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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 18)*

BROWN-FORMAN CORPORATION
(Name of Issuer)

CLASS A COMMON STOCK
(Title of Class of Securities)

115637-10-0
(CUSIP Number)

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [_]. (A fee is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7.)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

(Continued on following page(s))

Page 1 of 4 Pages

SEC 1745 (1-82)


- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 CUSIP NO. 115637-10-0               13G                   PAGE 2 OF 4 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
           W. L. LYONS BROWN, JR.
           # 000-00-0000

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
           N/A                                                  (b) [_]

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
           United States of America

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF                                                    7,908

      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
                                                             13,461,777
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING                                                     7,908

      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                                                             13,461,777
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
                                                             13,469,685
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
11
                                                                  46.5%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
                                                                    IN

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:

Brown-Forman Corporation

Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

850 Dixie Highway
Louisville, Kentucky 40210

Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:

W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr.

Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:

501 Fourth Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40202

Item 2(c) Citizenship:

United States of America

Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities:

Class A Common Stock

Item 2(e) CUSIP Number:

115637-10-0

Item 3.

Not applicable

Item 4. Ownership.

The amount of shares beneficially owned by the undersigned as of December 31, 1996, is as follows:

(a) Amount Beneficially Owned:                                   13,469,685

(b) Percent of Class:                                                 46.5%

(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
    (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote                    7,908
    (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote             13,461,777
    (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the
          disposition of                                              7,908
    (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the
          disposition of                                         13,461,777

                                                          Page 3 of 4 pages


SCHEDULE G

Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

Not applicable

Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

Other persons have the right to receive income from trusts holding Brown-Forman Corporation Class A Common Stock, as to which stock the undersigned has sole or shared voting power. The following persons are sole income beneficiaries of certain of these trusts which hold, respectively, more than 5% of the outstanding shares of such Class A Common Stock: Sara S. Brown.

Item 7 Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company.

Not applicable

Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not applicable

Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not applicable

Item 10 Certification.

Not applicable


After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

February 11, 1997
Date

/s/ W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr.
______________________________
Signature

W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr.
Name, Title

Page 4 of 4 pages

2