William Laurence Brown

William Laurence Brown

William Laurence Brown (born January 7, 1755 in Utrecht , † May 11, 1830 in Aberdeen ) was a Scottish Protestant theologian and moral philosopher.

Life

The son of the preacher of the English congregation in Utrecht William Brown (* 1719, † January 10, 1791) and his wife Janet Ogilvy (* May 11, 1724, † May 1813) moved with his family to Scotland in 1757, where his father was professor for Church history in St. Andrews became. After a high school education in St. Andrews, he moved to the University of St Andrews at the age of twelve , where he devoted himself to the study of classical literature, logic and ethics. After five years he acquired the academic degree of a master and then devoted himself to the study of theology. In 1774 he attended the University of Utrecht for this purpose , where he also attended lectures on civil law. After the death of his uncle Robert Brown, the English community asked that he take over his role.

For this he returned to Scotland, where he was admitted and ordained in St. Andrews and in March 1778 was pastor of the English congregation in Utrecht. During his parish in Utrecht, he went on trips to Germany, Switzerland and France to expand his knowledge. After successfully participating in scientific competitions, he received a doctorate in theology from the University of St Andrews in 1784. As a supporter of the House of Orange Nassau , he had to experience some hostility during the patriotic fraud of 1786/87. When the Prussians invaded the Batavian Republic, the tide turned for the better.

On December 24, 1787, the curators of the Utrecht University appointed him Professor of Church History and Ethics. This task took over on February 14, 1789 with the Rede de Religionis et Philosophise Societate et Concordia maxime salutari (Utrecht 1788). After he had also taken part in the organizational tasks of the Utrecht University in 1789/90 as rector of the Alma Mater , on March 29, 1790 he was also given the professorship of natural law, which he did with the speech de imaginatione in vitae institutione regundae (Utrecht 1790) began. When French troops marched into the Batavian Republic in 1795 , he had to flee to England. After a stormy crossing, he first found shelter in London with his five children and his wife.

Since George Campbell (1719–1796) intended to retire, a suitable successor to the chair of theology at the University of Aberdeen was sought . At the intercession of the former British ambassador to the Netherlands, he was found in Brown. After taking over the chair in the summer of 1795, he became rector of the institution five months later. In 1800 he was appointed preacher to the king of Scotland and in 1804 he became dean of the Chapel Royal . In the same year he received the Scottish Order of the Thistle . The conservative theologian also appeared as a poet.

family

Brown met on May 28, 1786 in Utrecht with his cousin Anne Elizabeth Brown (* June 11, 1764, † September 2, 1842), the daughter of the pastor of the English parish in Utrecht Robert Brown (* December 9, 1728, † 5 January 1777) and his wife Catherine Kinloch, married. There are five sons and four daughters from the marriage. Are known:

• William Robert Brown (born April 13, 1787, † 1859, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England)
• Laurence George Brown (born July 23, 1788)
• Catherine Mary Ann Brown (born May 23, 1790)
• Joanna Elizabeth Brown (born May 1, 1791)
• Robert James Brown (born December 23, 1792 in Utrecht, † December 7, 1872)
• Ann Elizabeth Brown (born February 2, 1795, † November 19, 1847)
• John Moore Brown (born November 3, 1797) * Helen Jane Brown (November 3, 1797, † October 1, 1848)
• Dr. George Gilbert Brown (born February 9, 1800, † March 24, 1873)

Works (selection)

• Leerredenen over de teekenen des tijds. Utrecht, 1793
• Essay on Skepticism. London, 1788.
• Essay on the Natural Equality of Men. Edinburgh 1703. 2nd ed. London, 1794
• Funeral Sermon on the Death of Dr. Campbell. Aberdeen. 1796
• The Influence of Religion on National Prosperity, a sermon preached on a Fast day. Aberdeen, 1796
• The Proper Method of Defending Religions Truth in times of Infidelity. A synod sermon. Aberdeen, 1797
• Substance of a speech delivered in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on Wednesday 28th May 1800, on the question respecting the settlement at Kingsbarns of the Rev. Dr. Robert Arnot, Professor of Divinity at St. Mary's College, St. Andrews. Aberdeen, 1800.
• Volume of sermons. Edinburgh, 1803,
• Philemon, or the Progress of Virtue, a poem. Edinburgh, 1809, 2 vols.
• An Examination of the Causes and Conditions of the present War with France, and of the most effectual means of obtaining Peace. London, 1798, (published anonymously)
• Letters to the Rev. for. George Hill, Principal of St. Mary's College, St. Andrews. Aberdeen, 1801,
• Remarks on Certain Passages of an Examination of Mr. Dugald Stewart's Pamphlet, on the election of a Mathematical Professor in the University of Edinburgh. Aberdeen, 1806,
• A Sermon on the Jubilee. Aberdeen, 1810,
• Essay on the Existence of a Supreme Being possessed of Infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness, containing also the Refutation of the Objections urged against his Wisdom and Goodness. Aberdeen, 1816, 2 vols.

literature

• Abraham Jacob van der Aa : Biographical Woordenboek der Nederlanden. Verlag JJ van Brederode, Haarlem, 1855, 2nd volume, 2nd part, p. 1449, ( online , Dutch)
• Molhuysen: BROWN (William Laurence) . In: Philipp Christiaan Molhuysen , Petrus Johannes Blok : Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek . (NNBW), AW Sijthoff's Uitgevers-Maatschappij publishing house, Leiden, 1918, vol. 4, col. 321, (Dutch)
• William Anderson: The Scottish nation: or The surnames, families, literature, honors, and biographical history of the people of Scotland. Verlag A. Fullarton, Edinburgh, 1862, vol. 1, p. 397, ( online , English)
• John Mackintosh: The history of Civilization in Scotland. Verlag Alexander Gardner, London, 1896, Vol. 4, p. 218 (English)
• The Encyclopaedia Britannica, or Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Miscellaneous Literature. Adam Black Verlag, Edinburgh, 1842, Vol. 5, Part 2, 7th Edition, p. 598 ( online , English)

Web links

• William Laurence Brown's genealogy
• major Scots at electricscotland
• Catalogus Professorum Academiae Rheno-Traiectinae