JOHN BROWN, THE QUEEN'S GILLIE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1106, 17 May 1883, Page 3

JOHN BROWN, THE QUEEN'S GILLIE.

Telegrams have announced the death of John Brown, the devoted attendant of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. John Brown was first brought under the notice of He" Majesty in September, 1850, during her first tour in the Highlands of Scotland, He commenced life as a .Highland gillie, and it was in that capacity at Loch Muich that "his good breeding, simpicity and intelligence, which made it so pleasant and even instructive to talk with him," to use Her Majesty's own words, so won upon the Queen and Prince Aloert that he was taken into the Royal service. How well he justified his promotion, a devoted service extending over 32 years abundantly proved. Headers of " Leaves from the Joui jal of our Life in the Highlands," will have no difficulty in recalling many instances of unremitting at':achment to the Queen, and the kindly manner in which these were repeatedly ackno-vledged. Many amusing stories are told by the Queen of John's bashf illness 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 to have given the Queen any occasion to niter the high opinion which she formed of him when he was acting as her personal gillie, and led her Highland pony over moor and mountain, through burn and bog, during that memorable visit to the more northern parts of her kingdom, Nearly 20 years later the Queen thus described Brown—- " The man who in 1858 became my regular attendant out of doors everywhere in the Highlands ; who commenced as gillie in 1849, and was selected!|by Albert and me to go with my carriage. In 1851 he entered our service permanently, and began in that year leading my pony, and advanced step by step by his good conduct and intelligence. His attention, care, and faithfulness cannot be exceeded ; and the state of my health, which of late yeara has peen sorely tried and weakened, renders such qualifications most valuable, and, indeed, most useful in a constant attendant, upon all occasions. He has since (in December. 1865) most deservedly been promoted to be an upper servant and my permanent personal attendant. He has all the independence and elevated feeling peculiar to the Highland race, and is singularly straightforward, simplerainded, kind-hearted, and disinterested, always ready to oblige, and of a discretion rarely to be met with. He is now in his 40th year. His father was a small farmer who lived at the bush, on the opposite side to Balmoral. He is the second of nine brothers—three of whom have died—two are in Australia and New Zealand, two are living in the neighborhood of Balmoral, and the youngest. Archie (Archibald) is valet 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 a constant personal attendant of the Queen, by whom the death will be severely felt.