Arthur Winton Brown JP (27 December 1856 in Port Chalmers – 27 July 1916 in New Orleans) was the mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, in 1886 and 1891.

He was the son of carpenter Arthur Brown, who later became cabinet maker and shipwright, and his wife Jane Winton.

After Brown's disappearance in 1892 his wife and son, Arthur Bernard, remained in Wellington for a time before supposedly leaving for England to stay with relatives.

In the 1900 United States census Arthur Bernard Brown was living in New Orleans and was described as a medical student.

[6] In 1918 his wife, Wilhelmina, was the Assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Nurses Board of Examiners and the American Red Cross work of the Gulf Division.

He retired from direct involvement in the grocery business prior to 1890 and was, until his disappearance from Wellington in 1892, a land agent and auctioneer.

[citation needed] In December 1891 Brown laid the foundation stone to the Wellington Free Public Library on the corner of Victoria and Mercer Streets.

On making inquiries they found that Brown did not go to Mokau but after sailing to Auckland on 29 January by the steamer Waihora he remained on board, bound for Sydney, Australia.

Local papers of the time stated that had he remained in Wellington any of the difficulties he was facing could easily have been resolved.

[22] It is probable that he knew of the impending collapse and considered himself to be financially exposed to the company's debts.

A further £300 claim related the Mokau Coal Company against Brown had been received, which meant even less would be able to be paid to debtors.

[23] The Evening Post reported in December 1892 that Brown had opened a grocery shop in Whitechapel Road, London.

[24] In 1894 a newspaper report stated that one of Brown's relatives had received a letter from him posted in Japan.

[25] In 1911 a letter was received in New Zealand from St Louis, USA stating that Brown was living there, and was a candidate for a high office.

[26] This letter was more likely about his son, Arthur Bernard Brown, who was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana State Board of Health in 1911.

According to his application for naturalisation as a United States citizen, Brown arrived in New York on the City of Chicago on 10 March 1892.

The ship sailed on the Liverpool to New York route, taking 8 or 9 days to cross the Atlantic.

[28] Australian newspapers of 22 February based on New Zealand reports about letters that had been received there said he was staying in Sydney.

He had transferred from the Daily States where he was its business manager, possibly with Robert Ewings acquisition of the paper in 1908.