Son of Daniel Brown and Elizabeth Stephens

Married Lydia Jane Tanner, 23 Jul 1854, South Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Rebecca Ann McBride, 31 Aug 1855, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Eliza Lester, 31 Jan 1863, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Elizabeth Mary Clegg, 4 Mar 1872, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 3, p. 38

James Stephens Brown was born July 4, 1828 in Davidson County, North Carolina. When he was three years of age his parents moved from North California to Brown County, Illinois. It was here that the parents became converts of the Latter-day Saint Church. The family moved to Iowa where James, after hearing the leaders of the Church with regard to the raising of the Mormon Battalion, was baptized and immediately enlisted with that group in Company D and made the historic trek to the West Coast. After arriving in Utah he did extensive missionary work and also brought many emigrants to Utah.

LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 3, p. 30

Brown, James Stephens, a Utah pioneer and a successful Latter-day Saint missionary, was born July 4, 1828, in Davidson county, North Carolina, the son of Daniel Brown and Elizabeth Stephens.

Becoming a convert to "Mormonism," he was baptized in 1844 and joined the "Mormon" exiles as they were being driven away from Illinois. Bro. Brown participated in the exodus, and after the arrival on the Missouri river he enlisted in the Mormon Battalion and marched all the way to California as a member of that illustrious body. After his discharge in California in 1847, he, together with others of the "Mormon" boys, found employment with a Mr. Sutter on the Sacramento river and was one of those Mormon Battalion boys who first discovered gold in California. In 1848 he arrived in Salt Lake Valley, where he passed through all the experiences incident to pioneer life.

He was ordained a Seventy and became a member of the third quorum of Seventy. In the fall of 1849 he was called on a mission to the Society Islands, which mission he filled with great diligence and much success, passing through experiences and hardships, which even for a "Mormon" missionary were exceptionally dangerous and hard. On one occasion, when the natives threatened to burn him at the stake, he was saved by the miraculous power of God. After being at length expelled from the Society Islands by the French authorities, he returned to Utah, and was for a number of years closely associated with Indian missions, in which labor he was again very successful.

Sept. 23, 1862, he returned to Salt Lake City after having filled a successful mission to Great Britain. Soon after his return from that mission he met with a severe accident by which he lost one of his legs and was thus maimed for the remainder of his days. For a number of years he spent much of his time lecturing in different parts of the Territory, for notwithstanding his limited education he was a most interesting speaker.

In 1892-1893 he filled another successful mission to the Society Islands. In 1898 he was invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of gold in California. He being one of the original discoverers, was made a guest of honor on that occasion.

Bro. Brown died March 25, 1902, at his home in Salt Lake City, leaving a large posterity. Before his death he wrote an interesting sketch of his life which was published in book form under the title "Life of a Pioneer," being the Autobiography of James S. Brown," in which interesting work the details of Bro. Brown's life are depicted in a way calculated to inspire faith and confidence in the great Latter-day Work, to which Bro. Brown devoted his life's strength and energy.

During his lifetime Bro. Brown married four wives.

His first wife was Lydia Jane Tanner. The names of her children are Lydia J., Rachel Elizabeth, Emeretta, James T., Zina May, August, and Valentine.

His second wife was Rebecca Ann McBride, whom he married in September, 1854. The names of her children were Deseret, Daniel, Alveretta, Vantile Mac, Burtina, Pauline, Homer, and Alphonso.

His third wife was Eliza Lester, whom he married Jan. 31, 1863, and who bore him nine children. Their names are Leo, Zimania Wilford, Elando, Annie Eliza, Frank Lester, Charles, Sarah-Emma, and Ada.

His last wife was Elizabeth Clegg, whom he married March 4, 1872, and whose children were named Mary Lillious, Gaurdello, Mark C., Benjamin Joseph, Louetta, and Myrtle J.

At his death Elder Brown was survived by three of his wives and twenty-one of the above named children, all of whom are members of the Church in which Elder Brown had implicit faith and in whose service he spent the greater part of his life.
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James Stephens Brown had a sealing marriage with Mary Brown, or Polly, as seems to be the common practice of that time to use this nickname for someone named Mary, was born 1789 in Rowan County, North Carolina. Polly was very closely associated with her younger sister, Nancy Brown (1792-1870). The two sisters married but not in the usual sense of the word. Both sisters were sealed later in their lives to male relatives, Nancy was sealed to William Coe Critchlow on the 6th of November 1852, and Polly was sealed to James Stephens Brown on the 31st of August 1855. They were sealed for eternity only and did not live with their respective sealing partners. The two sisters spend most of their lives together.

Mary Polly Brown Brown died 25 Dec 1876 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, at the age of 87. Polly was described by family members as being a "typical southerner". She smoked a corn cob pipe and had a Scotch-Irish quick, snappy temper but was passionately devoted to her family.

Mormon Battalion, Company D