My Genealogy Hound

John H. Briscoe. Among the worthy and deserving agriculturists of Northeast Missouri, is the subject of this sketch, a native of Highland Township, Mo., born in 1833. He is a descendant of two highly respected families of Kentucky, where his parents were raised, educated and married, and in 1833 immigrated to Northeast Missouri. Our subject’s father, Walter Briscoe, was of German descent, and his life occupation was that of farming; he served for a time in the Black Hawk or Iowa war. He died in Missouri, aged forty-four years, in 1853. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religion was a member of the Baptist Church; his widow survived him until 1865, at the close of the war. Our subject was reared in his native county and State, and received his education during the winter terms of the district and public schools. At the age of twenty he immigrated to California, and worked in the mines one year, and it was in that year he lost his father. In 1854 he returned to Lewis County, and soon after entered land in Knox County, where he moved in the spring of 1854, and built a log house. Before going west he was married to Miss Sarah H. Lewis, a native of Kentucky, daughter of Benjamin C. and Harriet (Jackson) Lewis. Beginning with but a rude home, the young couple began to improve their land, although at that time wild game and animals abounded, and the country was very thinly settled. To them nine children have been born (eight of whom are living): Laura (Briscoe) Gosney, Harriet E., Hester F. (Briscoe) Bostwick, Emma D., Walter H., Benjamin C., Sarah (Briscoe) Roberts, Lydia M. and John H. During the late war Mr. Briscoe, although not classed among the regular army, was what was known as a bushwhacker, and did a good deal of dodging, but never bushwhacked any one. In politics he is a Democrat. With the exception of the year spent in California, he has been within this judicial district all his life, and is a man well liked and well spoken of, being of high principles and character. He now owns 290 acres of good land, and is one of Knox County’s enterprising and public-spirited citizens.