The Press., 1898-12-08
WILLINaroN.

WILLINGTON.
 Many of our roads are still impossible. Fred M. Preston is at his uncle, c. T. Preston's.
 Have you read the presidents message all through?
 Mrs. Belle Sleight returned to New York last week.
 Miles Annie E. Dimock returned to New York, Friday Mrs. George E. Robbins is recovering from recent attack of illness. One sidea of the roof of the center school house has been shingled. The election of officers will take place at the next meeting of the G. A. R. post, 18th inst. We were misinformed as 10 the total blindness of Mrs. Lathrop Manning. Her husband still fingers in a very feeble con- dition. The roads in this vicinity, including the most important and travelled one, the U. $. mail route from the Willington rail- way station, over the Hill to Westford, was not cleared until Friday. The committee appointed by tho town at it's fall meeting, Mrs. L. Johnson and Mrs. c. T. Preston, to s'solicit and re- ceive funds for the improvement of the town cemeteries" decline to serve on &C., count of the variance between the word- ing of the warning, the vote based upon it as filed in the town clerks office, and the intention of many who were in the vote, fearing future legal complications. It is said that quite a sum of money can be raised out of town when it is clear that the funds can be safely invested for the sole benefit of the old tOaon burying ground. It is lamentable that this com- plication, either blunder or design, re- tards the much-needed work. 1 Apropos to the recent snow-storm; On the one hand, there have been lots of in. dignant protests all over town, except, perhaps, one locality, at the delay of the selectmen, from Sunday till the following Friday, in raising the blockade last week of the more important roads in town most of them sending words to the road repairers of the different districts to gc ahead and dig out the drifts. Many work people were prevented from getting tc their places of employment; sick persons were left helpless; many suffered from want of household supplies, and so on On the other hand, 1t might be said tha- individuals, especially those in robust health, with teams, who use the roads { good deal for their own private benefit ought to turn out promptly in such emer gencies on their own accord. We ar, not sure but that the better way woule be, under the present administration O town offices, and the somewhat presen loose statute as to snow blockades, tt have it understood that 20 one is to ge pay for the work. If some are to ge pay, then pay all hands-let the pecuniar. reward be distributed over the differen districts.
 With the leave of the editor, we pro pose to give in this column from time t. time the genealogy, without frills O tucks, of some of the old families of thi town. Coats of arms and tracings bacl to the nobility of England, Scotland, Ire land, France, Germany, etc., will b omitted. We, therefore, at the reques : of near by and distant subscribers to Tn Press, begin with the following Willing ton branch of the Preston family: lo Roger Preston, of Salem and Ip - svEsh, Mass. born in England. 1914, die i JaE 20, 1866. He lived in Ipswich i 1885 andl moved to Salem about 1859 O '60. His widow, Martha. married Mich : olas Holt, May 21, 1866, and soon re moved with him to ALdover, Mass., tax ing his sons, Samuel and Jacob, leavin his son, Thomas Preston, in Salem. II. Samuel Preston. born in Ipswich Mass, about 1851, removed to Andovel [ Mass., when aged about 15. He married = May 27, 1761, Susannah Gutterson, wh 8 died Dec. %, ITO.
 III. Jacob Preston, with his brothers
 John and Benjamin, were in Windhan Conn.,, 1723-4. In that year Jacob an - John united with the church in Windhal :. Village, Canada parish. Jacob marie
 in Andover, Mass. Sarah Wilson, June : 1702, and had a son.
 W. Benjamin, born 2Oth of April c , May, 17O5. He married Deborah Hol ]. May 5, 1727; they were the ancestors
 the Wilmington Prestons. He and hi
 wife died the same hour, Nov 26, IFS. 5 and were buried in the same grave at Wi
 lington, Conn.