(d. 1760) of Wiggenhall St Mary, Norf., e. s. of William Brown of London; merchant at Venice to 1734; m. 1725 Margaret Cecil, dau. of Hon. Robert Cecil (2nd s. of 3rd E. of Salisbury); cr. Bt. 1732; MP 1734 - 47.
c.1698 - 1734 Venice
Robert Brown was said to have first gone to Venice as a young man 'with no other capital than a large second-hand wig, which he sold for 5£;' (DNB). He may have been the Robert Brown in Padua in March 1705.1 By 1711 he had amassed a fortune and was well-established as a merchant in Venice.2 At Easter 1725 he married Margaret Cecil in Paris, as he was accompanying her and her brother, Charles, to Venice. She had carefully enquired as to his security and had told Thomas Coke just before the wedding that she was not 'so smitten as not to have my ear open'. On Christmas Day 1725 she gave birth to their first child, a daughter.
They lived in some style in Venice and owned a country house at Paluello, 'the pleasantest situated I ever saw', wrote Charles Cecil, 'upon the river Brenta, 8 miles from Padua and 20 from Venice'.3 Mrs Brown sat to Rosalba Carriera, as she told Coke on 12 April 1726: 'You will by the next ship that sails from hence have the face of your humble servant done by Rosalba, who assures me she never painted a picture better, and it was done for so good a friend, I behaved myself very patiently in sitting, and she commended me so much for it that she acknowledged if it was not like, it would be entirely her fault'.4 It was presumably during their time in Italy that the Browns acquired the pictures which subsequently passed to Humphry Morice, listed in 1787 as 'The Long Canaletti', the St John the Baptist, the formation of Eve, the Deluge and that call'd Carlo-Dolce, which was believed a true picture'.5
Brown's prosperity did not escape criticism. In 1719 he was accused of malpractice by Alexander Cunningham (perhaps a dubious witness since he was about to lose his diplomatic post); Brown allegedly had bribed the 4th Earl of Manchester's servants to run goods, had kept a profitable gaming house, and offered bribes for diplomatic preferment.6 He was subsequently known for his avarice,7 yet he was made a Baronet in March 1732. He was frequently mentioned by travellers in connection with his brother, consul Neil Brown: in June 1733 the Baillie family dined with both in Padua8 and Martin Folkes saw them at Paluello in October 1733.9 In April 1734 Sir Robert was assured of a seat at the next Parliament and his wife told the Earl of Essex that they proposed to be in London before the next session and would visit Turin en route.(10) The family (there were then three daughters) left Venice in September 1734.(11) In London Lady Margaret's Sunday evening concerts of Italianate music became, according to Horace Walpole, 'the great mart for all traveling and travelled calves'.
1. Brown 1666. 2. SP 99/59, f.213 (Broughton, 28 Aug. 1711). 3. HMC Cowper, 3:128 (6 Jun. 1725). 4. Ibid., 130 (12 Apr. 1726). 5. Northumberland RO 554/54, f.106 (R. Bull to Ld. Ashburnham, 15 Feb. 1787). 6. SP 99/62, f.305 (28 Jul. 1718). 7. Wal.Corr., 9:312, 317; 25:609. 8. Baillie, Household Bk., 346. 9. Folkes jnl.MSS. 10. Add 27733 (3 Apr. 1734). 11. SP 99/63, f.274 (Burges, 20 Aug. 1734).