John McLeavy Brown

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Sir John McLeavy Brown, CMG, born Magheragall, Lisburn, Ireland, November 27th 1835 - April 6th 1926.

After attending Queen's University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin, McLeavy Brown, a lawyer by trade, joined the Customs Service in April 1873. In 1874 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner in Canton.¹

McLeavy Brown impressed his superior, Sir Robert Hart, to the extent that Hart offered him the position of manager of the Korea's Customs Department. While serving in this capacity he was offered, by King, (later Emperor) Kojong, a position as financial advisor and Chief Commissioner of Customs in 1893²

At the time his appointment the Japanese legation was in the assendency. Following the murder of Queen Min in 1895, the King fled, but not before signing a decree giving McLeavy Brown absolute control over the tresury.

Following Japan's victory in the Russo Japanese War Japan began to exert more control over Korea and in August 1905 McLeavy Brown left the Custom's Department and Korea³.

In 1913 he was appointed Counsellor to the Chinese Legation in London, a position he held until his death in 1926.

External Links

1. Hart of Lisburn Article [1]

2. Robert Neff's The Irish Contribution [2]

3. NY Times article August 30th 1905 [3]