Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Bristol, Sheldon 1816 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 23, 2007, 3:43 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) SHELDON BRISTOL is a farmer located on section 34, Almont Township, Lapeer County. He was born in the town of Riga, Monroe County, N. Y., April 26, 1816, and is a son of Bezaleel and Olive (Gillett) Bristol. The father was born in Killingworth, Middlesex County, Conn., and the paternal grandfather came from England. His wife, Eunice Bristol, died May 12, 1755, at the age of forty-two years. They were farmers in Connecticut and our subject's grandfather was an important personage in his day. He was Captain of the Minute Men of that place and served in that capacity in the Revolutionary War. He was also Magistrate of the place for a long time, and was always spoken of as Squire Bristol. He organized the Episcopal Church of Kiilingsworth, in which there is a memorial window at the present day, commemorative of the service that he and his wife, Mary (Redfield) Bristol, accomplished for the church. He died July 20, 1828, and his wife July 9, 1838. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom our subject's father was one. He became a hunter in Northern New York, and the trips that he made extended over years. On one he prevailed upon his parents to allow his younger brother Oliver to accompany him. They were absent from home for five years, at the end of that time carrying back $1,000 which was a large amount for those days. Our subject's father took his wife from Westfield, Mass., and after marriage located in Monroe County, N. Y., at Riga, where he became a farmer and was also interested in putting up sawmills, and in after years in putting in grist mills, carding machines and clothing works. Eventually both he and his brother Oliver failed financially, and in order to retrieve their broken fortunes, came to Michigan. He was married three times. By the first marriage there were six children, of whom our subject was the third, there being two sisters older, Eunice Adeline and Olive Mariett. Those who came after our subject were Joseph, Clarissa and Louisa. Our subject's mother died August 1, 1821, in Riga, N. Y. She was then thirty-three years of age. Our subject's father came to Michigan in 1831 and took up an eighty-acre tract of land from the Government locating it on section 33, Almont Township. The original deed is signed by Andrew Jackson. He still followed farming and hunting until his decease which occurred December 18, 1859. He was a volunteer and helped to defend Buffalo in the War of 1812, being in the battle at that place. Our subject has heard him say that he was glad when the battle began but more glad when he found it over and knew that he was safe. Our subject's father never became a wealthy man, and he of whom we write served him faithfully until he was twenty-one years of age, and giving him the whole of the day on which he reached his majority, spending it in splitting rails. The next day without money, without education and almost without clothes, he hired out at $14 a month with board and washing. The next two months he received $15, working in that way until his marriage. In the meantime our subject's father had lost forty acres of his land and was threatened with a loss of the remainder when his son Sheldon came to the rescue, giving his father a home with him during the remainder of his life. Our subject was married November 20, 1842, to Miss Emily Ingalls, daughter of David and Betsey (Taggart) Ingalls. She was born in the town of Stafford, Genesee County, N. Y. Mr. Bristol and his wife have never had children of their own, but they reared a young girl, taking her into their family at the age of nine years, and caring for her tenderly until her marriage, in her thirty-third year. They have also reared a son of his brother Joseph and have given him a part of the property. For seven years after our subject's marriage he and his wife kept house for her father, living and working together until the old gentleman married, when they concluded to divide the property. On the coming of our subject's father to the county there were only three families within its boundaries, and in the town of Almont there were only twenty-five acres cleared. Mr. Bristol has witnessed all the changes from that time to this, it now being as beautiful and highly cultivated a piece of country as the sun ever shone on. The original of our sketch cast his first vote in 1837 at a special election, and voted the Democratic ticket for Isaac E. Crary, nominee for congress. His first Presidential vote was for Martin Van Buren, in 1840, but since James K. Polk's administration he has voted the Republican ticket. He has held some township offices. In his religious belief he is a Spiritualist. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of the Presidents of the United States Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/lapeer/bios/bristol579gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb