Sherrerd-Browne-Brackeley Family papers

The Sherrerd-Browne-Brackeley family papers are a one legal size box collection containing the family papers of those listed above; however, the most prevalent are those belonging to John Maxwell Sherrerd and his grandfather John Sherrerd. The collection consists of 19 folders; of these, 10 pertain to these two men. The rest are the personal papers of various other relations.

John Sherrerd and his wife emigrated to the United States in the last part of the 19th century from London. He settled about one and a half miles from Washington, on the line of the Essex and Morris railroad, where he kept a mill and a farm. The folders for John Sherrerd consist of estate papers and legal documents. He was succeeded in business by his son, Samuel, who had eight children with his wife Ann Maxwell Sherrerd, the eldest son being John Maxwell Sherrerd.

John M. Sherrerd was born on September 6, 1794, in Pleasant Valley on the Pohatcong Creek, below Washington. He prepared for college at Basking-Ridge and graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1812. He began legal studies with his uncle, the Honorable George Clifford Maxwell, then a member of Congress. On the death of his uncle he entered the office of the Honorable Charles Ewing. Later he was admitted to the bar as an attorney (November, 1816) and then as a counsellor (February, 1831). As an attorney he practiced in Flemington but in 1818 moved to the town of Mansfield in Sussex county. In 1825, the county of Warren was erected out of Sussex, and he, being appointed its first surrogate, moved to Belvidere in 1826. He was known for his sharp wit, especially when cross-examining witnesses; however, towards the latter part of his life, he shunned the excitement of the court and focused on his family and civic duties. He died on May 26, 1871 while working in his garden, and his funeral was largely attended by both young and old. John M. Sherrerd's folders consist of estate papers and legal documents, as well as his diary from the year 1817 and letters received by him from 1816 to 1817.

John M. Sherred married Sarah Browne on May 19, 1818. Sarah Browne Sherrerd's personal papers are letters received by her from the years 1811 to 1825, most being from her sibling, Mary Browne, and one Peter Browne (perhaps an uncle?) who also have folders in the collection. Sarah and John M. Sherrerd had three children, Samuel, John Browne, and Sarah Dutton.

Sarah Dutton Sherrerd married Dr. Philip Fine Brackeley sometime after 1845. Sarah D. Brackeley's papers are letters received by her from the years 1842 to 1885. There are no papers belonging to her husband in the collection, although there are papers of one Reverend J.H. Brackeley, possibly her brother-in-law.

There are three boxes of miscellaneous items in the collection, the Browne family miscellany, the Brackeley family miscellany, and one box of general Miscellany which contains correspondences of people whose relevance to the collection is unknown, as well as some 18th century deeds. The Brmme family miscellany also includes correspondences from unknown people and other articles, while the Brackeley family miscellany contains Mrs. P.F. Brackeley's copper printing plate for calling cards as well as a hand-written account of the life of Dr. P.F. Brackeley. There is also a folder containing newspaper clippings, one of which is a copy of the New Jersey Constitution.