JOHN BROWN, THE QUEEN’S GILLIE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1092, 4 May 1883, Page 3

JOHN BROWN, THE QUEEN’S GILLIE.

Telegrams havo announced the death of John Brown, the devoted attendant of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. John Brown was first hiought under the notice of Her Majesty in September, 185), during her first tour in the Highlands'of Scotland. Ho commenced life as a Highland gillie, and it was in that capacity at Loch Muioh that “ his good breeding, simplicity, and intelli gonce, which made it so pleasant and even instructive to talk with him,'’ to use Her Majesty’s own works, so won upon the Queen and Prince Albert that he was taken into the Royal service. How will he justified ids promotion, a devoted service extending over 32 years, abundantly proved. Readers o f *• Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands” will have no difficulty in recalling many instances of unremitting attachment to the Qneen, and the kindly manner in which th se were repeats ly acknowledged. Many amusing stories are told by the Queen o John’s bnshfulness when first introduced into Royal society; but through all his varied experience his respectful independence, intelligence, and simplicity of character were conspicuous. Throughout his long service in the royal household, he never seems ro hare given the Queen any occasion to alter the high opi ion which she for med of him when be waaacting--as r ,her personal gillie, arid led her Highland pony over moor and mountain, through bum and bog, during that memorable visit to the more northern parts of her kingdom. Nearly 20 years later the Q reen thus described Brown : -“The same who in 1858 became my regular atien 1 ant out of doors every wherein the Highlands; who commenced as gillie in 1849, and was selected by Alb rt and me to go with my carriage. In 1851 he entered our service permanently, and began in that year to lead ray pony, and advanced step hv step, by his good conduct and in te-iligence. His attention, care, aud faithfulness cannot he exceeded ; and the state of my health, which of late years has been sorely tried and weakened, renders such qualifications most valuable and, indeed, most useful in a constant attendant, upon all occasions. II ■ has since l , (in December ISG6) most deservedly been promoted to he an upper servant and my permanent ' perso nal attendant. He lias all., the injdepe’udeuce and elevated feelings peculiar to the Highland rane, and is singularly .straightforward, simple-minded, kind-hearted, and dismtertste ly always ready to oblige, and of a discrc inn rarely to lie met with. He is now m his 4 'th year. Hit father was a small farmer who lived at the Bash, on the opposite side to the Balmoral. ile is the second of nine brothers- thne of whom have died—two are in Australia and New New Zealand two are living in the nei .h----bourhood of Balmoral, and the youngest, Archie (Archibald) is valec to our son Leopold, and is an excellent, trustworthy young man ” John Brown was not the only Highlander taken into the Royal service during the tour already referred to, but, with only one or two exceptions, they have preceded him to “ the Land o’ the Leal.” Of late years he was the constant personal attendant on the Queen, by whom his death will be severely felt.