Brand, John
, M. A. rector of St. George the Martyr, Southwark, and vicar of Wickham-Skeith, a political writer, who has been sometimes mistaken for the subject of our last article, was, however, probably of the same age, although we have no account of his early life. He was of Caius college, Cambridge, where he proceeded B. A. 1766, and M. A. 1769. When he had obtained the latter degree, he wrote an ethical essay, entitled “Conscience,” intended for one of the Seatonian prizes; but an accidental delay which it met with on the road, occasioned its being presented to the vice-chancellor two days after the appointed time, and on that account it could not be admitted to the competition. Mr. Brand, however, published his poem in a quarto pamphlet in 1772, and it was allowed to possess considerable merit, but not enough to procure it a place among the favourite poems of the day. From this time we find him devoting his attention to political subjects, which produced in succession; 1. “Observations on some of the probable effects of Mr. Gilbert’s bill, with remarks deduced from Dr. Price’s account of the national debt,” 1776, 8vo. 2. “The Alteration of the Constitution of the House of Commons, and the inequality of the Land-Tax, considered conjointly,” 1793, 8vo. 3. “A Defence of the pamphlet ascribed to John Reeves, esq. and entitled ‘ Thoughts on the English government,’ addressed to the members of the loyal associations against republicans and levellers,” 1796, 8vo; a clear and methodical tract, but exceeded in general utility by, 4. “An historical essay on the principles of Political Associations in a state; chiefly deduced from the French, English, and Jewish Histories; with an application of those principles, in a comparative view of the associations of the year 1792, and that recently instituted by the Whig Club,” 1796, 8vo. 5. “A determination of the average depression of the price of wheat in war, below that of the preceding peace; and of its readvance in the following; according to its yearly rules, from the Revolution to the end of the last peace; with | remarks on their greater variations in that entire period/* 1800, 8vo. 6.” A Letter to **** ******, esq. on Bonaparte’s proposals for opening a negociation for peace; in which the British guarantee of the crown of France to the house of Bourbon, contained in the triple and quadruple alliances, and renewed by the treaty of 1783, is considered; together with the conduct of our national parties relating to it,“1800, 8vo, an argument more ingenious than satisfactory, and unfortunately leading to an impracticable conclusion. 7.” A Refutation of the Charge brought against the marquis Wellesley, on account of his conduct to the nabob of Oude. From authentic documents,“1807, 8vo. This was the last of Mr. Brand’s political works. As a divine, we know only of a” Fast Sermon,“published by him in 1794, and a” Visitation Sermon," 1800. In 1797, he was presented by the lord chancellor (Loughborough) to the rectory of St. George’s in Southwark, vacant by the death of the rev. Joseph Pote, the value of which Mr. Brand procured to be increased by act of parliament, in 1807, but did not live long enough to profit by it, as he died Dec. 23, 1808, leaving a numerous family. 1
Gent. Mag. vol. LXXVIII. and LXXIX. From this we have given Mr. Brand’s academical degrees, but his naaie does uot occur among the Cambridge Graduates.