Sir Thomas Brown (1705–1746) was born in Kirkleatham, in Yorkshire, in the north-east region of England. He was a hero of the Battle of Dettingen (27 June 1743), in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession; in King's Own Regiment Dragoons (Bland's Dragoons). In the thick of the action, Brown witnessed the regiment's standard falling to the ground and was captured by the French.
This is believed to be the last time a sovereign conferred the title Knight Bannerets to troops on the field of battle. It is recorded that the King created sixteen Knights Bannerets on the battlefield in a diary entry by Miss Gertrude Savile, which states "This honour had been laid aside since James I, when Baronets were instituted".
Legacy
Brown's inn once contained an oil-painted sign which depicted him as the hero of the Battle of Dettingen. This sign is now lost, but a replica is located in Yarm Town Hall.