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 2012/10/17.