Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
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tired from the bench in consequence <strong>of</strong><br />
great age, in 1427. Children <strong>of</strong> Judge<br />
John Preston: Rev. John, Richard, his<br />
heir, and a daughter. The American families<br />
are undoubtedly descended from<br />
some branch <strong>of</strong> this family. The <strong>Connecticut</strong><br />
family has been traced to George<br />
Preston, <strong>of</strong> Valley Field, who was cre-<br />
ated a baron <strong>of</strong> Nova Scotia in 1537,<br />
through his son William, the Connecti-<br />
cut immigrant, came in 1635, died in 1639,<br />
leaving land in Yorkshire, whence he had<br />
come to this country.<br />
Roger Preston was born in England in<br />
1614. In 1635, at the age <strong>of</strong> twenty-one<br />
years, he took the oath <strong>of</strong> allegiance to<br />
London, and sailed in the ship "Elizabeth,"<br />
April 8, 1635, William Stagg, mas-<br />
ter. His name first appears as a resident<br />
<strong>of</strong> Ipswich in 1639. His wife Martha,<br />
whom he married in 1642, was born in<br />
1622. In 1657 they removed to Salem,<br />
Massachusetts, where he died January 20,<br />
1666. Martha, his widow, married (sec-<br />
ond) Nicholas Holt, <strong>of</strong> Andover, and she<br />
resided there, taking her sons, Samuel,<br />
John and Jacob Preston, with her. She<br />
died at Andover, March 21, 1703. Roger<br />
Preston was a tanner by trade.<br />
Samuel Preston, son <strong>of</strong> Roger Preston,<br />
was born in 1651, at Ipswich, and settled<br />
in Andover with his mother. He married<br />
(first) May 27, 1671, Susanna Gutterson,<br />
who died December 29, 1710.<br />
Jacob Preston, fourth child <strong>of</strong> Samuel<br />
Preston, was born February 24, 1680-<br />
81, and in 1723-24 we find him in Windham,<br />
<strong>Connecticut</strong>, at which time he united<br />
with the church <strong>of</strong> Canada Parish. He<br />
married, June 2, 1702, Sarah Wilson.<br />
Benjamin Preston, son <strong>of</strong> Jacob Pres-<br />
ton, and the ancestor <strong>of</strong> the Willington<br />
Prestons, was born in April or May, 1705.<br />
He married, May 5, 1727, Deborah Holt,<br />
<strong>of</strong> Canada Parish, Windham county. He<br />
and his wife died within the same hour,<br />
and were buried in the same grave.<br />
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY<br />
74<br />
Darius Preston, son <strong>of</strong> Benjamin Pres-<br />
ton, was born at Willington Hollow, in<br />
1731, and died there May 30, 1821. His<br />
powder horn, dated 1771, is now in Major<br />
Preston's possession. He married, November<br />
15, 1759, Hannah Fisk, who died<br />
January 12, 181 3.<br />
Amos Preston, son <strong>of</strong> Darius Preston,<br />
born February 8, 1782, was the youngest<br />
<strong>of</strong> eleven children, and died October 6,<br />
1864. He married, September 4, 1803,<br />
Martha (Patty) Taylor, who was born<br />
February 8, 1782, and died December 7,<br />
i860. Her father, Thomas Taylor, died<br />
April 5, 1815, aged sixty-three years.<br />
Joshua Preston, son <strong>of</strong> Amos and Mar-<br />
tha (Taylor) Preston, was born July 15,<br />
1813, the youngest <strong>of</strong> six children. He<br />
learned the trade <strong>of</strong> tanner, and was for<br />
many years foreman <strong>of</strong> the tannery owned<br />
by his eldest brother, the late Hon. S. T.<br />
Preston. For a time he was the proprietor<br />
<strong>of</strong> a hotel in the village <strong>of</strong> West-<br />
ford, <strong>Connecticut</strong>, and also owned the<br />
Lincoln tannery. He was a stanch Demo-<br />
crat, but was indifferent to the lure <strong>of</strong><br />
political <strong>of</strong>fice. He was decided in his<br />
opinions and outspoken, especially on the<br />
temperance question, and was one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first to identify himself with the temperance<br />
movement, which he believed went<br />
well with the Christian principles he pr<strong>of</strong>essed.<br />
He was a member <strong>of</strong> the Bap-<br />
tist church at Willington, and was quite<br />
an accomplished player on the double<br />
bass viol, with which he furnished music<br />
at the meetings <strong>of</strong> the church. In 1857<br />
he became foreman for P. Jewell & Sons,<br />
tanners, <strong>of</strong> Hartford, and remained with<br />
them until 1879, when he removed to<br />
Chicago, where he held a similar posi-<br />
tion in the plant <strong>of</strong> his son, Captain E. B.<br />
Preston. In 1895 he returned to Hartford,<br />
and made his home with his daugh-<br />
ter, Mrs. W. Chapin Hunt, until his death,<br />
March 18, 1900. He married, March 3,<br />
1835, Caroline, daughter <strong>of</strong> Ariel and Bet-