George O. Brastow

George Oliver Brastow[17] (September 8, 1811 – November 20, 1878) was a Massachusetts businessman and politician who served as a member and President of the Massachusetts Senate, as a member of the Governor's Council, and as the first Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.

George Oliver Brastow
Member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council Sixth Councilor District[1][2][3]
In office 1874[4] – 1876[4]
1st Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts[5]
In office January 1, 1872 – January 5, 1874
Preceded by	Board of Selectmen
Succeeded by	William H. Furber
47th President of the Massachusetts Senate
In office 1869–1869
Preceded by	Robert C. Pitman
Succeeded by	Horace H. Coolidge
45th President of the Massachusetts Senate[6]
In office 1868[6] – 1868[6]
Preceded by	Joseph A. Pond[6]
Succeeded by	Robert C. Pitman[6]
Member of the Massachusetts Senate[7] Second Middlesex District[8]
In office 1867[9] – 1869[9]
Succeeded by	James Pierce[10]
Member of the Massachusetts Senate[7] First Middlesex District[9]
In office 1866[9] – 1867
Preceded by	Francis Childs[10]
Member of the Massachusetts Senate[7] County of Middlesex[9][11]
In office 1854[9][11] – 1854[9][11]
Member of the Somerville, Massachusetts Board of Selectmen[12]
In office 1867[5][12] – 1867[5][12]
Member of the Somerville, Massachusetts Board of Selectmen[11]
In office 1845[5][11] – 1845[5][11]
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives[7] Third Middlesex District[13]
In office 1862[13] – 1862[13]
Preceded by	Columbus Taylor[13]
Succeeded by	Chester Guild[13]
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives[7] Town of Somerville District[13]
In office 1849[13] – 1851[13]
Preceded by	Edward L. Stevens[13]
Succeeded by	Edward C. Purdy[13]
Member of the Somerville, Massachusetts School Committee[5]
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1811[14][15] Wrentham, Massachusetts[14][15]
Died	November 20, 1878[5][14] Canandaigua, New York[5][7]
Nationality	American
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union[14]
Rank	Major[14]
Unit	Army of Northeastern Virginia
Commands	Company I – Somerville Light Infantry – Company B 5th Regiment[14][16]
Battles/wars	First Battle of Bull Run[16]

Military service

Before the American Civil War Brastow was the Captain of Company I of the Somerville Light Infantry of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.[14] Brastow commanded[14] the company, for the three months at the beginning of the Civil War, that Company I was federalized and reconstituted as Company B of the 5th Regiment. Brastow and his regiment fought at the First Battle of Bull Run.[16]

In 1862 Brastow was commissioned a paymaster[5] with the rank of Major.[14]

George Brastow later in his life

See also

• 88th Massachusetts General Court (1867)
• 89th Massachusetts General Court (1868)
• 90th Massachusetts General Court (1869)

Notes

1. Warner, Oliver (1875), Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1875, Boston, MA: Secretary of the Commonwealth, p. 960.
2. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1876), A Manual for the use of the General Court, Boston, MA: Massachusetts General Court, p. 319.
3. Massachusetts Senate (1875), Journal of the Senate, Boston, MA: Printed by Order of the Senate, p. 12.
4. Drake, Samuel Adams (1880), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County, Vol. II, Boston, MA: Estes and Lauriat, p. 338.
5. Haley, M. A. (1903), The Story of Somerville, Boston, MA: The Writer Publishing Company, p. 86.
6. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1869), A Manual for the use of the General Court, Boston, MA: Massachusetts General Court, p. 132.
7. "Obituary Notes", The New York Times, New York, N.Y., p. 5, November 23, 1878
8. Gifford, Stephen Nye (1869), A Manual for the use of the General Court, Boston, MA: Massachusetts General Court, p. 220.
9. City of Somerville (1901), Municipal Manual of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, MA: Somerville Journal Print., p. 183.
10. City of Somerville (1901), Municipal Manual of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, MA: Somerville Journal Print., p. 184.
11. City of Somerville (1901), Municipal Manual of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, MA: Somerville Journal Print., p. 175.
12. City of Somerville (1901), Municipal Manual of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, MA: Somerville Journal Print., p. 179.
13. City of Somerville (1901), Municipal Manual of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, MA: Somerville Journal Print., p. 185.
14. Nason, George Warren (1910), History and Complete Roster of the Massachusetts Regiments, Minute Men of '61, Boston, MA: Smith & McCance, p. 165.
15. Haley, M. A. (1903), The Story of Somerville, Boston, MA: The Writer Publishing Company, p. 85.
16. Drake, Samuel Adams (1880), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County, Vol. II, Boston, MA: Estes and Lauriat, p. 320.
17. Drake, Samuel Adams (1880), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County, Vol. II, Boston, MA: Estes and Lauriat, p. 337.

Political offices
Preceded by Board of Selectmen	1st Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts January 1, 1872 – January 5, 1874	Succeeded by William H. Furber
Preceded by Joseph A. Pond	45th President of the Massachusetts Senate 1868-1868	Succeeded by Robert C. Pitman
Preceded by Robert C. Pitman	47th President of the Massachusetts Senate 1869-1869	Succeeded by Horace H. Coolidge