This episode of The Place Where Your Face is Known is a reading of a brief memoir from James Brown 1823-1907 from Donaghmore Co Tyrone as dictated to his daughter Nora Brown in 1904. His account mentions everything from Famine to breweries and illicit stills, and it offers us a wonderful insight into the day-to-day lives of our ancestors.
James Brown's father had been a weaver, before opening a bakery and later a successful soap and candle making business. As the family prospered, James also bought a large farm and became a leading figure in the promotion of modern agricultural techniques. He was active in local government and was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1879. James ran the family soap making business until his last days and he died on 17 August 1907 aged 84. The memoir is read by actor Conor Begley
The source material for this podcast comes from The Public Record Office for Northern Ireland (PRONI) and is reproduced with their kind permission.