Southampton-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Taxes.....Bristow, Benjamin, 1849 

************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm
************************************************

"Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 17, No. 197, Fri., Nov. 10, 1939, p. 5 

Taxes Didn't Worry Southampton In '49 

90-Year Old Receipt Of Bristow Family Is Revealing 

  It's no wonder a man could enjoy living 90 years ago with a small army of 
slaves to answer his beck and call as he sat resting on his veranda sipping 
perhaps the traditional mint julep while his eyes wandered lazily over the 
green acres of land stretching before the big house.  Because along that time 
a man was not burdened too much with heavy taxation. 

  Today - well, that's another story, Thomas M. [sic; N.*] Bristow, clerk in 
the City Manager's Office, is showing a tax receipt dated January 5, 1850, 
with total taxation of only $1.22½.  Mr. Bristow found the receipt in an old 
family Bible.  Many of today's taxpayers to whom he has shown the yellow 
paper, sigh and yearn for "the good old days." 

  According to Mr. Bristow, his great grandfather, Benjamin Bristow of 
Southampton county, received the tax bill for the year 1849.  He died the same 
year.  His son, Thomas Jefferson Bristow, paid the bill to the deputy sheriff 
of the county, James A. Gillette, acting for the sheriff, Jeptha Darden. 

  Incidentally, the name of James Gillette has been preserved for sometime by 
descendants.  Over in Courtland James Gillette is a prominent lawyer and his 
son, James Jr., to an outstanding athlete at the University of Virginia. 

  But, back to great-grandad Bristow and his taxes.  It seems the old 
gentleman had 268 acres of land, a wooden clock and a horse on which taxes had 
to be paid.  On his land he paid huge sum of $1.00.  Today this land would 
have more than $100 slapped on it in taxes. 

  For the clock, a wooden one with walnut wheels, he paid 12½ cents.  The 
clock is still in the possession, as is the land, of the Bristow family. 

  And for the horse - 10 cents!  Descendants presume that the nag went to 
Valhalla. 

  Other items, taxable in that day, listed on the sheet were: slaves over 12 
years old, four and two wheel carriages, county levies, parish levies, gold 
and silver watches, and similar possessions. 

  Those near-taxless days must have been pretty nice. 


*Additional information: 

The surname was often spelled BRISTER in early records. 

Benjamin BRISTOW, Sr. 
d. 1849 

Benjamin BRISTER [Sr.] left will 20 Dec 1839, proved 1 Nov 1849.  The legatees 
   were his wife Deanch [Dianah SUMMERELL BRISTER?], sons Benjamin [Jr.], 
   James, & Thomas J., daughter Sally CAMP, & granddaughter Mary Ann POWELL; 
   witnesses Copeland TURNER, John EDWARDS & Allen EDWARDS.  Son Thomas & 
   friend Allen EDWARDS were nominated as executors, but EDWARDS refused the 
   burden, so Thomas became the sole executor, with A.S.H. BURGES & Allen 
   EDWARDS as securities.  (Southampton Co. WB14:227-28) 

Thomas J. BRISTER left will 10 Dec 1875, proved 21 Aug 1876.  The legatees 
   were his [2nd] wife [Martha A. BRITT BRISTER], son Richard A., daughters 
   Mary Eliza WELLS, Margaret Anna WILLIAMS & Martha Frances BRISTER, and 
   grandson Samuel H. BRISTER; witnesses George G.G. BRITTLE & Moses WELLONS. 
   Son Richard & brother Benjamin [Jr.] were nominated as executors. 
   (Southampton Co. WB20:215) 

Thomas Jefferson BRISTOW (1804 - 1876) is buried in a BRISTOW family cemetery, 
   on Berlin-Dory Rd.  He set aside ½ acre for the 'family burying ground." 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Miscellaneous Cemeteries, Vol. 1 (MV-I-8): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/miscvol1.txt 

Thomas Newby BRISTOW (1886 - 1965) is buried in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens, 
   Driver, Nansemond Co. 
   D.Cert. 15131 (Chuckatuck #177) 

Thomas Newby's parents, Richard Allen & "Mattie" Martha P. (WHITE DURHAM) 
   BRISTOW, both widowed, 2m. 29 Aug 1883 in Southampton Co.  (MB5:167) 
   Mattie's D.Cert. 20305 (Suffolk #253) gives d. 7 Sep 1922, buried Ivor; 
   however, the Quaker records give d. Sep 1923, buried family cemetery near 
   Corinth. 

Richard was a Confederate veteran, having served as sergeant major of Co. D, 
   3rd VA Infantry.  He was captured at Gettysburg 3 Jul 1863 and again at 
   Five Forks, Dinwiddie Co. 1 Apr 1865. 

Richard 1m. Mary Louisa BURGES (1834 - 1872), daughter of Dr. Albridgeton 
   Samuel Hardy BURGES.  


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/tax/b623b1tx.txt