseAnnie Binns 1861
Children7

Early life

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W H Brown shipyard at the foot of Hobson Street in 1909

He was born in a Martello tower[4] at Dymchurch, Kent to Stephen Cain and Elizabeth Brown, on 4 May 1838 and went to Greenwich Hospital School. His siblings were George Hoile, Sarah Heywood, and Elizabeth Brown.[5] There are two versions of the next part of his life. Either in 1850, aged 12, he went to California with an uncle,[6] or in 1855 he went with his father. At Samoa he was on the American barque Elvira when it was wrecked,[7] whilst on a trip to Australia. He was marooned for several weeks,[4] until taken to Sydney by a son of the missionary, John Williams.[7] The 1926 version of Brown's life story says he came to Auckland in 1854, was met by his father, who had also come to settle and served 3 years in the militia during the New Zealand Wars, in Captain Clark's company, building redoubt at Pūkorokoro / Miranda,[6] for which he was awarded a medal.[8] Alternately, towards the end of 1855 he may have come in shipbuilder Henry Niccol's Moa, served a seven-year apprenticeship in his shipyard and then, presumably in 1862, volunteered for the wars.[7] The latter fits better with the date of the war and the redoubt.

Shipbuilding

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Either way, he then partnered with another apprentice, John Sims as Sims and Brown,[4] until 1890,[9] after which he continued as a sole trader. Their first yard was on the North Shore, where, from February to June 1865, they built their first vessel, Telegraph, a 30 ton cutter.[10][11] They added a yard at the foot of Princes Street. Later yards were at Devonport, near the foot of Hobson Street[4] and in Poore Street,[12] now Westhaven Drive, on the western reclamation.[13] He built nearly fifty craft, including -

  • Colonist schooner 1868[11]
  • Falcon, barquentine for Watt Brothers, Napier
  • Leading Wind
  • Manaroa for Captain Cross[7]
  •  
    Daphne launch in 1907
    Daphne steamer for A.J. Farmer, Kawau[14]
  • Noko, a pioneer in the Auckland-Gisborne trade
  • Gemini, a steamer and other boats for Captain Jeremiah Casey[4] (1820–1881)[15]
  • about 13 sailers, schooners, barques and barquentines for the island trading firm of Donald and Edenborough
  • Sovereign and Lady Wynyard, which won schooner races at Anniversary Day regattas[4]
  • Onewa steamer[16]
  • Tiroa steamer.[17]

Local government

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From 1863 he lived on the North Shore,[7] where he was a Member of the Devonport Highway Board from 1876,[18] until it merged into Devonport Borough Council in 1886. He was on it until 1894 and remained a member of Devonport Domain Board until at least 1902. Brown also represented the Council on Auckland Harbour Board for several years.[7] He was largely responsible for Devonport having a promenade from the dock to North Head, ensured that its streets were a chain wide and properly formed before they were handed over[4] and supported pumping water from Pupukemoana to a reservoir on Mount Victoria.[7] He was president of the Master Shipbuilders’ Federation for many years,[4] a Freemason Past Master and, for over thirty years, superintendent of the Church of England Devonport Sunday school.[7]

Personal life

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Brown married Annie Binns on 24 October 1861.[19] He was survived by her and their children - Walter, Frederick, Harold Brown, Mrs. T. Farquharson, Mrs. (Captain) Richards, Mrs. E. Pike, all of Auckland, Mrs. (Captain) Hardy, of Dunedin, 23 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 August 1893. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Early shipbuilding. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 8 October 1926. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Pioneer shipbuilder. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 May 1928. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Builder of ships. Sun (Auckland)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 May 1928. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  5. ^ William Hoile Brown. National Archives. 1728–1870.
  6. ^ a b "The north shore. Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 November 1926. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Devonport. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. 1902. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Maori War - Index to War Medal Register File 10". ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz. 1869. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Commercial. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 November 1890. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Shipping intelligence. New Zealander". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 June 1865. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Auckland shipbuilding trade. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 July 1887. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 January 1917. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Wynyard inventory character" (PDF). Auckland Council.
  14. ^ "Northern Steam Ship Company of Auckland - Vessel details - Daphne". 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Death of Captain Casey. Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 July 1881. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Onewa (Ship)". natlib.govt.nz. March 1995. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Tiroa: 111ft Trading Vessel". NZ Boat Encyclopedia. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Highway board meetings. Daily Southern Cross". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 July 1876. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Marriages. New Zealander". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 November 1861. Retrieved 24 March 2024.