BROWN, RICHARD REZEAU

Richard Rezeau Brown (1874-1913), was born on July 24, 1874, at Raritan, Monmouth County, New Jersey, son of Thomas S. Rezeau Brown (1823-1892), a lumber and coal dealer, and Maria Louisa Hunt Brown (1837-1918), a native of Connecticut.

In 1892, he inherited his father's lumber and coal business.

On January 2, 1896, he married Ella Anna Walling (1874-1931), daughter of James S. Walling and Emma Anna Walling, at Keyport, New Jersey. They had five children : Thomas Walling Brown (1898-), Elizabeth M. Brown (1900-1990), Millard S. Brown (1902-1975), Lois Brown (1906-1907), and Eleanor W. Brown (1909-1993-)

In the 1890's he established himself as a stamp dealer, more of a supplier and broker to other stamp dealers. He developed a company logo based on the Egyptian postage stamp issue of 1879, Scott #30, with the design of the Sphinx and pyramid of Kufu in the background and Arabic inscription. A very similar design also used by another contemporary stamp dealer Samuel P. Hughes dealing in Howe, Nebraska, also in the 1890's.

In the U. S. Census of 1900 he is listed living at 110 First Street, Raritan, New Jersey, doing business as a lumber and coal merchant.

In 1912, he was appointed to the Lehigh Valley Canal Commission.

The St. Louis Lumberman, Vol. 51, June 15 (1913) : 103 obit

He died on May 19, 1913, the day after his wife's 39th birthday. He is buried in Green Grove Cemetery, Keyport, Monmouth County, New Jersey

Bibliography :

The Philatelic Chronicle, Vol. 3, No. 1, November (1900) : 27 ad

The Canada Stamp Sheet, April 15 (1902) : 76 ad

The St. Louis Lumberman, Vol. 51, June 15 (1913) : 103 obit