Mrs. Iris Browne, who was born in St. Catherine, St. Philip, was elated to see her siblings, children, and their families join in celebrating her 100th birthday on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Coral Haven, The Crane, St. Philip.
Mrs. Browne was especially excited to meet President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.
Upon meeting the centenarian, Her Excellency remarked: “I am a friend who came to say ‘Happy Birthday’ to you.” Mrs. Browne replied: “…This is the President? They tell me you were coming; you are one of my home people…. My grandmother and your grandmother were friends.”
She shared with Dame Sandra stories of what brought the two families together and some activities they did throughout the years.
After the prayer, Mrs. Browne led the gathering in singing one of her favourite hymns, “Jewels” (When He Cometh).
In a tribute to his mother, Jeffrey Browne said: “She is a proud mother…of 13…. Three passed away. She chose her career quite early. She knew that she wanted to be a vendor…. I could recall getting up early, like 4 o’clock, and we would go to Golden Grove Plantation…. We would have a lot of cucumbers…. We would pack about five or six baskets on the truck, and she would sell out all of these things; she never brought back the baskets empty.”
Mr. Browne also shared that after her work day, his mother would go to a bakery and acquire “a basket full” of bread that was about “two days old”. He added: “There was a place called the Colonnade; she used to go, and she would only buy chicken backs…and when she got home, if it was 10 o’ clock at night, she would put on this big buck pot (Dutch oven styled cast iron pot) and she would fry the chicken backs and then we would have the bread. You could not eat more of the chicken backs than her.”
Mr. Browne said his mother, who loves flying fish and cou cou, was very innovative with the latter. He recalled that she would take cou cou made from the previous day and “slice it thin” and fry the slices “to a crisp” and no one could tell the difference between them and chips (French Fries).
He noted that when buying shoes for her children, Mrs. Browne would use a “pea tree stick” to measure their feet, from “the heel to the top of the big toe”. In the event she misplaced the measuring stick, and the shoes were too big, she would stuff them with newspaper until they fit comfortably.
Stating that his mother cared for her children, he said she ensured they had a good education; always had food, even if it meant killing a pet pigeon, rabbit, or sheep; and they were obedient. She would use a “coconut broom” as her “favourite method” of discipline.
One of her brothers, Gilmore Stuart, said his sister was always “pleasant”, and when he visited her a few weeks ago, “she was the hit of the show”. “Iris, enjoy every moment of your life from here onwards. Thank you for having us today, and we really appreciate you,” he said.
Mrs. Browne attended St. Catherine’s Primary School and then Beulah Primary School. She is known to have done some needlework before working at Bayley’s Plantation, St. Philip, where she picked cotton and fed the ducks.
Pursuing her entrepreneurial desires, she became a vendor of vegetables and produce, operating mainly in front of Jordan’s Supermarket (previously Rick’s Supermarket), Fairchild Street, St. Michael, until retirement.
After marrying Ernest Browne (deceased), she moved to Bequest, St. Philip, where she lives today. They had 13 children. Mrs. Browne took on the full support of her family after her husband was unable to work because he lost his eyesight at a relatively early age.
The centenarian initially attended St. Catherine’s Anglican Church but then became a member and a preacher at Faith Tabernacle Church (which no longer exists in Barbados), Long Bay, St. Philip. She enjoyed travelling and did so on behalf of her church.
Mrs. Browne spends most of her time entertaining visitors and sharing stories from her past, as her memory is “excellent”. Her other favourite foods are ground provisions.
In giving the Vote of Thanks, one of the centenarian’s sons, Charles Browne, said his mother will refer to today as “the best day of her life” because “that was the day the President came to visit”. He further stated that his mother is “most proud” about the fact that Her Excellency is also from St. Catherine.
Dame Sandra thanked Mrs. Browne and her family for the invitation, remarking: “Although I meet a lot of centenarians and am privileged to meet them…this morning is truly special…because she knows all of my family.”
Mrs. Browne has 20 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
