J.B. BRAWLEY, attorney, Meadville, was born
July 26, 1844, in Meadville. His grandfather, Hugh Brawley, an early
settler of this county, was a farmer and contractor by occupation. He was
elected Sheriff of this county in 1823, and served in the Pennsylvania
Legislature. He was the parent of six children. Hon. J. Porter Brawley,
the second in this family, was educated at Allegheny College, and studied
law; served two terms as member of the Legislature; was elected to the
State Senate in 1846, serving three years; was Surveyor-General from 1850
to 1856. He had a family of six children, of whom J. B. is the eldest. Our
subject acquired his education at Meadville and in Allegheny College, from
which he graduated in 1360. He accepted a clerkship in the Census Bureau,
and was at Washington, D. C., till 1862 ; then returned to Meadville and
commenced the study of law in the office of Finney & Douglass, and was
admitted to the bar in 1864. Mr. Brawley began practice before the
Crawford bar with Edward Wilson, and was associated with him for two
years. In 1868 he became a partner with Judge David Derickson, on whom
Allegheny College conferred the degree of LL. D. in 1884, and continued
associated with him until July, 1875, upon the withdrawal of Judge
Derrickson from practice. He was admitted to practice in the United States
Supreme Courts January 18, 1877. In 1880 he formed a co-partnership with
John O. McClintock, with firm name of Brawley & McClintock. Mr. Brawley
has been twice married; on the first occasion, in 1870, to Miss Fanny C.
Ford, who died in 1872. His second marriage was with Maria, daughter of
Judge David Derrickson. Our subject and wife are adherents of the First
Presbyterian Church, of which he has been a member twenty-two years, and
is now an Elder. He was a member of the General Assembly that met at
Chicago, Ill., in 1877; also of the National Democratic Convention, 1880.
History of Crawford County,
Pennsylvania: containing a
history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools,
churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent
men, biographies, history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous
matter, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1885, page 716-717
.