Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/425

 BREVOORT.

BREWER.

state historical societies. He was a trustee and some time superintendent of the Astor library, a regent of the University of the state of New York, a member of the entomological societies of New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, honorary and corresponding member of the Arch^ological society of Madrid, member of the American an- tiquarian society, of the American association for the advancement of science, of the Philadelphia numismatic society, and of various other literary, historical, and scientific organizations. He re- ceived the degree of LL. D. from Williams college in 1873. Before his death he distributed his valu- able collection of books, manuscripts, coins and medals among the various museums and colleges in which he was interested. Among his contri- butions to historical and scientific journals were a series of illustrated papers on "Early Spanish and Portuguese Coinage in America," and a paper on the "Discovery of the Remains of Columbus." His " Verrazano, the Navigator," was pubUshed in 1874. He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1887.

BREVOORT, James Fenwick, painter, was born in Westchester county, N. Y., July 20, 1833. After receiving preliminary instruction in draw- ing under good masters in America he studied in various European schools, and afterwards en- joyed the advantage of sketching tours through the most picturesque parts of England and the continent. He was admitted as an associate of the National academy of design in 1861, an academi- cian in 1863, and a professor in perspective drawing at that institution in 1872. He won especial praise in the treatment of landscape in low color tones, his most notable examples being a " Scene in Holland,'' " Lake Conio, " "Storm on an English Moor," " May Morning, Lake Como," "New England Scene," "Morning in Early Winter," " The Wild November Comes at Last," "Windy Evening on the Moors, " and " Windy Day on a Moor. " '

BREWER, David Josiah, jurist, was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, June 20, 1837; sou of Josiah and Emilia (Field) Brewer. His father was an American missionary, stationed at Smyrna, and his mother was a daughter of the Rev. David Dudley Field of Stockbridge, Mass., and a sister of David Dudley, Stephen J., Cyrus W. and Henry ^lartyn Field. Shortly after his birth his parents returned to America and settled in Wethersfield, Conn. He studied for a time at the Wesleyan university at Middletown, Conn., and then entering the junior class of Yale college was graduated in 1856. He read law in the ofiice of his vmcle, David Dudley Field, and was graduated at the Albany law school in 1858. He removed to Kansas City, Mo. , and commenced practice there, removing later to Leavenworth, Kan., where he attained a distinguished rank in his profession.

In 1861 he was appointed United States commis- sioner of the circuit court for the district of Kansas ; in 1862 he was elected judge of the pro- bate and criminal courts of Leavenworth county ; in 1864 he became judge of the first judi- cial district of Kan- sas, and in 1870 he was elected to the su- jjreme bench of Kan- sas, being re-elect- ed in 1876 and 1882. In 1884 he was select- ed by President Ar- thur as judge of the eighth judicial cir- cuit. On Dec. 18, 1889, by appointment of President Harrison, he was commissioned associate justice of the United States su- preme covu-t, to succeed Justice Stanley Matthews, deceased. One of his decisions, as affecting the state of Kansas, resulted in the acknowledgment of woman's eligibility to the office of county super- intendent of liublic instruction, and another recog- nized and sustained the right of married women to money possessed by them prior to marriage or earned by them after marriage. He was presi- dent of the library association ; member of the city board of education ; superintendent of schools of Leavenworth, and president of the state teach- ers' association. In 1890 he accepted a professor- ship as lecturer on corporation law in the Columbia law school. On Jan. 1, 1896, Justice Brewer was selected by President Cleveland to serve on the board of commissioners appointed to investigate the boundary line between Venezuela and British Guiana, and on the organization of the board he was elected its presiding officer. In 1897 Justice Brewer, with Chief Justice Fuller, was chosen an arbitrator on behalf of Venezuela in the matter at issue with Great Britain and he signed the agreement of the commissioners at Paris, 1899. He received the degree LL.D. from Iowa, 1884; Washburn, 1888 ; Yale, 1891, and Wesleyan, 1901. BREWER, James Rawlings, editor, was born at Annapolis, Md., Dec. 28, 1840. When four- teen years. old he began to write jwlitical and poetic articles for the press, and when eighteen he became editor of the Maryland Republican. In 1862 he removed to Baltimore, and continued his newspaper work. His expression of southern views in the colimins of his journal incurred the hostility of the military authorities, and three of his newspapers were suppressed. In 1864 ilr. Brewer went to New York to accept an editorial position on the New York World, wiiich he