The Reverend John Brand was a historian added as one of the eminent men of Newcastle upon Tyne in a book in 1855.
The information is an extract from History, topography, and directory of Northumberland, comprising a general survey of the county, and a history of the town and county of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with separate historical, statistical, and descriptive sketches of the boroughs of Gateshead and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all the towns … wards, and manors. To which is subjoined a list of the seats of the nobility and gentry, which was published by William Whellan & Co. in 1855.
The Rev. John Brand was a resident of Newcastle.
He was born on August 19th, 1744, at Washington, in the county of Durham, where his father Alexander Brand was parish clerk.
On his mother’s death he came to reside with his maternal uncle, Anthony Wheatley, cordwainer, residing in the Back Row, Newcastle, to whom he was bound apprentice in September, 1758.
He was educated at the Grammar School, then under the able direction of the Rev. Hugh Moises, by whose interest he was sent to the University of Oxford, where he obtained the degree of B.A.
Having been ordained, he became curate of Bolam in this county, and was subsequently transferred to the curacy of St. Andrew’s, in Newcastle.
He was afterwards presented with the curacy of Cramlington, and at the time of his demise in September, 1806, he was rector of the united parishes of St. Mary at the Hill, and St. Andrew Hubbard in the city of London, and resident secretary to the Society of Antiquaries.
Mr. Brand was the author of the following works, viz : —
“Observations on Popular Antiquities, including the whole of Mr. Bourne’s Antiquitates Vulgares, with Addenda to every chapter of that work : as also, an Appendix, containing such articles on the subject as have been omitted by that author,” 8vo. ; A “History of Newcastle,” and several minor publications.
