Harry Joseph Brierton, Sr.

Harry Joseph Brierton, Sr. was the son of James Brierton and Anna Corr. He was born about 1864. He was a newspaperman who became the Advertising Executive for New York City in 1902, in a selection process where he moved up the list after the person who would have been first (a crony of the mayor) was caught cheating. At the time he was living at 634 Forty-second Street in Brooklyn. He was hired with a salary of $1500/year.

He married twice. His first wife, known only as Annie, is believed to have died during the birth of their child, Margaret, who also died. He married Margaret Jane McAnn, probably around 1899 or early 1900, and they had two children, Harry Joseph Brierton, Jr. and Marguerite Agatha Brierton.

According to Marguerite, he was big in the Brooklyn Democratic circles. This may be have been a contributing factor to her receiving a Postmistress position at the store she opened after his death. He was elected a Vice President of the Brooklyn Democratic club in 1894 and a member of the "Jolly Good Fellows" social club of the Twelth ward on June 25, 1893.

Marguerite recalled that he was asked to speak at a political meeting of some kind, and had not been well. The window was left open behind him letting a cold winter wind blow and resulting in his coming down with Pneumonia, which caused his death. Harry Joseph Brierton, Sr., died November 27, 1909. He is buried in the Brierton family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery.