The earliest Darlings in Bristol were mariners. Eventually their grandsons and great grandsons were enumerated as farmers in census records.

The first was William Munroe Darling who was born in1808 in Bristol and married Kesiah Everett 1829 at St. Michael's Church. Their son Isaac born1834 married Elizabeth Lake and was a farmer in Bristol. His brother Charles Seymour was a cooper and teamster.