Cecil Brown

Cecil Brown (October 9, 1850 – March 6, 1917) was an American attorney, politician, businessman, and banker in the Kingdom, Republic, and Territory of Hawaii. Brown served as a member of the Kingdom of Hawaii House of Representatives, Deputy Attorney General, and Attorney General. He served on the Advisory Council for the Provisional Government of Hawaii, the Council of State for the Republic of Hawaii, and in the Senate of both the Republic and Territory of Hawaii. Brown had diverse investments, was a director or officer of several sugar companies, and Vice-President of the Hawaiian Bell and Mutual Telephone Company when service to the Hawaiian Islands was being developed. Brown was also the founding President of the first national bank chartered in Hawaii. Background Brown was born in Wailua, Hawaii, to Thomas and Mary Ann (Rhodes) Brown who moved to the Hawaiian Islands from England in 1844. He was the fifth of six siblings (who survived infancy), two of whom were also involved in Hawaiian politics: Godfrey (Minister of Foreign Affairs, then Minister of Finance for the Kingdom of Hawaii) and Frank (House of Representatives, Kingdom of Hawaii). Brown married Mary Kameʻeleihiwa Miner Dickson (widow of Menzies Dickson) on August 11, 1897. They had no children together. She died on September 12, 1907. Family Thomas and Mary Ann (Rhodes) Brown had four children (Arthur, Godfrey, Alice, and Frank) before leaving England for the warmer climate of the Hawaiian Islands in 1844. Louis (died in infancy), Cecil, and Malcolm were born in Hawaii. In 1853 the entire family left for Boston to put Arthur, Godfrey, and Frank in school. The remaining members of the Brown family returned to Hawaii at the very end of 1855.