Looking back in time # 3

Brownell Cornwallis was born in America in c.1886 and was the son of the writer Kinahan Cornwallis and his wife Elizabeth Holland.1 They had two older children, Frances (born c.1878) and Kinahan (born c.1883 and went on to be a British diplomat.2) By 1892, Kinahan and Elizabeth were separated, although I have not been able to confirm a divorce (possibly because it went through the American courts.) In May 1892, records show Elizabeth and her three children (aged 14, 8 and 6) travelling on the Ocean Liner SS Saale from New York to London.3 In August 1892, at All Saints, Upper Norwood, Surrey, Elizabeth remarried to Charles Holland, a Canadian Estate Agent. 4
Extract from the marriage register of All Saints, Upper Norwood, showing the marriage between Charles Holland & Elizabeth Cornwallis in August 1892.
In the 1901 census Brownell, now aged 14, was recorded as living with his mother and stepfather in Eastbourne. 5
Transcript of the household of Charles Holland, as recorded in the 1901 census.
It is believed that Brownell went up to the University of Oxford in 1904, joining his older brother Kinahan who had gone up in 1902.6 Unfortunately, whilst Charles is recorded in 1911 as being in a Hotel in Brighton, no trace has been found of Elizabeth or Brownell.7 A body of evidence, however, has been built to suggest that in the years’ prior to the First World War Brownell was an artist. Kelly’s directory places him at Smollett Studies on Cheyne Road, Chelsea in the years immediately prior to the war. According to later reports, these were six studios located at 26-27 Upper Cheyne Row in Chelsea 8 In regards to Brownells’ body of work, it appears that a painting called ‘The Sail Makers’ was included in a 1911 exhibition ‘Forty-Sixth Exhibition of Modern Pictures by the New English Art Club’, hosted by Galleries of the Royal Society of British Artists.9 The same piece of artwork was auctioned but not sold in 2002.10 Other pieces which have come up for Auction in recent years include ‘Seated White French Bulldog’ and a 1914 painting entitled ‘Lady wearing a Breton lace hat standing in a doorway.’
Cornwallis Seated White French Bulldog (Copyright invaluable.) 11
Cornwallis Lady wearing a Breton Hat standing in a doorway (Copyright Toovey’s.) 12

Unfortunately, little evidence of Brownell’s activities during the First World War has survived but it seems that he was an Assistant Military Censor, meaning that he assisted the British Army in the censoring of information.13 It seems, however, that Brownell was not considered an ‘official’ solider as he does not appear in any known military records of the period and he is not buried in a Commonwealth War Grave. 14

By the summer of 1916, Brownell was in Egypt where he caught was described as ‘gastritis.’ He died on 4th June 1916 at the age of 29 and is buried on Port Said Memorial Cemetery.15 Although his grave is not considered to be a Commonwealth War grave, he is nevertheless recorded in the Commonwealth War Graves as another individual buried in the cemetery.

Extract from the Commonwealth War Grave Register

By the time of Brownell’s death his mother and step-father were living in Monte Carlo and the altar cross of the Anglian Church there is dedicated to his memory with the following inscription:

‘To the Glory of God and in loving memory of Brownell Cornwallis who died in Port Said June 5th 1916 acting as Assistant Military Censor. This Cross is given by his mother Mrs. Charles Holland.16’

Cornwallis - far right, middle row
Cornwallis - far right, middle row

Many thanks to Isabelle Sumner for her research into Cornwallis and providing the text. Thanks also to University College Oxford for the photos in this article.

1 Kinahan Cornwallis’ real name was Albert Mackenzie Russell Kinahan but he generally used the name Kinahan Cornwallis. (https://www.victorianresearch.org/atcl/show_author.php?aid=1152)

2 ‘Kinahan Cornwallis’ Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121184162/kinahancornwallis#view-photo=117546130 [Accessed 3rd August 2025]
3 Britian and Ireland Incoming Passenger Lists 1878-1960 List of Passengers landed by the Norddeutscher Lloyd S.S Saale from New York, May 7th 1892 BT 26/35/87

4 Register of marriages: All Saints, Upper Norwood, Surrey 1885- 1892 p.245

5 1901 census Carriglea, St. Johns Road, Eastbourne, Sussex RG13/ 880

6 ‘pdf. Scan of part of a set of transcript memoirs by Charles Taylor. n.d. (1960s)’ University College Oxford Archive Catalogue https://archives.univ.ox.ac.uk/records/UC%3AP415/MS1/1 [Accessed 10 August 2025]

7 1911 census The Hotel Metropole, Brighton, Sussex 79/2/33 x

8 Kellys Directory Chelsea Pimlico & Belgravia 1915 p.227

9 https://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/person/10746 ‘Brownell Cornwallis’ Database of Modern Exhibitions [Accessed 5th August 2025]

10 https://www.icollector.com/Brownell-CORNWALLIS_i105778 ‘300 Brownell Cornwallis’ icollector [Accessed 5th August 2025.]

11 https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/brownell-cornwallis-3620-c-k2j69y1tio ‘Lot 3620 Brownell Cornwallis’ Invaluable [Accessed 5th August 2025]

12 https://www.tooveys.com/lots/412066/brownell-cornwallis-lady-wearing-a-breton-lace-hat-standingin-a-doorway-holding-a-broom ‘Lot 103 4th December 2019.’ Toovey’s [Accessed 5th August 2025]

13 The War Graves of the British Empire Port Said War Memorial Cemetery [&] Ismalia War Memorial Cemetery Egypt p.30

14 ibid

15 ibid

16 University of Oxford Archive Catalogue Cornwallis, Brownell (matr, 1904) https://archives.univ.ox.ac.uk/names/ad807d5a-3ea4-445c-ab35-f869cf1b7a21 [Accessed 13th August 2025]

Do you know anything else about these events or do you have your own records that you would like to add to the archive?

Get in touch with the chaplain chaplain@stpaulsmonaco.com

Join our mailing list and stay up to date

Please enter your email below