page_title: Moses Brown
section_title: Later life
hierarchical_section_title: Moses Brown / Later life
context_page_description: Moses Brown was an American abolitionist and industrialist from New England, who funded the design and construction of some of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industrial revolution, including Slater Mill. He co-founded Brown University.
context_section_description: In 1779, Brown married his second wife, Mary Olney, a fellow Quaker. They were married for 18 years, and had no children.
  In 1788, Brown returned briefly to the business world, embarking on a textile venture in partnership with his cousin Smith Brown and his future son-in-law William Almy. Moses Brown became interested in recent British attempts to use water power in their textile mills, and hired English emigrant Samuel Slater to help build a similar mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. In 1790, the factory became the first water-powered spinning mill in America, a seminal event generally considered the birth of the American Industrial Revolution. Moses' son Obadiah Brown soon replaced Smith Brown as a partner, and Samuel Slater was taken in as well, to create the new firm of Almy, Brown & Slater. Moses Brown soon withdrew from active involvement in the firm, but remained a partner.
  After getting Almy, Brown & Slater off the ground, Moses Brown moved on to a variety of new activities. He played a role in Rhode Island's ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1790. He also became interested in agricultural experiments on his Providence farm, and helped found the Rhode Island Agricultural Society in 1800. He served on the first board of directors of the Providence Bank, and was treasurer of the Central Bridge Company. Along with his son Obadiah, he was a founder of the Rhode Island Bible Society. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1797, he was a strong advocate of sanitation practices. He later introduced smallpox vaccination to Rhode Island.
  Brown's second wife Mary died in 1798, and he married his third and final wife, the widow Phebe (Waterman) Lockwood, in 1799. She had several grown children of her own: Sarah (1773–1832, married E. Bates Harris), Avis (1774–1831, never married), Benoni (1777–1852) and Phebe (1778–1800). After the death of his third wife in 1809, Moses remained unmarried for the last 27 years of his life.
  Brown was inspired by the War of 1812 to work on behalf of peace, and was instrumental in the founding of the Rhode Island Peace Society in 1818. He adhered to and promoted the orthodox Quaker position that Quakers should resist war taxes.
  Another one of his interests was local history. Brown played an important role in collecting documents relating to colonial Rhode Island, many of them inherited through his own family. He collected biographical information about his contemporary and fellow abolitionist, the evangelist known as the Public Universal Friend. He was a founding member of the Rhode Island Historical Society, served as its chairman, and had most of his papers left there after his death. Brown was also elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1815.
  Moses Brown left few family members, having outlived three wives, all three of his children, and three of his four step-children. At his death, his only descendants were his granddaughter Anna (Almy) Jenkins (1790–1849) and her children. He also left much of his estate to the children of his stepdaughter Sarah (Lockwood) Harris (1773–1832), and to the Society of Friends. His son Obadiah had married, but left no children. Brown is buried in the Quaker section of the North Burial Ground at 5 Branch Avenue, Providence, RI.
caption: Moses Brown in later life. Portrait by Martin Johnson Heade
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