Mary and Captain James Brown married 7 February 1855, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Heber C. Kimball performed the marriage in Ogden, Utah. Mary became his ninth wife. They had no children.
Just two months before Mary's marriage to Captain Brown, he had married a widow named Cecelia Henrietta Cornu Robellas Brown. Cecelia had a son, George Constant Robellaz , born May 3, 1851 and a daughter, Eliza born January 27, 1853 who died on June 8, 1854, both from her marriage to Charles Francois Robellaz (z or s). All four were from Corcellas, Neuchatel, Switzerland]
Captain James Brown married his eighth wife Cecelia Henrietta Cornu Robellas on December 24, 1854 [just six months after her husband died] This marriage, as in many polygamous marriages was most likely established in order to give widows and their children a roof over their heads in this new frontier, and to provide care for their young children.
Cecelia left Utah sometime after 1865, [after her son George died in 1865 at age 14 years] for a visit to Switzerland to visit her father. She left the two little brothers, Charles David Brown [b.1856] and James Fredrick Brown [b.1859] [with Mary Wollerton. Mary was a wonderful mother to them as she had no other children of her own]. Aunt Mary, as she was called with deep affection, raised the two brothers in her home by the Ogden River, she loved them as her own until her death on January 16, 1877. By that time the boys were 21 and 18 years of age. In the large Brown family there was always an older brother or an uncle to look after their interests.
Cecelia was never able to return to America and Utah. Cecelia contracted tuberculosis and was ill the rest of her life and with the death of Captain Brown in 1863, she may not have had the means. It is also written that she was needed in Switzerland to care for her elderly parents [David Francois Cornu and Henrietta Egalite Baulard Cornu] who were in their seventies and in poor health.
At their mother's death in September 1882, each of her two sons recieved $1,000.00 from her.
Mary Wollerton was a sweet motherly woman, she lived in the north side of the "big house" on 22nd Street in Ogden until her death. She was loved by all of Captain Brown's family and her sweet influence was felt by them all. Even the grandchldren of the other wives loved to go see Aunt Mary and she always made them so welcome and gave them some refreshents. She lived to a good old age and was deeply mourned by the family when she died on January 16, 1877.
As a tribute to Mary's efforts to raise these boys right, Charles David Brown was a very good student in the Central School at Ogden. Mathematics was his favorite study. He graduated from Brigham Young University as a civil engineer, which profession he followed for the rest of his life. Charles married Sarah Ellen Dixon and had four children and remained active in the Church all his life.
James Fredrick Brown married Esther Amelia Marriott. They were sent to pioneer Star Valley, Wyoming where they settled permanently in Fairview. Four of their sons served missions and Fred spent his days working and living in the great outdoors he loved so much. Fred took for his middle name "Woolerton" because of his love for Aunt Mary.
Sources:
PAF - Archer files = Captain James Brown + (9) Mary Wollerton
Erold C. Wiscombe's CJBWives
[Bracketed], bold, corrections, additions, and photos added by Lucy Brown Archer
Brown Book of Remembrance written by Hattie Critchlow Jensen and Loella Brown Tanner prior 1948.
MARY WOLLERTON BROWN - 1814-1877
