John Brierton

John Brierton was not listed in any of the notes that were pulled together by the family starting in the 1990's, but is mentioned in several articles in the Brooklyn Eagle, described in the article about the fire at 351 Van Brunt Street as a brother of Thomas. According to that article and several others he was a policeman "attached to the Gates Avenue police."

According to the 1880 Census, there was a John Brierton living with James Brierton and Katherine who was 8 years old. The 1890 Census is not available and they are not found at all in the 1900 Census, probably because of the fire in the building that year. There is one John Brierton buried in the family plot at Holy Cross, who is listed as having been born in 1882. This leaves two possibilities. The first possibility is that there were two children, the first of whom died before 1882 and the second of whom was born that year. However, it is unlikely that he would then have been the policeman attached to the Gates Avenue station as an 18 year old. It is more likely then that the age given in the Cemetery listing is off by 10 years.

Either way, John Brierton died December 3, 1931, and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.