Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Brownback, Henry March December 17, 1860 - 
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Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

  HENRY MARCH BROWNBACK, postmaster of Norristown and 
ex-district attorney of Montgomery county, is one of the 
best known of the younger members of the Norristown bar. He 
is the youngest son of James and Ellen (March) Brownback, 
and was born in West Vincent township, Chester county, 
Pennsylvania, December 17, 1860. The Brownback family, 
German in origin, has many branches in eastern Pennsylvania, 
and its members are influential in their different 
communities.
  The immigrant was Gerhard Brumback (anglicized into 
Garrett Brownback), who sailed from Amsterdam in the ship 
Concord in 1683, landing at Philadelphia. Garrett Brownback 
settled first at Germantown, and removed later to Chester 
county, where he became a large landholder and the first 
hotel-keeper in his section. He was the founder of the 
Brownback Reformed church, still in existence. He lived to 
the age of ninety-six years, dying about 1757. He married 
Mary Pepen, youngest daughter of Howard Pepen, whose wife 
was Mary Rittenhouse. The couple had two sons: Benjamin and 
Henry, and four daughters. Benjamin Brownback married Mary 
Paul and had three sons: Henry, John and Edward. Henry 
married Magdalena Paul, and had five children: John, Peter, 
Benjamin, Annie and Susan. Many of the descendants of 
Garrett Brownback are useful citizens, filling positions of 
honor and trust in different sections of the state.
  One of the great-grandsons of Garrett Brownback was 
William Brownback (grandfather), a native of Chester county, 
who became a successful farmer. His wife was Eliza Wilson. 
She died in 1840 aged thirty-two years, leaving a family of 
four children; her husband survived her for half a century, 
dying July 29, 1890, at the age of eighty-four years. He was 
an exemplary citizen, and a life-long member of the Reformed 
church, participating actively in its affairs. One of his 
sons was James Brownback (father), who was born March 4, 
1833, in Chester county. After obtaining his education, he 
began life as a farmer, pursuing that occupation 
successfully. He sold out his other interests in 1865, and 
engaged in business as an iron founder, at Linfield, this 
county, where he still resides, although his firm, the 
March-Brownback Company, removed to Pottstown in 1891, he 
being its president and its business being prosperous. Mr. 
Brownback is also interested in other enterprises in that 
vicinity. In 1857 he married Ellen March, at Lawrenceville, 
Chester county. The couple had three children, Ada F., died 
November 13, 1899, wife of Henry G. Kulp, Pottstown; William 
M., married Annie Yocum, of Bryn Mawr, where the family 
reside; and Henry M. Brownback, of Norristown. Henry M. 
Brownback became a resident of Montgomery county when his 
parents removed from Chester county to Linfield. 
  He was then but seven years of age. He attended private 
schools, and Ursinus College. Subsequently, he studied law 
in the office of his uncle, Franklin March, then in active 
practice at Norristown as a member of the Montgomery county 
bar. Having passed a most creditable examination, he was 
admitted to the bar December 4, 1882, beginning immediately 
the practice of his profession, in partnership with Mr. 
March, the firm being March and Brownback. This arrangement 
continued in force successfully until January 1, 1903, when 
it was dissolved, Mr. Brownback continuing, however, to 
devote himself to the practice of law. He became the nominee 
of the Republican party for the position of district 
attorney in 1889, and was elected to the position in 
November of that year, serving the term of three years with 
credit to himself, and with fidelity to the interests of the 
public. He has filled the position of solictor for several 
county officials, from time to time, and has achieved 
exceptional success as a lawyer. July 2, 1890, Mr. Brownback 
married Miss Augustine Marguerite Lowe, a daughter of Prof. 
T.S. C. Lowe, then a resident of Norristown but more 
recently of Pasadena, California, who has been largely 
interested in railway construction and other important 
business enterprises, and is the owner of many valuable 
inventions. Mr. and Mrs. Brownback have two sons, Henry Lowe 
and Russell James. Early in July 1899, Mr. Brownback was 
appointed postmaster at Norristown by President McKinley. In 
January 1903, his term of four years having expired, he was 
re-appointed by President Roosevelt to the position. As 
postmaster Mr. Brownback has been faithful, energetic and 
progressive, always desiring to promote in every possible 
way the convenience and accomodation of the public. Under 
his supervision free rural delivery has been instituted, the 
routes which branch out from Norristown extending to various 
sections of the county. During his administration, also, the 
movement for a public building in Norristown was carried to 
a successful conclusion. Courteous, obliging and faithful in 
the discharge of his duties, Mr. Brownback is a model 
official.

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