He represented Horton township from 1847 to 1859 and Kings County from 1863 to 1871 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. He was born in Horton, Nova Scotia, the son of Charles Brown and Frances Lothrop. He was educated in Pennsylvania, receiving a Doctor of Medicine in 1829.
He died in Horton at the age of 70.
Brown received the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Second Battle of Fredericksburg and at Salem Heights, Virginia between May 3 and 4, 1863.
Ed Brown accepted an offer to ride for Swigert's new stable and in 1870 he won the Belmont Stakes aboard Kingfisher. In 1893 Brown won the Kentucky Oaks with his filly Monrovia, a feat he would accomplish again in 1900 with Etta. Such was the case of Ben Brush, whom Brown bought in partnership as a weanling and trained into the U.S. Champion 2-year-old of 1895. Sold to the Dwyer Brothers Stable, Ben Brush won the 1896 Kentucky Derby. Similarly, Brown purchased Plaudit from breeder Dr. J. D. Neet and trained the colt until reselling him to John E. Madden, who then won the 1898 Kentucky Derby.
