Representative Henry Bristow

Henry Bristow (June 5, 1840 – October 11, 1906) was a Portuguese-born Republican U.S. Representative from New York who served one term in the United States Congress from 1901 to 1903. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in the House of Representatives.

Bristow was born on June 5, 1840, on São Miguel Island in the Azores, then part of Portugal. In his youth he immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in Brooklyn, he attended both public and private schools, receiving the education that would support his later work in business, local governance, and national politics.

At the outset of the American Civil War, Bristow entered military service in the New York State Militia. He served as a private in Company B of the Seventh Regiment, New York State Militia, from April 26, 1861, to June 3, 1861. After his brief period of military service, he returned to civilian life and engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York. He remained active in business until 1896, building a career in commerce that established his standing in the community and provided a foundation for his later public service.

Bristow became increasingly involved in local affairs in Brooklyn during the late nineteenth century. He served as a member of the board of education of Brooklyn from 1880 to 1889, participating in the oversight and development of the city’s public school system during a time of rapid urban growth. In 1896 he was appointed a city magistrate, a judicial position in which he handled local legal matters and further solidified his reputation as a public official.

Building on his local service, Bristow was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-seventh Congress, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1901, to March 3, 1903. During this single term in Congress, he served as a Republican member of the House at a time when the nation was addressing issues related to industrial expansion, urbanization, and America’s emerging role on the world stage. Although specific committee assignments and legislative initiatives are not detailed in the surviving record, his tenure placed him within the broader legislative debates of the early twentieth century. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1902 to the Fifty-eighth Congress, thus concluding his formal congressional service after one term.

After leaving Congress, Bristow continued in public service in Brooklyn. In 1904 he was appointed public administrator of Brooklyn, New York, a position responsible for managing the estates of persons who died without known heirs or without having appointed an executor. He held this office until his death, remaining active in municipal affairs and administration.

Henry Bristow died in Brooklyn, New York, on October 11, 1906, while still serving as public administrator. He was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, a resting place for many of the city’s prominent figures. His life traced a path from immigrant beginnings in the Azores to business success, local civic leadership, and service in the United States Congress as a Republican Representative from New York.