[kiterunner]

According to Burke's Landed Gentry, Robert Bristow Esq of Ayot St Lawrence and Little Bibbesworth, born 1596, the son of Nicholas Bristow, married Elizabeth Scriven in 1641 and their sixth son was called John. There is a baptism for him in 1663 at Ayot St Lawrence. Their second son, Robert (one of John's elder brothers), born 1643, emigrated to Virginia around 1660, where he married Averilla Curtis, then returned to England around 1676-1680, and his son Robert, born 1662, is the one who married Katherine Woolley. Burke's has no information about what happened to John Bristow born 1663, but it says his eldest brother Nicholas died before their father (although it doesn't give the date of the father's death); other brothers: William 1649-1694 left no sons; Thomas died 1687 unmarried; Charles died 1728 unmarried.

Edit: A publication called "Genealogies of Virginia Families" has a lot about the various Bristows of Virginia and it says that Burke's was wrong, and that the Robert who emigrated to Virginia and back to England was actually a son of John Bristow of Binsted, Hampshire, and this does fit with Robert's will which says he was born there, and mentions sister Jane Blanchard who is mentioned as a daughter in the will of John Bristow of Binsted. Very grateful to Genealogies of Virginia Families!

I found a transcription of the will of a John Bristow of Middlesex County, Virginia, proved 6 Nov 1716, which mentions his wife Mary, sons Nicholas, William and James, daughter Anne, and grandson John, son of Thomas (all these have surname Bristow).

Various public trees say that Anthony Seale and Anne nee Bristow had a son in 1727 or 1729 named Charles Bristow Seale, so he could have been named after the Charles who died in 1728? And this Anne could well be the daughter of John Bristow and granddaughter of Robert.

One of my DNA matches is supposedly descended from a James Bristow born 1693 at Christ Church, Middlesex County, Virginia, and this James had a granddaughter named Averilla. Another DNA match is supposedly descended from a Nicholas Bristow born 1694 Middlesex County, Virginia. These could be John's sons.

Of course I don't know for sure that these matches are related to me on the Bristow line rather than some other way. But it seems possible that my Robert Bristow born 1733 could be related to this Bristow family. But he isn't Robert, son of Robert, son of Robert, son of Robert, son of Robert... as that one is well-documented. So I need to see if there is another Robert born about the right time in this family!