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BRISTOL GENEALOGY
(version 3/15/11)
modified from BRISTOL GENEALOGY
compiled by W.E. Bristol
Bristol Family Association
1967
Please email corrections to Mike Clark
Most likely, the name Bristol - which is also spelled Bristow, Bristowe and Bristoll - originated as a place name for the seaport of Bristol in Gloucestershire, England. Harrison's "Surnames of the United Kingdom" (1912 & 1918) suggests that Bristow derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "bricq", which means bridge, and the word "stowe", which refers to a place - the combined meaning of which indicates a "bridge place". Although other origins for this name have been suggested, no proof exists for these, and Harrsion's interpretation seems the most reasonable.
English ancestors of the family adopted the spelling Bristow(e) in earliest times, and their descendents generally changed it to Bristoll upon arriving in America. Although Bristol is the prefered American spelling of the last century, older spellings persist in some parts of the country. Also, some indexes for the U.S. Census mispell the name as Brestel.
Richard Bristow and his younger brother Henry arrived from England, probably separately, with Richard settling at Guilford in Connecticut, and Henry settling, somewhat later, in nearby New Haven. Richard was at Guilford when the first division of land took place, receiving "a parcel of upland and rocks" of about five acres, which after his death he left to his nephew Samuel. Richard took the freeman's oath early and generally worked as a barrel cooper. In addition, he held a small office in Guilford in 1650, where he served as an overseer of weights. Legend has it that the Bristow variety of apples are named after him, but his cannot be verified. He married twice, but outlived both wives and died childless in September of 1683. Because Richard had no children, his brother Henry is the immigrant ancestor of most American Bristols (New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1903, vol. 53, pgs. 262-266).
Henry Bristow (Bristol), the younger brother of Richard, was born in England about 1625 and came to New Haven Colony as a stowaway, probably to join his brother in the colonies, just a few years after the settlement was founded. New Haven was first known as Quinnipiac, an Indian name, and was started in 1638 when a company of English Puritans led by the clergyman Reverend John Davenport (1597-1670) and the merchant and colonial administrator Theophilus Eaton (1590-1658) arrived there in search of religious freedom. The name was changed to New Haven in 1640 and was united in 1643-44 with the neighboring settlements of Guilford, Wilford, Branford, and Southold (on Long Island) to form New Haven Colony. These towns, except for Southold, became part of the Colony of Connecticut in 1664, and New Haven was chartered as a city within the newly created and independent state of Connecticut in 1784.
The government of the New Haven Colony that Henry lived in was of the strictest Puritan type and expressly excluded English statute and common law. The "worde of God was adopted as the only rule to be attended unto ordering the affayres of government in this plantation." Among the "blue laws" that governed the colony were:
- "the judges shall determine controversies without a jury"
- "married persons must live together or be imprisoned"
- "a wife shall be good evidence against her husband"
- "no minister shall keep school"
- "the selectmen, on finding children ignorant, may take them away from their parents and put them into better hands, at the expense of the parents"
Other laws forbade work, travel, joy on the Sabbath or fasting day.
Shortly after arriving in New Haven, Henry was indentured to William Davis, who was a barrel cooper like Henry's brother Richard. Henry was able to take the freeman's oath in March of 1646/47, presumably at the age of 21. He was, like all other New Haven colonists, a member of the congregation of Reverend John Davenport, one of the founders of the colony. Henry and his first wife Rebecca were assigned seats in Davenport's church, with Henry taking at first the seat "before Mr. Tuttle's" and later a seat "next to the soldiers". Rebecca was placed "in the seat before the little short seat".
Henry faced Puritan justice more than once. Colony records reveal that at a court session of October 2, 1659 "Henry Bristow because the scabbard of his sword was broke, so that the point came out which is dangerous, was fined 12d". In December of 1653, he was found innocent of a charge of sleeping while on watch. Although Henry was a barrel cooper by trade, he was appointed "a packer of flesh" on May 19, 1656 and faced the New Colony court again when he was cleared of a charge of "false meat packing".
Henry's home lot in New Haven sat at the present corner of Elm and Temple Streets, which in 1967 was occupied by the New Haven Public Library. His descendents lived there until Miss Mary Bliss Bristol sold the lot to the city. It is also recorded that on January 7, 1967 Henry bought from John Morris "be it more or less" 114 acres of land "on the west side of town", an area now known as West Haven. The minutes of a town meeting held in 1668 mention his land as being at Malbon's (Malebon's) Cove near the Oyster River, which forms the present boundary between West Haven and Milford.
Although Henry's main trade was that of a barrel cooper, he was also a fence-viewer in 1663, and was appointed in 1666 "to gage casks for this year", a job which fitted in with his profession of making wooden barrels. It was noted previous that he also tried his hand as a meat packer. Most likely, Henry's Malbon Cove plot was farmland, which indicates he may have done some farming as well, or at least leased it out to other farmers.
Several descendents of Henry Bristol fought in the American Revolution, among them his grandsons Aaron, Abel, and Eliphalet Bristol, the three of whom were brothers. The eldest brother Aaron (b. 1743) is one of the progeninators of the genealogy that follows. Aaron's son Moses Bristol (b. 1786), an uncle of the Harris line of descent, fought in the war of 1812.
Henry Bristow, the brother of Richard Bristow, was born in England about 1625 and settled in New Haven Colony, Connecticut shortly after the 1638 founding of the colony. He married his first wife Rebecca in New Haven prior to 1649 and had by her three children before her premature death sometime between 1653 and 1656. He married his second wife Lydia Brown, daughter of Francis Brown and Mary Edwards, in New Haven on Jan. 29, 1656. Lydia was born about 1637-38 and died in New Haven in 1719. Henry preceded her in death and died in New Haven in 1695.
from the first marriage were born in New Haven:
Rebecca Bristol (1649-1739), who married Zaccheus Candee (d. 1721) of West Haven in 1670 and had by him seven children.
Samuel Bristol (1651-1692), who married Phebe and had by her four children. He inherited land from his uncle Richard Bristow.
Mercy Bristol (b. 1653), who was born in 1653 and probably died young.
from the second marriage were born in New Haven:
Lydia Bristol (1657-1752), who married first, in 1680, Joseph Smith (1655-1697) of West Haven, Connecticut and had by him five children. She married second, sometime after 1697, John Plumb.
John Bristol (1659-1735), who married first Mehitable, and second Mercy Mansfield (b. 1662). John was licensed to sell liquor in 1701 and became a surveyor of highways in 1706. He had four children, probably from his second marriage with Mercy.
Mary Bristol (1661-1715), who married a widower named Jobamah Gunn about 1689 and had by him three children.
Hannah Bristol (1663-1741/42), who married Thomas Hinde of Milford in 1684 and had by him seven children.
Abigail Bristol (b. 1666), who became in 1712 the second wife Daniel Terill (1689-1727) of Milford, Connecticut. Daniel, who was 23 years younger than Abigail, had ten children from his first marriage, but does not appear to have had any with Abigail.
Sarah Bristol (b. 1668), who married Stephen Hine (b. 1663) of Milford, Connecticut and had by him four children.
Daniel Bristol (1671-1738), who married first Esther Sperry and second Judith Bunnell (d. 1746), the widow of Thomas Hodge. Eight children were born from the first marriage.
Elizabeth Bristol (b. 1674), who died young.
Esther Bristol (b. 1676), who died young.
Eliphalet Bristol (1679-1757), who follows:
Henry Bristol (1683-1750), who married first in 1707 Desire Smith (d. 1740), and second Damaris Atwater (1700-1770) of New Haven, Connecticut in 1742 when he was about 59 years old. He had eleven children from his first marriage with Desire.
Eliphalet Bristol, the son of Henry Bristow and Lydia Brown, was born in New Haven, Connecticut on Oct. 2, 1679 and married Esther Peck (b. 1679), the daughter of Benjamin Peck and Mary Sperry. He was one of the original proprietors of Waterbury, Connecticut but never lived there. He took the freeman's oath of New Haven on April 30, 1717 and was chosen in Dec. 1717 to be a "viewer and hayward for the old field west side". He is listed in 1718 as a "lister", in 1718 as a surveyor, and in 1730 as a tithing man for West Haven. He died on Dec. 1757 having had several children.
children - BRISTOL:
Lydia Bristol (b. 1701), who was born in 1701 and in 1723 married Joseph Crofut of Danbury, Connecticut.
Sarah Bristol b. 1703).
Dinah Bristol (b. 1705).
Stephen Bristol (1707-1785), who in 1732/33 married a widow named Dorothy Tolles Brown (d. 1785) of West Haven and had five children. He was chosen a grand juror of West Haven in 1745 and became a surveyor of highways in 1751.
Abigail Bristol (b. 1709), who married Joseph Pardee (1711-1766) of New Haven in 1737 and had seven children.
Eliphalet Bristol (1712-1805), who married Sarah Thomas (1716-1796) in 1735 and had three children.
Aaron Bristol (b. 1714), who follows:
Moses Bristol (1716/17-1802), who married Rachel Trowbridge (b. 1719) of Stratford, Connecticut. He settled in Oxford, Connecticut and had nine children.
Esther Bristol (b. 1718/19), who married a man by the last name of Stevens.
Benjamin Bristol (1721-1790 or 1810), who married Thankful Trowbridge in 1745/46 and had five children. He lived in Connecticut and New York and served in the French and Indian Wars.
Aaron Bristol, the son of Eliphalet Bristol and Esther Speck, was born in New Haven, Connecticut on Aug. 31, 1714. His wife was named Abigail. Aaron took the freeman's oath on April 7, 1755, and he was chosen a grand juror on Dec. 13, 1756. He ultimately moved to Harwinton, Connecticut and then in 1791 to Panton, Vermont where he died was buried there in the Hawley Cemetary. He and Abigail had several children, all of whom were born in New Haven.
children - BRISTOL:
Reuben Bristol (1734-1828), who married first in 1762 Comfort Barber (b. 1741) of Harwinton, Connecticut, and second Martha Butler (1741-1819), the widow of Samuel Bartholomew. Seven children were born, most likely all from the first marriage.
Miriam Bristol (1739-1826), who married John Preston III of Windsor, connecticut.
Aaron Bristol (1743-1823), who follows:
Israel Bristol (1745-1796), who married Phoebe Olmstead (1742-1828) and had two children.
Abigail Bristol (b. 1747).
Abel Bristol (1749-1867), who married Mary Norton of Goshen, Connecticut in 1745. He fought in the American Revolution and was listed as a lieutenant in 1793 after the war was over. Later, in 1800 he advanced to the rank of captain with the New York Militia based in Columbia County. He had four children.
Eliphalet Bristol (1751-1833), who married Sarah Scoville (1753-1826) of Harwinton, Connecticut in 1774. He fought in the American Revolution, serving with the Connecticut State Troops in Colonel E. Sheldon's regiment. According to one account, he was allowed 60 miles of travel pay for his horse during a 1779 skirmish at Danbury, Connecticut known as Tryon's Raid.
Aaron Bristol, the son of Aaron Bristol and Abigail, was born in New Haven, Connecticut on May 7, 1743. After his family moved to Harwinton, Connecticut, he married Sybil Scovill (b. Oct. 10, 1748), the daughter of Ezekiel Scovill of Harwinton. Aaron fought in the American Revolution, first as a private in Capt. Amos Williams Company, and later in Colonel Gay's 2nd Battalian. Both he and his brother Abel apparently lost their guns in the York Island retreat of 1776. He resided for a time Harwinton, then moved to near the falls at Vergennes, Vermont where he built a log cabin (in Panton) and a brick one in 1822 or 1827. Aaron died in Panton on July 21, 1823 and Sybil on July 31, 1828. Both are buried in Panton in the Hawley Cemetary, where a double tombstone marks their graves, and the tombstones of their son Noah, and his wife Anna are nearby in the same group of five family graves.
children - BRISTOL:
Aaron Bristol (1769-1792), who may have died single?
Sybil Bristol, of whom nothing further is known.
Chauncy Bristol (1775-1868), who married Miriam (d. 1834) in 1798 and had eight children.
Levi Bristol (1777-1812/13), who had a wife named Polly and two children.
Rhoda Bristol, of whom nothing further is known.
Lemon Bristol (1780-1811), who had a wife named Betsy and two children.
Olive Bristol (b. 1782).
Moses Bristol (1786-1826) had a wife named Mary (c.1790-1843) and six children. He fought in the War of 1812 and was at the Battle of Pittsburgh.
Noah (1789-1838), who follows:
Noah Bristol, the son of Aaron Bristol and Sybil Scovill, was born in Panton, Vermont on Sept. 26, 1789. He married on Feb. 27, 1814 Anna Stafford who had been on July 13, 1794. Noah died in Panton on May 12, 1838, and Anna on died there as well on Oct. 8, 1865. Both are buried in Panton's Hawley Cemetary. Noah and Anna had several children, all of whom were born in Panton.
children - BRISTOL:
Philo Bristol (1815-1885) married Prudence Rugg (1814-1892) of Greenfield, Massachusets or Lincoln, Vermont in 1835 and had nine children. He is buried in the Prospect Cemetery of Vergnennes, not far from his brother Russel.
Lydia Bristol (1816-1820).
Philemon Levi Bristol (1818-1890) married first in 1838 Betsy Ann Jacobs (1818-1850) and second in 1851 Abigail Betsey Whittier (1819-1898). He had ten children.
Abigail Bristol (1820-1898) married on March 16, 1840.
Russel Titus Bristol (1822-1900), who follows:
Sybil (1824-1868) married Watson Morgan (1821-1895) of New Haven, Vermont in 1846 and had six children.
Benjamin Stafford Bristol (1826-1848).
Abel Bristol (1829-1891) married Abigail Thompson (1835-1915) in 1851 and had six children.
Lydia Bristol (1832-1876) married Charles Hayward.
Russel Titus Bristol, the son of Noah Bristol and Anna Stafford, was born in Panton, Vermont on May 29, 1822. He married in New Haven, Connecticut in Sept. 1847 Martha Jane Thompson (b. Jan. 27, 1828), the daughter of James Thompson. Russel died on Dec. 20, 1900, and is buried in the Prospect Cemetery of Vergnennes, not far from his brother Philo. He was followed in death by Martha on May 8, 1919.
children - BRISTOL:
Willard Russel Bristol (1848-1925) married Mary A. Richards (1855-1938) in 1876 and had four children.
Edwin Stafford Bristol (1849-1928) married Alta Amelia Elitharp (1851-1945) in 1888 and had four children.
Ernest James Bristol (1852-1940) married Susan Imogene Harris (1857-1943) in 1878 and had seven children.
Carlton Doran Bristol (1857-1943) married first in 1876 Anna May Elitharp (1853-1892), and second in 1892 Caroline S. Stone (1868-1921).
Alice Jane Bristol (1855-1926), who follows:
Arthur Hiram< Bristol (1857-1917) married Adeline Sohia Kimball (1868-1941) of Orwell, Vermont in 1896 and had four children.
Wallis (Wallace) H. Bristol (1859-1922) married Cornelia Sibley (1863-1922) in 1885 and had nine children. He was a jeweler.
Alice Jane Bristol, the daughter of Russel Titus Bristol and Martha Jane Thompson, was born in Panton, Vermont on Dec. 24, 1855. She graduated from Middlebury College and married the Rev. Sidney Munson Harris (b. Jan. 21, 1854), a Methodist minister, on Sept. 29, 1881. Like Jane, Sidney had been born in Panton. Jane lived with Sidney in Vermont, and went with him when when he pursued a ministry in Massachusetts. She spent some time in London after the 1918 Armistice of World War I, but eventually returned to Panton where she died on May 25, 1926. Sidney outlived her by several years and finally passed away in Vergennes, Vermont on Feb. 12, 1937, probably at the house of his son Sidney. For the children of Alice and Sidney, please see the HARRIS GENEALOGY.
modified from BRISTOL GENEALOGY
compiled by W.E. Bristol
Bristol Family Association
1967
Please email corrections to Mike Clark
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