James Brotherton, city treasurer and highway commissioner of LaSalle, was
born in this city November 10, 1856. His parents were Henry and Marcella
(Dooley) Brotherton. The grandfather of our subject, Henry Brotherton, died
in his native country, England, at the age of seventy years or more. He had
a large number of children, many of whom came to England, and among them the
father of our subject. He came to America some time during the '40s,
locating in LaSalle and working at his trade, that of engineer, for several
years in the Matthiessen-Hegeler Zinc Works. He afterward worked at Oglesby
and was accidentally killed on the Illinois Central Railroad about the year
1880, when forty-five years of age. He married Marcella Dooley, a native of
Ireland and a daughter of James Dooley, who died in that country at an
advanced age, leaving four or five children. Mrs. Brotherton is a devout
Roman Catholic. Her residence is in Spring Valley. Seven children were born
to her, of whom six are now living, namely: Mary Ann, wife of Charles
McCarty, of Oglesby; this state; James; Alfred, of Dickey county, North
Dakota; Drucilla, wife of Patrick Corcoran, of Spring Valley; Maggie, wife
of William Doyle, of Spring Valley; and Katie, wife of Edward Doyle, of the
same village. Their father served in the civil war under Captain Neddy.
James Brotherton attended the parochial schools of his native town, and at
the early age of thirteen began learning the trade of engineer. He followed
this vocation until 1894, when he met with an accident in which he had the
misfortune to lose two fingers. This incapacitated him for some time and he
did not again take up his trade. He was the foreman of the street
improvement for some time and then was made center police. In 1893 he was
elected a commissioner of highways, a position he still holds. In 1897 he
was elected to the office of city treasurer and now performs the duties of
both trusts in a manner highly satisfactory to his constituents.
Mr. Brotherton was united in marriage, September 19, 1887, to Miss Mary
O'Day, daughter of Patrick and Ann (Flannagan) O'Day. They were early
settlers in Peru, the father coming from Ireland and the mother from
Brooklyn, New York. He was a coal miner in county Mayo, where his parents
died. He married Ann Flannagan, whose parents died in Brooklyn, and five
children were born to them, namely: Thomas O'Day, of Westville, Illinois;
Katie, unmarried and living in Centralia; Nellie, unmarried and living in
Streator; Annie, wife of John Pouk, also of Streator; and Mrs. Brotherton.
They were members of the Catholic church and both died in middle life. — she
at the age of thirty-four, in 1882, and he at the age of forty-five, in
1893. Mr. and Mrs, Brotherton are members of the Catholic church and are
highly esteemed in the community. He is a Democrat and contributes in no
uncertain way to the success of the local ticket. He belongs to the Ancient
Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Extracted 17 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 471-472.
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