James Brown (1709–1784) was an English cleric and academic. He was Master of

Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...

from 1770 until his death. A close friend of

Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...

, he acted with

William Mason William, Willie, or Willy Mason may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Mason (poet) (1724–1797), English poet, editor and gardener *William Mason (architect) (1810–1897), New Zealand architect *William Mason (composer) (1829–1908), Ame ...

as executor of Gray's will.

Life

His father was a London goldsmith. He was educated at

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. T ...

, and matriculated at Pembroke College in 1726, graduating B.A. in 1730 and M.A. in 1733. He became a Fellow of Pembroke in 1735. Ordained as Anglican priest in 1736, he became vicar of

Shepreth Shepreth is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, lying halfway between Cambridge and Royston, Hertfordshire, Royston. History The parish of Shepreth is roughly rectangular and covers 1318 acres. It ...

from 1737. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1771-2. From 1771 he was vicar of

Stretham Stretham Locally, the is a glottal stop: or even is a village and civil parish south-south-west of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, about by road from London. Its main attraction is Stretham Old Engine, a steam engine, ...

References

*Robert L. Mack, ''Thomas Gray: A Life''

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, James 1709 births 1784 deaths 18th-century English Anglican priests Masters of Pembroke College, Cambridge Vice-chancellors of the University of Cambridge Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge People from Shepreth People from Stretham