James Brown was born at Aberdeen, Scotland around 1879, married, and came to Winnipeg in 1907. He and his wife Jemima Edwards (c1886-1956) had a daughter Edythe Helen Mary Brown (1913-1969) and three sons, James “Jim” Brown (1904-1988), Stanley Albert “Stan” Brown (1910-?), and George Edward Brown (c1903-1950). By 1909, he and his family had moved to Virden where he operated a bakery until 1918. He sold the business and moved to Rivers where he again established a bakery. In 1927, the family moved to Selkirk and he founded Brown’s Bread Limited. It supplied bread from Beausejour to Gimli to Norway House, as well as 150 Winnipeg grocers and ships on Lake Winnipeg. A new 1937 plant could produce 10,000 loaves per day and had machinery capable of slicing and bagging 1,800 loaves per hour.
James was the firm’s President until he died at Selkirk on 31 December 1950. His wife succeeded him as President until she died at Selkirk on 4 Jan 1956. James Jr. served as Vice-President until retirement in 1968 and Edythe was Secretary-Treasurer until her death on 18 May 1969. It appears the company continued to operate into the early 1970s.
Brown’s Bread (1958)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Government Photographs (CH 0267), GR10030, AMD-34-1
Brown’s Bread (circa 1957)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Government Photographs (CH 0267), GR10030, AMD-34-2
Brown’s Bread (circa 1957)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Government Photographs (CH 0267), GR10030, AMD-34-3
Birth registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“Brown’s Bread Limited opens new plant,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 July 1937, page 5.
“Ten years of progress results in completely modern bakery,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 July 1937, page 5.
“G. E. Brown, 47, Kiwanian, dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1950, page 11.
“Brown’s Bread President dies at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1951, page 9.
“James Brown Sr., Selkirk Bakery founder, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 Jan 1951, page 17.
“Bread firm Head Mrs. J. Brown dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 Jan 1956, page 12.
Obituary [Edythe Brown], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 May 1969, page 31.
Obituary [James “Jim” Brown], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 December 1988, page 38.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 1 November 2017
