Owen Forrester Browne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owen Forrester Browne
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Captain Owen Forrester Browne
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| Born | March 17th, 1869 |
| Died | Sept. 14th, 1948 New Westminster, British Columbia
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| Occupation | steamship captain |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Seymour |
| Parent(s) | Owen W Browne and Teresa Aponi |
Owen Forrester Browne was a famous paddle steamer captain in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. He was born in New Westminster. He started his career on the lower Fraser River and Yukon River. Later, in the early 1900s, he moved to the upper Fraser River.
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A Captain's Life: Owen Browne's Career
Owen Forrester Browne had Hawaiian family roots. He began working on the upper Fraser River in 1906. His first job was piloting the early sternwheeler called the Charlotte. Captain Browne knew the river very well. He was especially skilled at guiding boats through fast-moving water. Because of his amazing skills, the BC Express Company hired him. They wanted him to pilot their first sternwheeler, the BX. Hawaiian pilots were known for being brave in rough waters. They also had a natural talent for finding their way.
Captain Browne was the skipper of the BX for his entire career. He started on May 13, 1910. He continued until August 1919. That's when the BX sadly sank in Cottonwood Canyon. The boat was carrying 100 tons of cement. This cement was meant for building a bridge for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. After leaving the Fraser River, Captain Browne continued his work. He piloted the Northland Echo on the Athabasca River in Alberta.
Owen Browne's Family Life
In 1915, Owen Browne married Margaret Seymour. She was from South Fort George. Margaret's mother was known as Granny Seymour. Granny Seymour was famous in the local area. Owen and Margaret had a large family. They had four sons and five daughters.
One of their daughters was named Tito. She married Ranford Messer in 1952. Tito and Ranford had four children: two sons and two daughters. One of the Messer daughters was Colleen. Colleen married Bruce Holbrook. They had two daughters, Stephanie and Sasha.
Owen Browne's children included:
- Hugh M. Browne
- Betty O'Donnell
- Tito Messer
- Oni Browne
- Blani Olson
- William Browne
- Earl Browne
- May Thomas
- Leila Johnston
Captain Browne retired in New Westminster. He passed away there in 1948.
Granny Seymour: A Local Legend
Owen Browne's mother-in-law, Granny Seymour, was a very special person. Her birth name was Margaret Boucher. She was known for her knowledge of traditional herbal medicine. She also held important Indigenous knowledge. People were amazed by how long she lived. Her home was in South Fort George. This town was at the northern end of the BX sternwheeler's route.
See also
