The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
ACORNERNANCESTORS
THE PRESTON FAMILY.
By FRANCES CowLEs.


A family with long pedigree-The Irish
colonist, william. who settled in vir-
ginia-George Preston. from YORK;
shire, England, who settled in New
Englsnd-A family Of many iliustri-
Gus sons.
There Is never any question as to the
derivation Of the name Preston II Is
derived simply ana obviously from the
words praes and tun. meaning priests
Enclosure or homestead. sPraeston was
first applied to the locality in which a
priest made his home and then from that
place was given to those who dweit
there. As early as the reign Of Malcolm
/. King Of Scotland. in the tenth century
II was established as a surname in Scot
land, and II Is the tradition that branch
Of the fmily was established in England
by Scotch noble of the name who was
chosen by Edward in the thirteenth CEN
tury to arbitrate between Baliol and
Bruce for the crown Of Scotland. The
family was seated In Westmoreland and
from them have probably sprung most
OF the Engiishmen Of the name, and con-
sequently most, II not all. Of the Pres
tons Of the name in this country.
The founder " the illustrtous Southern
family Of Prestcns was John Preston,
an Irishman. nd this fact might lead one
10 think that he was not a descendant
Of the westmoreland Prestons. But as
q matter OF zact, John Preston's father
was an Engiishman. who had served with
King William II IL Ireland, and after
his military service was ended settled
with his two brothers in Londonderry.
ireland. John was apparently born In
Londonderry. and having married Efiz-
abeth Patton, Of that city, came with
her and her brother. John Patton. to
Virginia In i74o william Jared well in
his coaonizing enterprise. He had a grant
of 10000 acres of land lying in the Blue
Ridge Mountains. His first home was in
Spring Hin. Augusta County. Va, but
in 17E3 he moved TO the vicinity Of Staun-
ton. The children Of william Preston
and his wife, Elizabeth Patton, were all
born in Ireland. Letitia, the eldest. mar
ried Col Breckenridge, Of Kentucky.
Margaret married the Rev. John Brown,
OF Princeton College and Kentucky. Ann
married Francis Smith, of Virginia The
only son. William. was a prominent man
in the colony. He married Susanna Smith
and had six daughters and FIVE sons.
OF these sons John, the eldest. was a
member of the Virginia senate. Francis,
the second con. was personal friend
of Madison, Monroe. Jefferson, and Chief
Justice Marshall, and was twice United
States Senator from South Carolina His
son William was probably the best known
of the many well-known men Of the
family. He has been called "the most
finished orator the South has ever pro-
duced." and this not even excepting his
maternal uncle, Patrick Henry.
There were many other distinguished
men. governors, senators and soldiers In
the Preston family. In fact there was
hardly a son OF the family who did not
distinguish himself in some way. and IL
has proudly said by the Prestons that
the members of this family alone have
done quite as much for the service of
the country as all the Mayflower de-
scendants put together. This sounds like
a gross exaggeration, but any one who
has studied the annals Of the family dur
ing the first hundred years Of their resi-
dence in this country can understand that
the proud Preston who made this state
ment had some ground for his assertion.
George Preston, of Valley Field, York
shire. England. is the father Of the New
England Prestons. He came to this coun-
try with his wife, Mary Seabrook, and