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The Court of Appeals of Maryland. Frederick and Montgomery Counties in the Court of Appeals, is the son of James McSherry. author of the well-known History of Maryland. The great-grandfather of the judge, Patrick McSherry, came to America from Ireland in 1745, and settled in Penn sylvania, where he was for many years a justice of the peace. When the American Revolution broke out. he joined the patriots,

and was elected one of the Committee of Safety for York County. James Mc Sherry, the son of Patrick, and grand father of the subject of this sketch, was a member of the Penn sylvania Legislature for thirty years; he, also, served one term in Congress. Judge McSherry was born in Freder ick, Md., on Decem ber 30th, 1842, and has lived there all his life. He was edu cated at Mt. St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, and would have graduated in JOHN 1'. 1862, but he left the previous year on ac count of the war. He was a strong South ern sympathizer, and although only a mere boy, was arrested and confined in Fort McHenry for a short time. He studied law under his father, and was admitted to the Bar on the 9th of February, 1864. He was actively engaged in practice for twentythree years, until in November, 1887, he was elected without opposition to the Court of Appeals. During the seven years he has been on the Bench, he has won the con fidence and admiration of his associates as well as the members of the Bar for his

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broad and vigorous intellect, his quickness of apprehension, the clearness of his reason ing, his extraordinary capacity for work and his conscientious application to duty. Hon. John Parran Briscoe was born on August 24, 1853, near Lower Marl borough on the Patuxent river, Calvert County. Maryland. He is the son of James T. Briscoe and Annie M. Parran. His fa ther was a Pierce elector with Judge Alvey, was State sen ator for his county from 1842 to 1848 and from 1861 to 1869; and a mem ber of the constitu tional convention of 1867. His grand father, Philip Briscoe, was for years pres ident of Charlotte Hall Academy in Saint Mary's County. The Judge's father was in the Federal service under A. Leo Knott, Esq., who was second assistant post master-general dur BRISCOE. ing Mr. Cleveland's first administration. The Judge received his education at Char lotte Hall Academy, and at St. John's Col lege, Annapolis. He studied law with his father, at that time practicing in Baltimore, and was admitted to the Bar in May, 1875. After practicing in Baltimore for a short while, the Judge moved to Calvert County, where he was three times elected State's at torney, in 1879, 1883 and 1887. When Judge Stump became disqualified by the constitutional limitation of age, Judge Briscoe was appointed by Governor Jackson Chief Judge of the Seyenth Judicial