Mother: Owens, Annie (Bristow) - F ----/--/--
Date of birth: 1835/--/--
Date of death: 1921/--/--
Spouse: Smith, Luranda Caroline (Schmidt, Bristow) - F ----/--/-- - ----/--/-- to ----/--/-- - Polk County, MO
THE HISTORY OF JAMES CLAWSON, OR J.C. BRISTOW, THE SON OF PEYTON
BRISTOW AND THE YOUNGEST IN HIS FAMILY, THE WRITER OF THIS
HISTORY (Written in 1908 on his 73rd birthday)
I was born in Indiana in the year of 1835 in Bedford
county. Bedford was the county seat. See father's history. My
first recollection after father got back to Ky. to the old ranch
I remember seeing the tree that fell on Granpap and Uncle Ben.
Though it is a little off history, Mr. Reader I will leave
Gramna's house and go up on the top of the great Poplar
monuntain and talk a little as I go. As I leave the house and
less than ten steps on my way there on my right is a fine spring
with a house built over it and a large mulberry tree standing by
the door and there on my left is a large apple orchard. There
too is that June apple tree that I often climbed to get apples.
As I go a little further along there on my right is an old sage
field that has been turned out (?). I now reach the foot of the
great Poplar Mountain and now we are in the trail and me and
father is climbing the mountain, but now I am riding a horse and
he is walking. We are up about half way and we stop to rest.
Well now we are on top of the mountain. Well here we find a
little log cabin and two women living. There is a medical
spring and father's second wife and another woman are there for
their health. The mountain is flat on top and a solid rock and
but a few hundred yards across there is some high cliffs on the
side. I walk out a few hundred yards east on a narrow ridge and
there is a small peak that raises above the mountain. It is
called the Huckle berry peak. Now I gather some huckleberries.
And now I go down to the old ranch where on each side of the
trail large poplar and chestnut trees and many other kinds are.
And now we look down on the old ranch upon the great scene where
the youthful wonders of my father were displayed. And over
there is the graveyard where the bones of Granpap and Uncle Ben
do lay. And there on my right is a large sugar (?) orchard and
between it and the house lies what was called the poplar field.
I remember lying down on my back one day in that field. I
looked west and I wondered what was far away in the west. I did
not know then but I understand it all now. And now as I go to
the house and as I pass through the cow pasture there on my left
is a house called the Uncle Leve Bristow house. And there is
the scene where the history of poor little Lucy is laid and
where the tears of brave Ky. boys were shed.
I will return back to the history. In about two years
after father got back to the place he married a woman by the
name of Sheeks. She had three soms whose history I will sketch
later on. This made eight children in my father's family. But
the oldest sister soon married. And father moved about 5 miles
from where Granma lived to a place called Perige (?) (Pea Ridge)
And I think that it had the right name as it was so poor that it
would hardly sprout blackeyed peas. After living there about
two years he moved to southwest Missouri.
THE HISTORY OF GRANPAP BRISTOW (William)
I.
By J.C. Bristow, son of Peyton Bristow
1908 on his 73rd birthday. He was a minister.
He lived in Clinton county at the foot of the great
Poplar mountain and about six miles from Albyna and on the west
side of the Poplar mountain and I believe that he had been
living there a long time. A tree fell on him and Uncle Ben and
killed them both. He was old. He must have been near 80. I
judge this from granny's age. I saw her soon after granpap was
killed. Granpap had one brother living there. His name was
Leven Bristow. Granma were a Beck before she married. She had
one brother that I have see, Uncle Peyton Beck as father called
him. He was my father's uncle. His oldest son was the first
man to settle Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was very rich, and owned
the country for 40 miles around. Him and a Mexican fought with
butcher knives and were both killed. This is as far back as I
can trace Granpap's history. I believe that they were Irish.
As to granma's death see further along.
Pardon me Mister Reader for running off the track and
for giving some of the history of the Becks. The only reason
for believing that Granpap and Granma were religious is the
first sermon that I ever heard preached I remember one night
that a man by the name of Billie Cooper preached in Granma's
house. The only word that I can remember he said that thunder
rolled from pole to pole. It was raining and thundering.
THE HISTORY OF GRANPAP'S OLDEST SON
II A. HIS NAME WAS EDWARD BRISTOW
He was born in 181?. This history cannot give the exact
place, but we believe that he was born on the old ranch. He was
married to a woman by the name of Ashinhurst. And he moved to
Missouri a few years before father did. He first settled in St.
Clair county, and he then moved to Cedar county about 5 miles
further west and settled on what is called Tucketts(?) Branch.
This was in the forties. They had ten children, 5 brothers and
5 sisters. And in about the year 55 she died. He lived to be
80 or more years old. He died and was buried in Cedar county,
Missouri. He was a low heavy set fleshy man. And he had some
knowledge of law and was justice of the peace and was called
Squire Bristow. Also he was a Hatter. He was a Christian. He
told me his experience of grace. He heard a man preach and the
man's text was "Adam where art thou?" This brought a burden to
his heart and he labored long and hard before he found relief.
He said that he went out one evening to pray and he told the
Lord that it was the last time that he was going to pray and
that time he found relief. He had come to the end of his
strength and that gave the Lord a chance to do something. And
that is where everyone has to come to before he is saved. Mr.
Reader I will try and not run off the track any more.
II B. THE HISTORY OF PEYTON BRISTOW, GRANPAP BRISTOW's SECOND
SON
He was born in 18? on the old farm and when a young man
he went to Indiana in the early settling of that country. He
settled on White River. When a young man he married a woman
named Annie Owens. To them were born 5 children, two brothers
and three sisters. Mother died. And not long afterwards word
came to him that a tree had fallen on Grandpap and Uncle Ben and
killed them and for him to come and take care of Granma as there
was no one but Negro Jo and Uncle John and he was a foolish man
to look after her. So father with us five children moved back
to the old ranch.
This was about the year 1837. He lived with Granma a year or
two and at this time he married a woman by the name of Sheeks.
She was a widow with three sons. And not long afterwards he
moved to another ranch about 5 miles away and in the year of
1842 or 43 Grandma died. And in the year 1845 father started to
move to southwestk Missouri and settled in St. Clair county.
Uncle Ed Bristow and my oldest sister were there when father
moved out. At this time there were but 7 children in the
family. His step-children still in the family. Father settled
on Brush Creek. He only made one move after settled. He moved
further down the creek 3 or 4 miles and there died in the latter
part of the summer in the year 60. He was a tall man with black
eyes and black hair. He was not a fleshy man. He was a
Christian. Pardon me, for saying that I believe that he was the
greatest man that I ever walked by the side of. He was a man
that possessed strong will power.
II C. THE HISTORY OF GRANPAP BRISTOW'S 3RD SON
His name was Tom. He lived in Clinton, Ky., Clinton
County. About 5 miles from where Granpap lived. I have been at
his house and seen his family tho I was only about 6 years old
at that time. They might have had more that 3 children but that
is all that I can remember. Two brothers and one sister. Uncle
Tom died in the year 1840. The date of death cannot be given
here nor the date or birth. The youngest son were named Tom.
He died at home and I think it was before his father died. The
oldest son was named Vess. In about the year 1858 he went to
Carrol County, Missouri, to where his Uncle Levin Bristow lived
and while there he died. He was a grown man, but single. His
brother Tom that we mentioned above died when he was about 15.
As to the daughter I remember seeing her. She was about grown
at that time. This is a far as we can trace Uncle Tom's family.
II D. THE HISTORY OF BILL BRISTOW, GRANPAP BRISTOW'S 4TH SON
All we know about him we hear him spoken of as living in
Indiana. The impression made upon my mind is that he had a
family but we cannot trace his history any further.
II E. THE HISTORY OF UNCLE JOHN BRISTOW, GRANPAP'S 5TH SON
He was a foolish man. Whether he was born in that
condition I cannot tell. I have seen him many times, but I was
so young at the time I cannot remember much about him. As to
his age I cannot say how old he was. He died before my father
moved to Missouri. Him and Granma died near the same time and
were buried on the old farm where Granpap was buried.
II F. As to Uncle Ben all that I know of him is a tree fell on
him and Granpap and killed them both. (6th Son)
THE HISTORY OF UNCLE LEVEN BRISTOW, GRANPAP'S 7TH SON
II G. The date and place of birth cannot be given in this
history. He moved to Missouri and settled in Carrol County,
near Carrolton, the county seat of Carrol county in what is
called the northern part. Whether he moved there before father
moved to Southwest Missouri we cannot tell. In the year 1857 or
58 we visited him twice. These visits were not but a few months
a part. On my first visit I traded a horse and had to leave him
there. And then went back after him. It was an hundred and
fifty miles north from where my father lived. He died somewhere
in the 1860's and was buried in Carrolton.
The only reason for believing that Granpap had more that
seven sons is that Uncle Ed Bristow related a rime about the
boys as they would go out to work. An in this rime he had the
name Moses, Paul and slow Jo. But this name we think had
reference to Negro Jo.
THE HISTORY OF UNCLE LEVEN BRISTOW'S OLDEST SON
III A. His name is Bob. As to the place and time of his birth
we cannot give. He went to Oregon in the latter part of the
sixties. The impression is that he lived in Portland. He was a
public man, but I cannot say what office he filled, But I
believe that he was a judge of the court and some few years ago
he died, leaving a wife and two or three children which are
living there at this time.
HISTORY OF UNCLE LEVEN BRISTOW'S SECOND SON
III B. His name was Jim. He moved down to Cedar county where I
lived in the latter part of the 60s, but stayed but a short time
and went back and then moved to Oregon and left a wife and three
children. They are still living. The date of his birth and
death cannot be given in this history.
THE HISTORY OF UNCLE LEVEN'S YOUNGEST SON
III C. He died when a young man. The implression on my mind is
that he was hardly grown. I remember seeing him. His name was
Sam. He was buried in Carrolton where his father was buried.
See his father's history.
THE HISTORY OF GRANPAP'S OLDEST DAUGHTER
She was married to a man by the name of Acre. She died
somewhere near the 1840s. Her burial was the first that I was
at that I can remember. The time of birth and death exactly
cannot be given in theis history. Her name cannot be given
here. She left one son behind. His name was William
THE HISTORY OF WILLIAM ACRE, SON OF GRANPAP BRISTOW'S
OLDEST DAUGHTER
Acre married another woman. Here name I cannot
remember. In the 1850s Acre moved to Southwest Missouri where
father lived and William Acre came with him. He was about grown
at that time. But in a few years later he died. This is a far
as we can trace the history of Granpap's oldest daughter.
P.S.
I forgot to give the history of Uncle Leven Bristow's
daughter. Her name is Martha. She was married to a man by the
name of Vinson. We cannot give the date of their marriage.
they were married in Carrol County, Missouri. She and Husband
moved down where I lived and stayed there 2 or 3 years and then
moved to Oregon where they now live. She is 51 years old and
still living in Oregon. They have 8 or 9 children. Most of
them are married. The youngest son is living with them at this
time. His name is Luther. This is as far as we can trace
Cousin Marthy and her family.
THE HISTORY OF GRANPAP BRISTOW'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER
She was married to a man by the name of Holsapple,.
William was his name. I remember being at their house. They
lived about 5 miles from where Granpap lived. They had
children, but I can't give the number. One of the boys wrote to
me after I was married. We passed a few letters and the
correspondence stopt. We cannot trace the family any further.
I never knew a Bristow that was ever brought before the
court for any act of misdemeanor. I never knew a Bristow whose
veracity was ever seriously called in question. I never knew a
Bristow that was a drunkard. I never knew a Bristow to be so
rich as to forget his Maker's name or so poor as to suffer with
hunger. THE END
I copied the history exactly, except for a couple of
obvious typographical errors. I didn't try to correct grammer,
spelling, punctuation or incomplete sentences.
There might have been pages missing from my original
copy. The history of the J.C. Bristow family ends rather
abruptly without giving the history of his children or
grandchildren as he does for his cousins. He says that he will
give a history of his wife's family (The Smiths) but they are
mentioned only briefly in the pages I had. J.C. Bristow also
frequently refers to a map(of St. Clair and Cedar Co., Missouri)
but unfortunately it is also missing.
As I read over this, my heart was touched for the love
that J.C. Bristow had for his family and his concern for their
souls,
Anna Goodman
Duane Bristow (duane@kyphilom.com)
Please send comments.
Last revised 2025/03/11.