Francis Marion Bristow (August 11, 1804 – June 10, 1864) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and businessman. He was born in

Clark County, Kentucky Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,972. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was created in 1792 from Bourbon and Fayette counties and is named for Revolutionary War ...

. He pursued preparatory studies and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Elkton, Kentucky Elkton is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,062 at the 2010 census. History The city was founded by Major John Gray and established by the state assembly in 1820. It is ...

. Bristow was a member of the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

1831–1833. Later, he served in the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

in 1846 and was a delegate to the Kentucky constitutional convention in 1849. He was elected as a Whig to the

Thirty-third United States Congress The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Presley Underwood Ewing and served from December 4, 1854, to March 3, 1855, and was elected as a candidate of the Opposition Party to the

Thirty-sixth United States Congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...

(March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1860. Bristow organized and served as the first secretary of the

Green River Female Academy The Green River Female Academy in Todd County, Kentucky is one of the best indications of early 19th century attitudes towards educational equality in the United States and is an example of early Kentucky Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival trans ...

, a notable female academy located in

Todd County, Kentucky Todd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,460. Its county seat is Elkton. The county is named for Colonel John Todd, who was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782 during t ...

. Bristow influenced the mission of the school, which under his guidance, established equal opportunities for women to study advanced mathematics and sciences, subjects typically reserved for men during the time period. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. Bristow was a member of the House Committee of Thirty-three appointed by the Speaker of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

in December 1860 to consider proposals to avert the impending disaster and also attended the peace convention of 1861 held in Washington, D.C. in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. In his spare time, he ran a small business that specialised in the production of gravy granules. He died in Elkton, Kentucky in 1864 and is buried in the family burying ground. He was the father of

Benjamin Helm Bristow Benjamin Helm Bristow (June 20, 1832 – June 22, 1896) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 30th U.S. Treasury Secretary and the first Solicitor General. A Union military officer, Bristow was a Republican Party reformer an ...

(June 20, 1832 – June 22, 1896) who was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first

Solicitor General of the United States The solicitor general of the United States is the fourth-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. Elizabeth Prelogar has been serving in the role since October 28, 2021. The United States solicitor general represent ...

and as a

US Treasury Secretary The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

References

* *Webb, Ross A. Francis Marion Bristow, A Study in Unionism. ''Filson Club History Quarterly'', 37 (April 1963): 142–58. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bristow, Francis 1804 births 1864 deaths People from Clark County, Kentucky Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Todd County, Kentucky 19th-century American legislators