Bristow, John Follett

Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow

Bristow was born in the District Township of Krugersdorp, South Africa on 5th May 1907 and baptised at St. Peters, Krugersdorp on 16 June 1907. He was the son of  Captain Samuel Follett Bristow and Alice Maud Bristow nee McLeod/Green.

A detailed family and career history has been included in the comments section reproduced below.

Bristow joined Northern Bank on 11th May 1925 in Head Office. 

Northern Bank, Head Office, Victoria Street

Transfers followed to Antrim Road (1925 - Junior), Head Office (1927 - Junior), Connswater (1931 - Accountant), Head Office (1933 - Accountant's Room) and Lisburn (1940 - Relief Staff).

Northern Bank, Lisburn branch

In 1928 he joined the RAF Special Reserve.

On 2nd December 1940, Bristow was "permitted to join" the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). The bank Staff Record card is annotated "he had already committed himself". His Service Number was 89053. Promotion came in July 1941 to Pilot Officer, Flying Officer in December 1941 and Flight Lieutenant in December 1942. The London Gazette records him as being a War Substantive Squadron Leader from December 1943. 

Following his war service, Bristow re-joined the bank in Markets branch as the Accountant.

Northern Bank, Markets branch

1948 saw a transfer to the Donegall Square branch. He was promoted in 1955 to Pro-Manager and in 1961 to Sub-Manager there.

Northern Bank, Donegall Square branch

Bristow relinquished his RAF (VR) commission in July 1963 with a rank of Flight Lieutenant, RAF Secretarial Branch.

In 1966 Bristow was promoted to Sub Chief Accountant and was based once again in Head Office.

Bristow retired on 31st May 1970.

The main image is of J F Bristow attending the 1974 Ex-Servicemen's Association dinner.

Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow died on 3rd January 2007 and is buried in his grandparent's family grave at Drumbeg Parish Church, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.

The following sections have been provided via comments left:

John Follett Bristow was son to Captain Samuel Follett Bristow. For instance -

Captain Samuel Follett Bristow – first Rank: Lieutenant - The Royal Irish Rifles; Dark Green Facings, 4th Battalion {formerly the Queen's Royal Rifles}: obtained, 3 November 1897; see - Lieutenant General H. G. Hart, (ed), The new annual army list; militia list, and yeomanry cavalry list, for 1898 (being the fifty-ninth annual volume), containing dates of commissions, and a summary of the war services of nearly every officer in the army, supply & c., departments, marines, and Indian staff corps, and Indian local forces, corrected to the 31 December 1897, with an index by the late Lieutenant General H. G. Hart, vol. lix, (London, 1898), p. 371; he served in the Anglo-Boer War with 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Riffles. Later Rank: Second Lieutenant. 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Riffles and embarked for South Africa on 26 October 1899. See – Lieutenant General H. G. Hart, (ed), Harts Annual Army List; Included in this volume, The Royal Company of Archers: The King's Body Guard for Scotland, vol. lxiv (London, 1903), p. 345. Soon after seconded for service with the South African Constabulary on 15 November 1900 – See The London Gazette, 16 April 1901, p. 2620; and by 1902 obtained the rank of Captain: E Division South African Constabulary. Captain Samuel Follett Bristow was severely wounded during a skirmish at Leeuwpan on 1 May 1902 – See Belfast Telegraph, 8 May 1902].

Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow’s mother was Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green. For instance -

Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green was daughter to Henry Green of Kimberley, Cape Province, South Africa. The latter was born Montreal Canada, 23 August 1818 and died Springkloof Barkly West, Cape Province, South Africa, 26 September 1884 – See Probate Records of the Supreme Court, Africa, 1871-1937. Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green’s mother was Ida Johanna Caroline Green ńee Von Lilienstein of Baronrath and Wessels Roads, Cape Province, South Africa. The latter was born a German Countess in c.1837 and died Claremont, Cape Province, South Africa on 13 May 1911: see - South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths. Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green was married first to Arthur James McLeod of Bulawayo, South Africa. The latter was an Attorney of Law. Her second husband was Captain Samuel Follett Bristow of E Division South African Constabulary.

During 1905 to 1908 Captain Samuel Follett Bristow of E Division South African Constabulary was promoted to Inspector of the newly constituted Transvaal {South African Republic} Police. Following Inspector Samuel Follett Bristow’s death in c. 1911, Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green made her way to Ireland with her 3 sons – one of whom was John Follett Bristow. No doubt the reason why Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green decided to move from Africa to Ireland was because her late husband’s family were from there. Indeed, Inspector Samuel Follett Bristow’s father was The Very Rev. Dean John Bristow M. A of Down and Connor; Incumbent of Gleneraig, County Down in 1863 and Rector of St. James, Belfast in 1890. The Very Rev. Dean John Bristow M. A was brother to James Thom[p]son Bristow. For instance -

James Thom[p]son Bristow was the eldest son of James Bristow of Belfast; he was appointed pro-Director of the Northern Banking Company in 1848 and in 1852 he was elected as a Director of the Northern Banking Company. During 1863 to 1867 James Thom[p]son Bristow became Managing Director of the Northern Banking Company, following the death of his father - See Belfast Weekly News, 28 July 1877.

Thus, Inspector Samuel Follett Bristow’s great grandfather was James Bristow - Managing Director of the Northern Banking Company. This individual was one of the early founders of the Northern Bank and one of a long line of Bristow’s who had occupied positions of authority in this institution during the late ninetieth and early twentieth century.

Squadron Leader John Follet Bristow married his wife Marjorie Isobel Bristow ńee McKee at McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church, Upper Malone, Belfast on 3 November 1935 [See - Belfast Newsletter, 4 July 1935. 

By 1935 John Follett Bristow's mother - widow Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green, had remarried for the third time to Brown Sproule Campbell and had relocated with her husband to Kenya, Africa. Brown Sproule Campbell died in the Eldoret District of Kenya Colony on 10 January 1935. At which point Alice Maud Campbell was named as the administrator of his estate by His Majesties Supreme Court of Kenya - See: The Official Gazette of the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, vol. xxxvii, No. 15 (Nairobi, 26 March 1935), p. 280. Brown Sproule Campbell was a Chartered Accountant whose birth was registered in Belfast in 1886. The latter was son to a Shipyard Manager - William Campbell of 5 Kansas Avenue, Clifton, Belfast - See Census of Ireland 1911.

Alice Maud Bristow ńee McLeod/Green and Brown Sproule Campbell had married in Belfast in 1918. Brown Sproule Campbell was an Accountant in Muncipality of Eldoret, Kenya Colony in 1934. The latter’s wife remained in Eldoret until at least 1938. In fact, she was registered up until that point on the Eldoret Electoral Roll. Alice Maud Campbell ńee Bristow/McLeod/Green and Brown Sproule Campbell boarded the ship Tanganjika - destination: Mombasa on 23 December 1929. There address at that point in time was 59 Botanic Gardens Belfast. The couple travelled from Kenya to Northern Ireland in 1934 and stayed at 33 Ulsterville Avenue, Belfast. In 1948 Alice Maud Campbell ńee Bristow/McLeod/Green returned to Northern Ireland from Kenya and visited 16 Shrewsbury Gardens, Belfast.

Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow’s wife Marjorie Isobel Bristow ńee McKee was a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music and a Licentiate of the Guildhall School of Music. The latter was daughter to George McKee of Deramore Park, Belfast and her residence at the time of her death was 16 Shrewsbury Gardens, Belfast, BT9 6PJ. This of course was the same address that her mother-in-law Alice Maud Campbell ńee Bristow/McLeod/Green had visited on her return visit from Kenya to Belfast to see her son and his family in 1948.

Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow was transferred from the Royal Airforce General Duties Branch to the Royal Airforce Special Reserves on 21 December 1927. His Service Record with the RAFSR was started on 5 January 1928 and his temporary rank as Pilot Officer was announced on 3 January 1928. Between 14 January 1929 and 26 January 1929 Pilot Officer John Follett Bristow was assessed at RAF Eastchurch. He obtained scores of 96 per cent in gunning and 75 per cent in bombing. His assessor wrote that Pilot Officer John Follett Bristow was ‘a very keen and intelligent Officer. He knows the Lewis gun thoroughly [and] has a working knowledge of the bomb sight’. Not long after this assessment The London Gazette, reported on 2 July 1929, that Pilot Officer John Follett Bristow’s rank was officially confirmed; however, on 8 September 1933 the latter relinquished his commission on completion of his Service. 7 years later, Pilot Officer John Follett Bristow reapplied to the RAF on 15 July 1940. At this point his goal was to join the RAF Volunteer Reserves and, indeed, it was mentioned on his Service Record that his home address was 16 Shrewsbury Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland and that in civilian life he was a Bank Official in the Northern Banking Co., Belfast.

I noticed you said that you weren’t aware of any children, but Squadron Leader John Follett Bristow and Marjorie Isobel Bristow ńee McKee did have a son. His name was Colin George Bristow, the 2x great grandson of James Bristow: Managing Director of the Northern Banking Company, great grandson of The Very Rev. Dean John Bristow M. A of Down and Connor and grandson of Inspector Samuel Follett Bristow of the Transvaal {South African Republic} Police.

End of comments section.