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One of the most common English names is Brown, which means it is also a common name in America and Canada. Here is another professional protrait taken in Montreal (December 18, 1897). The white porch railing and potted plant are obviously part of a professional photographer's set and give the appearance of a spring or summer scene even though the picture was actually taken during a wintry Montreal December. The boy and girl are brother and sister. Unfortunately we don't know their Christian names, but the name Brown obviously places them among the Anglophone and probably affluent ruling elite of the city.
One of the most common English names is Brown. It is the fourth most common British name, we think primarily English. The name is also common in the Scittish Lowlabds--but this is thec extebnsivdly English infkuenced region of Scotland. All of Which means it is also a common name in America, Canada, anf the other Dominions. But Brun is also a common name in France and Norway, which may mean Scandanavia in general. One theory is that it was a descriptive name at a time in the medieval period before family names were common. It may have developed for some ione who had brown hair pr a dark complexion. The name has multiple national roots. The Old English from was word 'brun', Middle English 'broun', Norse 'brunn', and French 'brun'. The German form is Braun and the Italian firm is Bruno, but we are not suire how popular the nane was in these countries. An assessment of the occupations leaves us with many make and female occupations, butv this pribably meabs that these were the occupayions of the larger part of the population. [Origins ...] Alternatuve firms include: Browne, Brun, Broun, Broune
Here is a professional protrait taken in Montreal. The white porch railing and potted plant are obviously part of a professional photographer's set and give the appearance of a spring or summer scene even though the picture was actually taken during a wintry Montreal December. Note the rather debonair pose of the young man with hand on hip and a certain affected carelessness in the extended arm resting on the porch railing. The girl carries a bouquet of roses--probably red. This almost looks like a society portrait taken for the social page of a Montreal newspaper, although it may simply have been made for display in Mrs. Brown's bedroom or drawing room.
We know that the portrait here was taken December 18, 1897.
The boy and girl are brother and sister. Unfortunately we don't know their Christian names, but we do know the family name was Brown. The boy would seem to be about 14 or 15. His sister looks about 12.
The clothes are quite interesting. The girl wears a ruffled white dress with
the typically high neck style of the period. She wears black stockings, although we might expect white to go with the dress. But black stockings were the standard color for both boys and girls at all seasons of the year. The boy wears a form-fitting four-button single-breasted suit, tightly buttoned but with a flaring style at the bottom of the jacket. The jacket seems to have a breast pocket with a gold button flap but with a slit opening for just a bit of white handkerchief to come through. Or is the little spot of white on his breast some sort of decorative ribbon worn to indicate a school prize or membership in some organization? Notice the stand-up starched collar with the four-in-hand tie. The knee pants seem to have three black buttons at the knee, although the photograph is not quite clear on this point. The boy wears the customary long black stockings almost certainly secured by some sort of
underwaist with hose supporters attached. His dressy black shoes are low-cut
rather than the more usual hightop variety. We rarely see these low-cut shoes in the United States at the time. They seem to have somewhat elongated toes--a bit like dancing shoes. They may even be of patent
leather.
The boy's hair style is revealing also. He wears his hair carefully
slicked down, probably with some sort of hair oil or pommade.
The name Brown obviously places them among the
Anglophone segment of Montreal society. The depiction abd dress suggests that they were part of the affluent elite of the city.
Boys at least up to the age of 18 from socially prominent families were customarily given the title of 'Master' and were not usually entitled to be addressed as 'Mister' until they were of age, which usually meant 21. We are not sure, however, what the legal age of maturity was in Canada and the United States in the 1890s. I don't think boys older than 18 were usually referred to as 'Master Brown', but
even quite young boys as young as 6 years old were called 'Master'.
"Origins of the Brown surname' findmypast.com.
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