He was born in Foxford, on June 22nd, 1777. In the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires there is a memorial with the inscription: “William Brown was born on 22nd June, 1777, at Foxford, County Mayo.” His uncle was Parish Priest of Foxford and was arrested for alleged complicity in the 1798 insurrection. Escaping from the barracks where he was detained, he went into hiding from his enemies, sheltering in Glanduff and other places from time to time in evasion of the pursuit that was hot on his tracks.

The Brown family emigrated to Philadelphia about 1786, when William was only nine years of age. A short time after the arrival of the Browns in Philadelphia, the friend who had invited them out and offered them food and hospitality, unfortunately died of yellow fever. This was a severe blow to the poor emigrants’ hopes and prospects. But even a worse bereavement followed, when William’s father also succumbed also to the same disease.

The Seafaring Starts....One morning when young William Brown was wandering along the banks of the Delaware River, he met the captain of a ship then moored in port. The captain enquired if he wanted employment and he joyfully answered yes. The captain then and there engaged him as a cabin boy, thus setting his foot on the first round of the ladder, and opening to him a career on the sea where in after days he was destined to win distinction and pre-eminence. From such small and apparently accidental beginnings mighty events often follow. From the humble rank of a cabin boy, the future admiral worked his way up by sheer grit and native intelligence to the post of captain of a merchant vessel. During the Napoleonic wars, Brown’s ship was seized by a French man-of-war, and he was made a prisoner and sent to Lorient. On being transferred to Metz he succeeded in escaping disguised in the uniform of a French officer. He was captured, however, and then imprisoned in the famous fortress of Verdun. There he formed an acquaintance with another prisoner, an English colonel named Clutchwell. They planned an escape and succeeded. After undergoing a series of narrow shaves and enduring many hardships and sufferings, Brown managed eventually to reach German territory and comparative safety. From Germany he made his way back from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and started there to trade on his own account.

The Merchant....He became part owner of a ship called the “Eliza,” and began trading between Montevideo and Buenos Aires. When the “Eliza” met with disaster and went aground, Brown carried his cargo of merchandise inland, and having disposed of it profitably, he next crossed the Andes Mountains and penetrated into Chile. He had now accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a schooner called the “Industria,” with which he opened a regular sailing-packet service between Uruguay and Argentina, the first venture of its kind in South America. But now Spain stepped in sensing a threat to her mercantile interests.

From Merchant to Commander-in-Chief...Spanish ships destroyed Brown’s schooner, and took drastic effects to nullify Argentina’s attempts to defend her costs against Spanish raiders. As a result of the incident, Argentina resolved to provide ships to protect her coasts and trade, with Brown being appointed Commander-in-Chief.

The Battle.....Brown immediately resolved to try conclusions with Spanish Navy Officer Romarate, and to attack the formidable Spanish squadron with his ill-equipped navy and patchwork crew. A forlorn venture, one would think. But, on March 8th (1813), Brown bravely set sail with his despicable fleet and within 48 hours was engaged in a furious battle. Land and sea forces operated at Martin Garcia, a fortified island twenty miles above Buenos Aires, commanding the two rivers Parana and Uruguay, and known as the Gibraltar of the River Plate. Brown failed to win possession of the island. His flagship, the “Hercules,” was badly battered and ran aground. They attacked vigorously by land and sea on St. Patrick's Day, and after a stiff contest succeeded in gaining possession of Martin Garcia. Romarate hastened with his ships to Montevideo hotly pursued by Brown, whose naval forces were now increased by the addition of three armed merchant vessels. The Spanish blockading squadron was now blockaded itself by Brown and his fleet. Montevideo was threatened with starvation. Brown, pretending to retreat, drew the Spaniards away on May 14th from the protection of the fort guns, and two days afterwards on May 16th, a hot and fierce engagement took place in the course of which Brown’s leg was shattered by a cannon ball. Undeterred by the mishap, and in spite of his agonising pains, Brown stoically continued to issue orders and direct operations while stretched bleeding and helpless on the deck of the “Hercules.” In a fearful panic the Spanish squadron rushed for shelter to port, but three of their ships were captured. As a direct result of this engagement the River Plate was freed from Spanish domination. The Argentine fleet rode the waves victorious. Montevideo had fallen.

This school was founded with the name that honours the Great Argentinean Admiral, who was born in Mayo. It is located in the River Paraná, Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is a very poor area of that vast country.

In fact, it is so poor, that the children on this island have an awful trip- of around 4 hours long!!!- to, and another from, school, which is the only one in a radius of about 18 kilometres. Furthermore, the only transport that takes them to school is a boat that acts as a school-bus. It picks up the children in the morning from their houses, if they could be called so as they have been built in a very precarious way on the river banks, and, once the school-day finishes, it takes them back to their homes in the afternoon, this being the main activity of the children during the day.

A very sad fact is that most of the children only go to school every day because there they are given a daily meal, which is mostly the only meal they get on the whole day. If it weren't for that service, their parents wouldn't even send them at all, but would keep them at their houses working or at the streets begging for food or money. The majority of the homeless children who live in the streets of Buenos Aires, and other big cities of Argentina, come from that kind of families, who find themselves in an utter state of misery.

What is more, the only hospital they can attend is a boat which goes to the Island once every 4 months!!! It is a foundation run by a priest, father Antonio Maggi who along with some doctors who volunteered for this, offered to check these people. Many of them, if not all, wouldn't have any medication at all if they weren't given it for nothing from this floating hospital. So, when the foundation runs out of some specific medicaments, which happens really often due to its charitative nature, they have to wait for 4 months to get them.

So, how do you think these kids imagine Santa Claus' face is like? Some of them might not even know who he is, as they receive no presents at all in an Island where there are no TV's. The only one there is, is in the school, but some years ago it ran out of batteries and now is off since there's no electricity on the island.

Regarding all of these facts, it is very surprising to see these kids' smiles when they get into the boat to start what many people might think is a dreadful day. But what is it that they find so joyful? The main reason is that these children know that in the school they can find the love and affection that they need so desperately. The Admiral Brown School's teachers, after several years of hard-effort, achieved to create an environment where the children can find themselves away from the hatred and prejudism that their background inevitably creates.

Isn't it amazing what a candy and a hug can do to a child's mind? Wouldn't it be wonderful if everybody could achieve happiness so easily?

This is exactly what J.J. O'Hara, President of the A.B.S., thought when, because of lots of fortuitous events, got to visit these children and their school. It is also exactly why he decided to give back those 500 dollars, the same which Admiral Brown donated to Ireland's cause during the dreadful period of the famine, to this help-needing school. This money will go to the school along with a list of things which you can find below:

1. 2 DVD 20" TV's so that they can use them while being on the boat.
2. 2 Fridges, one for food and another one for storing snake serum, as snake bites are very common on the island.
3. Solar panels and batteries.
4. Generators.
5. A water purifying system.
6. A communication Marine VHF System for emergency use.
7. A fast boat for emergency use.
8. Horticultural tools.
9. Carpentery tools.
10. A brick house that will cost around €3000.

In fact, all of this has touched him so deep inside, that he decided to turn it into the 21st. point of the ambitious plan that the A.B.S. has drawn in order to memorate and honour Admiral Brown's life, his deeds and, what is most important, what he stands for.

"If Brown could defeat two empires, we surely can give these children hope".