John Brown & Company
John Brown (c.1793-1876) – not to be confused with steel maker Sir John Brown – was born in Scotland. According to Leader (1876)1, he introduced Scottish drapery in Sheffield (John Brown, draper, Norfolk Street, was listed in 1825). Brown may have joined the Butchers and then H. G. Long. He certainly partnered Samuel Tompkin (see Oakes, Tompkin & Ward) until 1835. Brown next recruited George Wharton and George Curr. In about 1835, he built Columbia Works, an integrated three-stor....
