California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 JOSIAH JACKSON BRUTON.� The venerable "Judge" Bruton, as he is familiarly known, is one of the most popular and beloved residents of Lakeport. As pastor of the Christian Church in that town for sixteen years, and justice of the peace for a period of twenty years, in both capacities he has had special opportunities to see the needs of his community and serve it well, and his faithfulness to every trust has won him the love and esteem of so wide a circle that it would be difficult to say how far his influence is felt. Though now eighty-one years of age, he is frequently called upon to officiate at marriages and funerals, and on other occasions, because of the affectionate regard in which he is held, and the cheer and comfort he has carried into many homes will make his name a household word in Lake county for many years to come. Judge Bruton has led a busy and interesting life, and he has an interesting family history. The name was formerly spelled Brewton, and the family originated in Switzerland, being Huns and closely- allied to the Donahugh tribe. From that country they were transplanted to England, where Philip Brewton, the great-grandfather of Josiah J. Bruton, was born. He came thence to America in Colonial days, settled and married in South Carolina, and had three sons, Philip, Jonas and David. David Bruton, son of Philip, was born in South Carolina. His removal to Kentucky came about in this way : Richmond White lived in North Carolina, near the South Carolina line, and was a neighbor of the Brewtons. He had twin daughters, Mary and Grace, and when David Bruton was sixteen years old he fell in love with Mary, who was eighteen. The White family determined to move to Kentucky, and a day or two after they set out for their new home David started after them on horseback, and overtook them. When his father found he had gone he, too, set out to follow on horseback, and caught up with the party after several days' travel. At first he attempted to persuade his son to return to the parental roof, but the boy refused steadfastly and his father had to go back without him, first giving his blessing to the young couple, who were married and spent their honeymoon on the road to Kentucky. They settled in Montgomery county and became leading residents of their locality, David Bruton representing that county in the state legisla- ture and serving as sheriff of Madison county, Ky. It was he who changed the spelling of the name to Bruton. Of the children born to him and his wife three sons and three daughters lived to rear families of their own, viz. : Enoch, Kitty, Nancy, James, David and Sallie. As his grandson Josiah re- members him, David Bruton was about six feet, two inches in height, with black hair and dark eyes, very precise in speech and deliberate in action. Many of the Brutons have been tall, spare and dark-complexioned. Mrs. Mary (White) Bruton was a small, wiry woman, with dark hair and hazel eyes. She was noted for her energetic disposition and industrious habits, and when seventy years old could knit a pair of woolen socks between sunup and sunset. James Bruton, father of Josiah Jackson Bruton, became a very prominent citizen in Montgomery county, Ky., where he was extensively engaged in farming, owning four hundred acres of as "fine land as ever lay out of doors." He was the leader of the Whig party in that county, which like his father he represented in the state legislature. He was a man of commanding presence, six feet, one inch tall. His wife. Susan (Jackson), of Kentucky, was a daughter of Francis Flournoy Jackson, who was born in Ireland in 1760 and came to the United States in early life. When a young man he settled at Bryant's Station in Fayette county, Ky.. where he met and married Sarah Grant, by whom he had five sons and five daughters : Samuel married a Miss Mason; Josiah married Miss Martin; Israel married Miss Lipscomb; James T. married Miss Trible ; William married Miss Laywell ; Edith married Enoch Bruton ; Susan married James Bruton ; Rebecca married David Bruton; Sarah married Willis Daniel; Amanda married George Robinson. The father of this family was a counterpart of "Old Hickory" in appearance and action. He was about six feet in height, very spare in build, with light blue eyes and fair complexion. He always fought his way through. Though a great trader and successful in business, he was too generous to accumulate a fortune. He lived to the age of ninety-three years. James Bruton lived to be fifty-five years old, his wife Susan to the age of fifty-eight. Thirteen children were born to them, three dying in infancy. The following grew to maturity: Mary Jane, Sally Ann, David, Francis, Jesse Enoch, Josiah Jackson, William J., Martha Susan, Rebecca G. and James Grant. All but two of this family married, and two still survive, Josiah Jackson and James Grant, the latter a resident of Centralia, Missouri. Born October 28, 1833, in Montgomery county, Ky., Josiah Jackson Bruton spent his boyhood and youth there. His education was obtained in subscrip- tion schools, where he finished a course in mathematics and the sciences, and he read the first principles of law. During the summer he would assist his father on the plantation, pursuing his studies in the winter season. In 1853 the entire family moved to Missouri, servants and all, settling near Centralia. He married there in 1858, and subsequently farmed in Missouri on his own account, owning one hundred and sixty acres of fine land, which he sold when he decided to immigrate to the Pacific coast. Foreseeing the bloody times ahead, which he felt certain would arise out of the slavery question, he preferred to take his family away from the scene of trouble, and they started across the plains in 1861 with an ox-team, Mr. and Mrs. Bruton and their one child. In September of that year they settled in San Joaquin county, Cal., moving to Lake county in 1864 and settling two miles south of Lakeport. Mr. Bruton bought a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on which they con- tinued to reside for seventeen years, at the end of which time they moved into Lakeport, where he purchased his present home and a block of ground. His home has been in the town for thirty-two years. In 1868 Mr. Bruton began to preach as a minister of the Christian Church. He was first set apart for the work by the church in Big valley, and he founded the church of this denomination at Lakeport, which he served as pastor for sixteen years, until he resigned, but his interest has never abated, and he has always been looked upon as the "balance wheel" of the organization. He is still acting as president of the official board, and is often called upon for ministerial services. Both as pastor and as justice of the peace he has been called upon to perform numerous marriage ceremonies, and it is said he has married more couples and preached more funeral sermons than any other man who has ever lived in Lake county. His wide acquaintance and personal popularity, because of his known integrity of character, have kept him busy performing offices for many who would be satisfied with no other clergy- man when it was possible for him to be present. After giving up his ministerial duties Mr. Bruton turned to the law, which he had begun to study during his young manhood, and he was admitted to the bar in 1887, practicing in the superior court until about ten years ago. His mental activity and tenacity of purpose are well illustrated in this, for it is rare for a man of his years to enter a new line of work and pursue it so successfully. For twenty years he has served as justice of the peace in supervisorial district No. 4, of Lake county, having been repeatedly reelected, and he has also been honored by being chosen as supervisor of that district, holding the office for parts of two terms. Politically he is a Democrat. Con- sistent with his own high character, he has always had the interests of the county at heart, giving his influence and encouragement to any movement which had her advancement in view. On July 20, 1858, Mr. Bruton married Sarah Catherine McClain, daughter of David Hancock McClain, the latter a native of Howard county. Mo., where his father, Rev. David McClain, was among the earliest pioneers ; he was the first Baptist preacher in Howard county. The McCIains had a terrified exist- ence there because of the Indians. They lived at McClain's fort and Cooper's fort. David Hancock McClain married Nancy Clay, who was born at St. Charles, Mo., her father, James Clay, having settled in that state at a very early date. The family came to this country from England and was first established in Virginia, moving thence to Kentucky and later to Missouri. Airs. Bruton has a vivid recollection of Henry Clay, who came as far west as the Missouri river on his campaign tour, and paid a visit to the McClains, Mrs. Nancy (Clay) McClain being his first cousin. To Mr. and Airs. Bruton have been born seven children : Linnie Gore became the wife of Frank Rippey and went to live at Healdsburg, Cal., w-here she died when twenty-six years old ; she left four children, Ida B., Floyd, Frankie and Albert. Sanford is engaged in farming and teaming and lives at Lakeport ; he married Mabel Lyon, and they have two children living, Hattie (wife of Carl O. Baylis, of Lakeport), and Maybelle. Albert Clay died when six years old. Luelle died when one year old. William Wirt Pendergast is living on the Ogden ranch in Mountain District precinct. Lake county ; his biography appears elsewhere in this work. Josephine Boggs is the wife of Samuel Edmonds, contractor, painter, etc., at Lakeport ; they have three children, Edward Earl, Carroll Kel- logg and Sarah Alice. Nettie Marie is married to D. Warren Dillard, a farmer and stockman, of Lakeport.