Ian Macdonald Brown was born circa 1889 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, the youngest of the three children of John Macdonald Brown (1857-1935) and Caroline Helen Brown née Murray (1862-1928).
In the 1891 census he is shown as aged 2 years living in a property in the parish of St Cuthbert, Edinburgh, with his parents and two siblings: Cyril William Macdonald Brown (1886-1946) and Enid Macdonald Brown (b. circa 1888), together with two female domestic servants. His father was described as an anatomist, R.C.S. Edinburgh.
He is shown aged 12 years in the 1901 census living at 5 Lymington Road, Hampstead, London, with his parents and his two siblings, together with two female domestic servants. His father was listed as a physician.
The Downing College, Cambridge website informs us that he attended St Pauls School, London and Downing College, Cambridge University. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1910 and his Master of Arts (MA) in 1914. He was described as a medical student in the 1911 census living in an eleven roomed property at 64 Upper Berkeley Street, Marylebone, London, with his parents, together with a cook, a housemaid and a house parlourmaid. His father continued to be shown as a physician. The family had by now adopted their surnames as Macdonald Brown.
He was initiated as a freemason in the Isaac Newton Lodge University Lodge No.859 on 1 March 1910 that met at the Masonic Hall, Corn Exchange Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and their membership registers show he was aged 21 years, a student at Downing College. On the 13 December 1911 he joined the London Hospital Lodge No.2845 that met at the Trocadero Restaurant, Piccadilly Circus, London, until 1913 when they moved to Pagani’s Restaurant, Great Portland Street, London. Their membership registers show him aged 23 years and a student living at 64 Upper Berkeley Street, London.
On the outbreak of World War One he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps and sent to Gallipoli in June 1915, although he was invalided later in August 1915. The 1915 edition of The Medical Directory shows that he had become a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) and a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (LRCP) in 1914.
On 13 October 1915 he married Dora Humphries in the Church of the Annunciation, Marylebone, where in the marriage registers he is described as aged 26 years, a bachelor and Captain, Royal Army Medical Corps, F.R.C.S. living at 64 Upper Berkeley Street, whilst his wife is shown as aged 22 years, a spinster residing at the same address. They had one child, Ian Macdonald Brown (1916-1994), who was born on 28 August 1916.
On return to the Front, he acted as a surgeon, first to the New Zealand Division and subsequently to the 190th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was killed, aged 28 years, on 15 November 1916 whilst attending the sick and wounded under fire near Ypres, Flanders (now called Ieper, Belgium). His body was buried in Plot1, Row L, Grave 14 in the Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, Kerkstraat, 8900 Ieper, Belgium.
Probate records confirm his address to have been 64 Upper Berkeley Street and that he had died on active service. Probate was granted to his widow, Dora Macdonald Brown, on 20 December 1916 and his effects totalled £240-2s-11d. On 18 August 1917 his widow was sent his army effects totalling £75-17s-0d.
On 9 April 1921 his mother applied for his posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1915 and the Victory Medal to be sent to her at 64 Upper Berkeley Street, Portman Square, London, W1.
He is shown as Captain I. M. Brown R. A. M. C. on the Quebec Chapel war memorial, London. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website., on the United Grand Lodge of England's Masonic Great War Project website and on the Downing College, Cambridge, Roll of Honour.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
