Camden People - Charles G. Garrison

CHARLES GRANT GARRISON was born in Swedesboro, New Jersey on August 3, 1849. He was the son of Rev. Joseph Fithian Garrison. He had three younger brothers, Lindley, William, and Joseph. Lindley Garrison was Secretary of War under President Wilson from 1913 until his resignation in 1916.

The Garrison family came to Camden in 1855, when Rev. Garrison was appointed rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, a post he held until August of 1884..

Charles G. Garrison was educated in Edgehill School, Princeton, at the Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, and, entering the University of Pennsylvania with a view to the study of medicine, graduated from there in 1872. He had practiced that profession at Swedesboro but four years when he resolved to become a lawyer, and entered the office of Samuel H. Grey of Camden, who at the time of his death was Attorney General of the State. He was admitted to the Bar in 1878, and established a partnership with Thomas French. Thomas French and Charles Garrison became counselors-at- law in 1881, and remained partners until 1888, when Garrison was appointed to the New Jersey State Supreme Court.

In 1884 Charles Garrison became Judge Advocate General of New Jersey. Governor Green in 1888 nominated him to the State Senate as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to succeed Justice Joel Parker who, previously to his service, on the bench, had been New Jersey's war Governor and who subsequently served a second term in that office. Confirmation from the Senate came promptly. Governors Werts, Murphy, Fort and Fielder re-nominated him for successive seven year terms, in 1895, 1902, 1909, 1916. He retired due to ill health around 1920.

Justice Garrison became Chancellor of the Southern Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church of New Jersey in 1882 and was still in that position as late as 1917.

Judge Garrison resided in Merchantville for many years, and was their at the time of his death on April 22, 1924 which was noted in the New York Times the following day.

The New York Times reported from Camden on May 3, 1924 the following:

JERSEY JUDGE LEFT ALL TO HOUSEKEEPER;
Widow, Son and Two Daughters Cut Off by Ex-Justice Garrison.

"Ex-Justice Charles Grant Garrison of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, who died at Merchantville, N.J., on April 22, left his entire estate to his housekeeper, Miss Winifred Dallin, of Wildwood, N.J. Miss Dallin filed the will before Surrogate Brewer here today for probate. The personal estate was estimated a $30,000 and the value of the real estate was not set forth."

From George R. Prowell's History of Camden County, New Jersey -1886

Charles G. Garrison, M.D., is a native of Swedesboro, N. J. His education was received at the Edge Hill School, Princeton, at the Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, and at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1872 from the Medical Department of that institution, and until 1876 practiced medicine in Swedesboro, N. J. He then entered the office of Samuel H. Grey, of Camden, and was admitted to the bar in
1878. He began practice in Camden as a member of the firm of Garrison & French.

Mr. Garrison was made judge advocate-general of the National Guard of New Jersey in 1884 and chancellor of the Southern Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church of New Jersey in 1882.

Members of the Camden County Bar Association,
pose for a photograph during their annual shad dinner, around 1894.
Click on Image to Enlarge

From left (first row) Judge Charles Joline, Supreme Court Justice Charles Garrison, Judge Richard R. Miller, vice chancellor Henry C. Pitney, Supreme Court Justice Alfred Reed, Benjamin Shreeve, Caleb Shreeve, George H. Pierce; (second row) William Casselman, Edwin Bleakly, J. Willard Morgan, Peter Voorhees, Samuel Beldon, Frank Shreeve, Scuyler Woodhull, Lewis Starr, H. S. Scovel, George Vroom, Charles Wooster, and Howard Carrow; (third row) Samuel Robbins,
E. A. Armstrong, Thomas Curley, unknown Philadelphia lawyer, Charles Stevenson, H. F. Nixon, Henry I. Budd, Israel Roberts.

Scannell's New Jersey First Citizens: Biographies and Portraits
of the Notable Living Men and Women of New Jersey
with Informing Glimpses Into the State's History and Affairs
By William Edgar Sackett, John James Scannell
Published by J.J. Scannell, 1917

CHARLES G. GARRISON—Merchantville.—Jurist. Born in Swedesboro, Gloucester County, August 3, 1849; son of Rev. Joseph Fithian Garrison.

Charles G. Garrison has been a Justice of the Supreme Court of the state of New Jersey since 1888. He was named to succeed Joel Parker who, previously to his service, on the bench, had been New Jersey's war Governor and who subsequently served a second term in that office. Justice Garrison is a brother of Lindley M. Garrison, who was Secretary of War under President Wilson; their father was a professor in a Philadelphia College for many years and a widely known minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Justice Garrison was educated in Edgehill School, Princeton, at the Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia, and, entering the University of Pennsylvania with a view to the study of medicine, graduated from there in 1872. He had practiced that profession at Swedesboro but four years when he resolved to become a lawyer, and entered the office of Samuel H. Grey of Camden, who at the time of his death was Attorney General of the State. He was admitted to the Bar in 1878. Six years later he became Judge Advocate General of New Jersey. Governor Green in 1888 nominated him to the State Senate as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and the confirmation came promptly. Governors Werts, Murphy, Fort and Fielder re-nominated him for successive seven year terms, in 1895, 1902, 1909, 1916. Since 1882 Justice Garrison has been Chancellor of the Southern Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church of New Jersey.

Justice Garrison is a democrat in politics. His circuit covers Atlantic and Gloucester

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 11, 1893

Sarah Coplein

Philadelphia Inquirer - September 15, 1915	Charles G. Garrison Stephen Pfeil Frank Ford Patterson Jr. Edward Dickinson David Jester Samuel . Lewis William Harley Chris E. Fisher William H. Monroe Frank Grim Sr. Christopher Cheeseman John H. Donahoo Ellis Parker Thomas W. Burnside Claude Powell Frank Gardner William Vissell Clarence Shay James T. Walton Marmaduke Beakley Edwin P. Carson Wesley W. Hibbs Philip J. Wilson William J. Cameron