Bristol County Biographies
Bristol County Biographies
D
DROWN, Benjamin, for many years
prominent in the political and social life of Warren, was born in Warren,
December 19, 1826, son of Benjamin and Eliza (Champlin) Drown. He is of old
New England ancestry, his grandfather Jonathan Drown having served in the war
of the Revolution. He was educated in the public and private schools of
Warren, and has been engaged in business as teamster and contractor since
1855. He has held the office of Street Commissioner of Warren, was
a member of the School Committee for several years, has been Assessor of Taxes
continuously since 1872, and has served his town on various committees,
important among which was the committee to re-build Kelly’s bridge over Warren
River. He was Senator from Warren in the General Assembly from
1882 to 1887, and again from 1890 to the present time, in which body he is at
present Chairman of the Senate committees on Finance and Fisheries. He
is also a member of the Shell Fish Commission of Rhode Island, elected in 1895
for five years. He is President of the Union Club of Warren, and member of the
Philanthropic Society and the George Hail Free
Library. Mr. Drown is a life-long Republican, and active in
politics and public life, having been on the Republican Town Committee of
Warren, and for ten years a member of the Republican State Central Committee.
He was married in April 1850 to Miss Mary W. Bowen, deceased; in
October 1884 he was married to Miss Mary J. Walker, also deceased; in
January 1887 he married Miss Mary Merritt, who is now living. He
has three children by his first marriage: William B. Drown ; Mary A., now the
wife of Walter
H. Rose;
and Carrie E., wife of Charles S. Davol.
