Captain (Sir) Samuel Brown

Samuel Brown was born in London in 1776. His mother Charlotte Hogg  was from Roxburgh in Northumberland and his father William Brown was from Borland in Galloway.  

He joined the Royal Navy in 1795 aged 19. At first, he served on the Newfoundland and North Sea stations, however later, he fought in the Napoleonic wars aboard HMS Phoenix and, by 1811, was promoted to commander. He retired from the Navy in 1812 and accepted the role of retired captain in 1842. 

While in the Navy, he saw an improvement he could make to hemp rigging. He devised and tested wrought iron chain cable which he used as rigging for HMS Penelope in 1806.  

In 1808 he took out patents for twisted open chain links, joining shackles and swivels. His chains impressed the Admiralty who began to introduce chains as replacement for hemp rope for mooring lines and anchors. . By 1816 the Navy had standardised the use of iron chains.  

In 1812, Brown established Brown, Lennox and Co with his cousin, and in 1816 set up the Chain and Anchor Works in South Wales, they went on to supply all the chains and anchors for the Royal Navy for 100 years.  

Brown was interested in other uses for his chains too, and in 1817 he patented a design for wrought iron links that could be used on a suspension bridge, the following year he developed plans for a new bridge over the River Tweed. The Union Chain Bridge was completed in 1820. This was the first chain suspension bridge in Europe to carry wheeled traffic and remains the oldest still in use worldwide. The Menai suspension bright designed by Thomas Telford was under construction at the same time, but Brown's Union Chain Bridge was completed first. 

He built constructions all over Britain, from Montrose to Brighton, to Kenmare (Co. Kerry), most were successful, others less so.  

Captain Sam Brown became a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1831 and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1838.  

He passed away aged 75 in 1852.