John Robert Brown was a lawyer and political figure in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. He represented Greenwood

Greenwood (provincial electoral district)

Greenwood was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was located in the Boundary Country west of Grand Forks around the city of Greenwood. It first appeared on the hustings in the large redistribution prior to the 1903 election...

 in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

 from 1903 to 1907 as a Liberal

British Columbia Liberal Party

The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...

.

He was born in Sarnia township

Sarnia, Ontario

Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....

, Lambton County, Ontario

Lambton County, Ontario

Lambton County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county is located in Southwestern Ontario. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which flows into the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake...

, the son of Thomas W. Brown, a native of Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, and Mary McGregor, and was educated there. He went on to study law in the Sarnia law office of Judge Lister

James Frederick Lister

James Frederick Lister was a Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician.Born in Belleville, Canada West, Lister was educated at the Sarnia Grammar School. A lawyer, he practiced law in Sarnia, Ontario and was a county solicitor from 1885 to 1898. He was created a Queen's Counsel by the Government of...

 and at Osgoode Hall

Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...

. In 1896, Brown was admitted to the Ontario bar and set up practice in Sarnia. He came to Rossland, British Columbia

Rossland, British Columbia

Rossland is a city in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia.Tucked high in the Monashee Mountains, Rossland is at an elevation of 1023 metres . Population today is approximately 3500; a number that fluctuates from season to season. The population is at its peak during the winter...

 in 1898. Brown was admitted to the British Columbia bar the following year and settled in Greenwood

Greenwood, British Columbia

Greenwood is a small city in south central British Columbia.It was incorporated in 1897 and was formerly one of the principal cities of the Boundary Country smelting and mining district. It earned "city" status and has retained that stature despite the population implosion following the closure of...

. In 1903, he married Florence M.
Whitmarsh. He died in Vancouver at the age of 85.