The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-20
Sophia z. pYeble.

With the death of Mrs. Sophia 4. Preble
on Sunday morning last, there passed away
the only surviving link which connected the
present generation with the most noted of
Portland's historic names, a family whose
public services had extended back of the
revolution into the colonial period. Mrs.
Preble was the daughter of Nathaniel Wat
ties of Alexandria, Virginia, though he was
Of Connecticut origin. Through her father
she was connected with families in Massa-
chusetts and Maine, and this led to a visit 10
Boston in early life, when she first met her
future husband, Edward Deering Preble the
only child Of the celebrated Commodore
Edward Preble and his wife Mary Deering.
w VINO was the only sister OF James Deering.
The young people were married In 1888. and
by this event Mrs. Sophia Preble became a
prominent member of Portland society more
than fifty years ago. Four children were
the fruit Of this union. The eldest died in
infancy. The second was Mary. who mar
ried Edgar Tucker, now living In New YORK
The third was Alice, the wife of w. III. An
dtrson OF this city, and the youngest was
Edward, who died here few years ago, un-
married.
:, After her marriage the Prebles lived in
the mansion erected by the Commodore In
1906 on Congress, at the head of Preble
street, and which Is now Incorporated into
the Preble House, the spacious parlors OF
the hotel being the same as they existed in
the family mansion: Next above on Con-
form, was the fine residence Of Gen. Wads-
worth, in which lived the Longfellow
family. Mrs. Preble's husband was the
neighbor, classmate and intimate friend of
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. and together
the young men had visited Europe after com
pleting their college course at Bowdoin.
EDWARD Deering Preble was not a year old
when the Commodore, his father, died; vet
he grew up with an ardent desire to enter
the naval service in which the Commodore
an only child, and his mothers objections
were so inflexible that he yielded to her en-
treaties and sacrificed his ambition to affec-
ton. Their son, the late Edward Ernst
Preble, who died in 1881: in the same house
in which Mrs. Sophia Preble, the mother.
has just passed away, followed the career SO
ionged Tor by his father, and so illustrated
by his grandfather, and entering1the navy at
the beginning OF the rebellion he served with
distinction until its close. With him expired
the only descendant OF the Commodore bear
ing the name Of Preble, though Mrs. Tucker OF
New York has son and two daughters, and
Mrs. Anderson of this city has a daughter,
who are thus the great-grandchildre Of the
Commodore.
Traditions Of Portland society of MANY
years ago are full of accounts of the late
Mrs. PreDle's beauty. lnheriting remark
aDle lovellnesS OF person, united TO an anim-
ated and attractive manner and great con-
versatlonal powers; she became conspicu-
Gus pelle from the moment she entered the
social world. At balls and parties she was
always surrounded by circle of gentlemen
all eager to show their devotion. OF the
men and women, and social events of those
days, Mrs. Preble had vivid recollections
and possessing most retentive memory she
was able to communicate to her friends of
the present day, interesting and valuable
particulars Of the old Portland families. Inn
portant social incidents, the marriages Of
well known people, their descendants, their
connections. their births, their deaths, their
fortunes and their misfortunes, all were
carried in her memory, and often those who
wished for some bit of family history, or
genealogical fact, could obtain 1t from Mrs.
Preble. After her son, Lieut.. Commander
Preble, retired from the navy. she lived with
him in their house on the corner of High and
Deering streets surrounded with memorials
Of the Commodore and his grandson's career
during the rebellion. In the parlor hung
the beautiful painting of Diana and Endy-
mion presented to the Commodore by the
King Of Naples in recognition of the Com
m0d0re'S services to civilization In putting
down the corsairs Of Tripoli. On the opposite
wall Is the picture of the sea fight between
the Kearsarge and Alabama painted by that
fine marine artist, Norton, from DESCRIPTIONS
given him by Lieut.. Commander Preble who
sailed the Kearsarge In this famous battle
In the hall of his sister, Mrs. Anderson
hangs another picture representing the
father, the gallant commodore. Lient Com
mander Preble had in his library ali the
private and official papers Of the CommodoTe
containing many autograph letters from Inc
most noted OF our public men In the early
years OF this century, ''
Since Lieut.. Commander Preble,s death IN
1881 his mother has lived alone. Int in close
helgnoornood TO her daughter, Mrs, Ander-
son, whose assiduous care has sustained and