John Parran Briscoe (August 24, 1853 – April 14, 1925) was a justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals from 1891 to 1924.

Early life

John Parran Briscoe was born on August 24, 1853, in

Calvert County, Maryland Calvert County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 92,783. Its county seat is Prince Frederick. The county's name is derived from the family name of the Barons of Baltimore, the proprietors of t ...

to Anna Maria (née Parran) and James Thompson Briscoe. His father was the Secretary of State of Maryland. He attended

Charlotte Hall Military Academy Charlotte Hall Military Academy, located at Charlotte Hall, Maryland, was established as Charlotte Hall School in 1774 by Queen Charlotte to provide for the liberal and pious education of youth to better fit them for the discharge of their duties ...

St. Mary's County St. Mary's County may refer to: * St. Mary's County, Maryland *St. Mary's County, Utah Territory There are 29 counties in the U.S. state of Utah. There were originally seven counties established under the provisional State of Deseret in 1849: ...

and St. John's College in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1875.

Career

Briscoe privately practiced law from 1875 to 1890. After 1924, he practiced law under Briscoe & Jones, Baltimore. Briscoe was elected as state's attorney of Calvert County in 1879, 1883, and 1887. He served as judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals from 1891 to 1924. His term expired on November 5, 1922 and was ineligible for reelection. He was reappointed until his successor, Walter M. Digges qualified. He also served as chief judge of the Seventh Judicial District of Maryland (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's and Prince George's counties) from 1891 to 1924. He served as a member of the board of visitors in St. John's from 1890 to 1924. He was president of the Maryland State Bar Association in 1905. He served as chair of the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology.

Personal life

Briscoe married Kate MacPherson Bowen on November 26, 1879. They had seven children: John P. Briscoe Jr., Anne Etheldre, Catherine MacPherson, Lucy Lee, William Norwood, Philander Bowen and Laurence Morton. He lived in Lower Marlboro, Maryland and later moved to Prince Frederick. His brother was James T. Briscoe, publisher of the Daily Mail of Hagerstown. Briscoe died on April 14, 1925, in Baltimore.

References

External links

1853 births 1925 deaths People from Calvert County, Maryland Judges of the Maryland Court of Appeals {{Maryland-state-judge-stub