Thomas Preston ca.1722-1798

Augusta Co., VA Prestons

The following data was supplied by David Corley who descended from Thomas Preston Jr. (David received much of the data from Edith Britton who collected it from some of the others mentioned.) This line settled in Augusta Co., VA moved to Brunswick Co. and then to Walton County, Georgia. The Wills of Thomas Preston and Thomas Preston, Jr. are shown under Documents

Another branch of Prestons, thus far unconnected to other England or Virginia Prestons, started with a Thomas Preston who came from Suffolk Co., England and settled in Augusta Co., Virginia in 1735. This is 3 to 5 years before John Preston of the Smithfield Prestons came from Northern Ireland to settle in Augusta Co., VA. It is estimated that Thomas was 13 years old at the time he came to America. Did he come with his parents, a cousin or close friends ?? Was he related to other Prestons already in this country ? Any help would be appreciated. Contact either David Corley or myself.

Additional data supplied in August 98 by Lisa Browning on the descendants of Gilliam Preston, plus additional data on Thomas Preston III and Margaret Burnside and William Hulon Preston and Martha McDowell.

Thomas Preston b.ca.1722 d.1798, will probated in 1800 and recorded in Vol. 6, follo 180, Will book of Brunswick Co., VA. Thomas served in the Revolutionary War under Gen. John Sevier. In the Watauga Purchase of 1775, his name was mentioned with that of Gen. Sevier and was known as "Captain Thomas" Preston. (King's Mountain by White, page 218.) In the record room of the Brunswick County seat, Lawrenceville, VA., Court House, there is framed on the wall a Roster of "Revolutionary Patriots from Brunswick County", on which appears the name of Thomas Preston, he being the father of Thomas Preston Jr., who is buried in Walton County, Georgia.

Thomas Preston b.ca.1722 d.1798, from Suffolk Co., England, settled in Augusta Co., VA in 1735, married Mary Walker 1726-xxxx. They had 8 children:

  1. William Preston b.1748 d.xxxx.
  2. Anna Preston b.1750 d.xxxx married 9-5-1797 to William Dunkin in Brunswick Co., VA.
  3. Martha Preston b.1752 d. before 1804 married 5-9-1797 Thomas Betty in Brunswick Co., VA.
  4. Thomas Preston Jr. b.1754 d.4-11-1836, born in Brunswick Co., VA and died in Walton Co., GA., married in 1780 Mary Harrison b.1762 d.10-30-1843. Both Thomas and Mary are buried in the Preston Graveyard, near Monroe, Walton Co., Georgia. Thomas Jr also served in the Revolutionary War in a Cavalry Co. of young men which constituted a body-guard for Gen. George Washington and was present at Yorktown at the time of the surrender of Cornwallis. (Encyclopedia of Georgia, Vol. 3) After the war he moved to Georgia and was given a land grant under John Clark as Governor. Lot 86, 250 acres in Walton Co., GA. Thomas and Mary had 8 children:
    1. Gilliam Preston b.7-25-1784 d. ca.1832, born in Brunswick Co., VA and died in Butts Co., GA., married Sarah Floyd b.ca.1783 d. aft.1853, daughter of John Floyd and Mourning Mayo Floyd. Gilliam and Sarah are buried at Sandy Creek Cem. in Butts Co., GA. They had 12 children:
      1. Elizabeth Ann Preston m. Robert P. Mayo.
      2. Elisha J. Preston b.11-11-1804 d.1856, born in South Carolina and died in Butts Co., GA., married on 11-30-1832 Lucy W. Mayo b.3-24-1807 d.xxxx. Lucy was the daughter of Richardson Mayo and Lucy Whitlock 'Mayo'. Both Elisha and Lucy are buried at the Preston Family Cem. in Butts Co., GA. They had 7 children:
        • Jane M. Preston 1831- m. Hugh Heard.
        • James M. Preston 1833-1882 m. Jane W. Smith.
        • William R. Preston 1835- .
        • Benjamin G. Preston 1836- .
        • Elisha Preston II 1840- .
        • Sara Ann Melissa Preston 1843-1858.
        • Emily Tressie Preston 1846-1927 m. John Singley II.
      3. James Madison Preston 1808-1884 m. on 12-28-1835 Permelia Wilson Smith b.1819 d.2-7-1895. Permelia was the dau. of Archibald Smith and Sarah Tollison. Both James and Permelia are buried at Antiock Baptist Cemetery in Fayette Co., GA. They had 10 children:
        1. Sarah Ann Preston b.1836 d.9-9-1854 m. on 12-28-1851 Elias Henry Grant b.11-9-1828 d.1-12-1921 in Butts Co., GA. Elias was buried at Mt. Vernon Baptist Cemetery in Butts Co., GA. Sarah and Elias had one child:
          • Edna Elizabeth Grant b.3-2-1853 d.2-20-1898 in Indian Territory, Gervin Co., OK, m. on 10-6-1872 John William Johnson b.10-2-1848 d.7-7-1895 in Arkansas.
        2. Amelia Elizabeth Preston b.11-29-1838 d.7-14-1915 m. in 1868 James Jackson Singley.
        3. Archibald Gilliam Preston b.9-10-1840 d.2-28-1905 m. on 12-19-1867 Martha Emily Mayo b.7-21-1848 d.12-29-1919. Emily was the dau. of James G. Mayo and Mary Floyd. Archibald and Emily had 12 children. See link for info.
        4. Mary Frances Preston 1842- m. Thomas Oglesby and 2nd Thomas Standaland.
        5. Martha Amanda Preston b.5-16-1846 d.5-19-1938 m. on 7-30-1867 William Joshua Barnes b.1-13-1839 d.12-18-1907. Both are buried at Maeedonia Baptist Cemetery in Butts Co., GA. Martha and William had 9 children:
          • Leila Barnes b.xxxx d.3-4-1942 m. John Thomas.
          • James M. Barnes b.4-7-1870 d.12-16-1886.
          • Hasseltine Barnes b.3-27-1872 d.1-4-1948 m. Dave Meredith b.8-27-1874 d.2-16-1966.
          • Anniel L. Barnes b.11-18-1875 d.8-27-1940 m. Homer Evans.
          • William Alanzo Barnes b.4-25-1879 d.5-14-1959 m. 10-29-1908 Rosa Luannor Steadham.
          • Thomas Barnes b.7-27-1880 d.4-23-1886.
          • Claud Owen Barnes b.xxxx d.xxxx m. Lizzie Mae Unknown.
          • H. Oscar Barnes b.xxxx d.xxxx m. Mattie Thompson.
          • Louie E. Barnes b.xxxx d.xxxx m. Ruby Thompson. (Mattie and Ruby were not sisters.)
            •
        6. James Jackson Preston b.10-14-1848 d.9-1869.
        7. William Hulon Preston b.2-21-1851 d.1-26-1882 m. on 4-10-1873 Sara Ann Haseltine Jinks b.4-4-1851 d.2-11-1892 and they had 5 children:
          • Daisy Dean Preston b.1-25-1873 d.8-16-1892.
          • Nora Mineola Preston b.11-24-1874 d.6-22-1943/48 m. Gilbert Victor Jenkins b.8-19-1872 d.3-30-1947.
          • Laurence Eugene Preston b.2-1-1877 d.1-9-1911 m. Queen Elizabeth Fogg.
          • Troy Armatha Preston b.12-10-1878 d.7-3-1962 m. Winnie Nelson.
          • William Etowah Preston b.5-29-1881 d.10-7-1963 m. Pearl May Pittman b.11-17-1891 d.1-24-1981. William and Pearl had 10 children:
            • Ruth Idell Preston b.3-21-1912 d.8-11-1994 m. 1st Dan Elden Hart 2nd Jessie Albert Godby.
            • Mildred Irene Preston b.7-6-1913 d.1914 (8 months).
            • William Fred Preston b.1-17-1916 d.1918 (2 1/2 years)
            • Velma Doris Preston b.5-21-1917 d.5-28-1996 m. Horace Arthur Jones.
            • Daisy Jewell Preston b.11-14-1919 m. 1st. Fred Arthur Heath 2nd Frank H. Nestlehut.
            • Hugh Edward Preston b.6-14-1922 d.8-8-1984 m. Margaret Ann Jackson.
            • Charles Howard Preston b.12-14-1924 m. Dorothy Jackson b.3-9-1929 and they had 2 children: (Charles supplied David Corley with the data on Wm. Etowah Preston's family.)
              • Cheryl Diane Preston b.1-9-1952 m. 1st Ray A. Swan 2nd Thomas Bias.
              • Cynthia Lynn Preston b.9-27-1963 m. 1st Charles Dwight Mullins, 2nd Unknown and 3rd Unknown.
            • Warren Eugene Preston b.5-23-1928 d.8-29-1965 m. Mary Stacks.
            • Harold Quinton Preston b.7-27-1930 m. 1st Betty Joyce Stacks 2nd Linda Carol Harris 3rd Catherine Elizabeth Veal.
            • Barbara Ann Preston b.11-30-1934 m. 1st Roderick Allen Svarez 2nd Donald Brown.
        8. Thomas Jefferson Preston b.9-10-1855 d.xxxx m. Ophelia Chambers and they had 1 child:
          • James Samuel Preston 1886- m. Alice Langley.
        9. Oliver Franklin Preston b.6-4-1858 d.7-19-1947 m. on 12-17-1881 Mary Jane Calloway and they had 1 child:
          • Annie Preston 1886-1987 m. John Owen Heard Sr. ca.1879-1969.
        10. Talitha Jane Preston b.9-14-1861 d.9-15-1937 m. Thomas Jefferson Calloway. (brother of Mary Jane)
      4. Nancy Martha Preston b.10-15-1810 d.12-29-1863 m. on 8-23-1827 Jacob Thompson Mayo b.8-28-1796 d.2-25-1851. Nancy was born in South Carolina. Both buried in Jackson, GA City Cemetery.
      5. John Franklin Preston ca.1811 d.9-4-1850 m. on 5-10-1836 Louisa Ann Crawford 1818-xxxx. Both are buried in the Preston Cemetery, Flovilla, Butts Co., GA. They had 9 children:
        • Eliza J. Preston ca. 1833- .
        • Jackson Preston 1837- .
        • Virginia F. Preston b.5-10-1838 d.11-20-1914 m. on 1-9-1856 James Lafayette Byars b.5-25-1837 d.1905.
        • Elmira Preston 1840-1921 m. on 12-15-1874 John Rogers. (Rodgers)
        • John Franklin Preston, Jr. b.2-11-1841 d.1-6-1925 m. on 1-11-1866 Elizabeth Strickland b.5-14-1842 d.12-28-1893. They had one son:
          • Warren Walker Preston b.4-8-1873 d.6-6-1953.
        • Sarah Elizabeth Preston 1844- .
        • Amanda Catherine Preston 1846- . Never married.
        • Martha H. Preston 1847-1922 m. Mr. Pruett.
        • Thomas G. Preston b.11-28-1848 d.4-14-1917 m. Mary Storey. Both buried in Preston Cemetery. No children.
      6. Sara Ann Preston b.1813 d.xxxx m. 7-8-1844 Samuel Collins Jr.
      7. William Gay Preston b.9-23-1815 d.1-22-1900 m. Delania Smith b.7-26-1823 d.12-8-1910 and they had 9 children:
      8. Patricia J. Preston 1819- m. 11-8-1840 Lawson Underwood.
      9. Ladizon Preston 1821-1832.
      10. Talitha Preston b.11-4-1824 d.4-26-1902 m. on 9-9-1842 Jesse Tolleson b.3-1821 d.5-17-1908. Talitha was twin of Thomas Jefferson Preston. Talitha was born in Monroe Co., GA and died in Cass Co., TX. Jesse is buried at Bowden, GA. Talitha and Jesse had 12 children: (Info on the Tolleson family from Loraine Saaris of Oceanside, CA.)
        11.
      11. Thomas Jefferson Preston b.11-4-1824 d.9-6-1910 m. Elizabeth Eidson b.10-7-1829 d.8-27-1906 and they had 8 children:
      12. Gilliam Hulon Preston b.3/5-21-1827 d.8-12/17-1894 m. Elizabeth Smith b.5-15-1830 d.3-21-1916 in Anson, TX. Gilliam and Elizabeth had 8 children:
        1. William 'Willie' Gilliam Preston b.7-21-1851 in Butts Co., GA and died in Walker Co., AL. Willie m. in 1864 Mary Jane Unknown.
        2. Andrew Jackson Preston b.11-14-1853 d.xxxx m. 1st in 1874 Alice C. McCullough 2nd on 5-19-1895 Sarah J. Payne.
        3. James A. Preston b.3-20-1856 d.xxxx m. 1st 12-20-1880 M. J. McClaine 2nd on 1-15-1891 Mary M. Roberts..
        4. Archibald Marion Preston b.11-26-1858 d.11-14-1926 m. 1st. Alameda Clementine Stephens b.4-1865 d.9-1896 and 2nd Georgia Anna Preston. Archibald and Alameda had 6 children:
          • General Cleveland Preston.
          • Ida Belle Preston.
          • William Jasper Preston.
          • Hattie Gertis Preston.
          • Annie Pearl Preston.
          • Earl Walton Preston.

          After Clementine died in 1896, Archibald married in July 1897 Georgia Ann Preston and they had 8 children:

        5. Jefferson Hulon Preston b.6-18-1861.
        6. John Francis Preston b.4-17-1866.
        7. Oliver Henderson Preston b.10-5-1868.
        8. Carson C. Preston b.2-13-1873.
    2. Patricia 'Patsy' Pebbles Preston b.5-27-1786 d.xxxx.
    3. Thomas Preston III b.2-14-1788 d.12-21-1849, married on 6-15-1816 in Monroe Co., GA. Margaret Burnside b.1802 and they had 8 children:
      1. Unnamed son b.1817, died soon after birth.
      2. Nelda Preston b.1821 d.xxxx m. on 1-10-1842 in Walton Co., GA. to John Bennett.
      3. Martha Preston b.1822 d.xxxx m. on 11-29-1842 David George in Henry Co., GA.
      4. James M. Preston b.2-1823 d.11-28-1909 m. on 5-16-1853 Mary "Polly" Sims. James married in Walton Co. and died in Cobb Co., GA.
      5. Thomas C. Preston 1827- .
      6. Adaline Amanda Preston ca.1835- m. James Daniel (Doak) Denham. They had 5 children.


        7. Adaline Amanda Preston Denham

      7. John Archibald Preston b.3-13-1837 d.7-1912 m. Rebecca Reed b.1-1831 in Cobb Co., GA. John and Rebecca had one daughter:
      8. Elizabeth Mae Preston b.1845 d.xxxx. She moved to Mississippi .
    4. Benjamin Preston b.11-9-1789 d.xxxx.
    5. Nancy Preston b.1-12-1792 d.xxxx.
      6.
    6. Archibald Preston b.3-13-1794 d.12-12-1882 m. ca.1820 Nancy Wilkes Hill 1804-d.5-22-1877. They had 8 sons and 3 daughters. See page on Archibald.
    7. Polly Adletson Preston b.1-21-1796 d.xxxx married 3-28-1813/23 James Robinson.
    8. William Hulon Preston b.10-21-1802 d.3-16-1892 married on 3-6-1828 Martha McDowell b.11-13(23)-1812 d.5-1-1878(1853) and they had 8 or 9 children:
      1. Charles Thomas Preston b.12-31-1828 d.1886 m. Elizabeth Boswell.
      2. Henry Preston ca.1829- . (Not shown on Corley's data)
      3. Salina Haseltine Judson Preston b.8-23-1830 d.8-1-1864 m. Rev.William G. Horseley.
      4. Mary Ann Preston 1832 d.7-6-1909 m. Jasper N. Cheney.
      5. John Randolph Preston 1834-1835.
      6. Virginia Temperance Preston b.3-10-1836 d.3-8-1874  m. William Stroud, Jr.
      7. William J. M. Preston b.1-25-1837 d.3-10-1912 m. Elizabeth A. Malone  b.xxxx d.11-15-1880. (Lisa shows his wife as Angelina Unknown b.xxxx d.1880 -- Angelina Pace ?)
      8. Joseph W. Preston 1839- m. Victoria Leverette. (Corley shows a Joseph Henderson Preston b.10-17-1839 d.xxxx m. on 12-18-1860 Angelina Pace.
      9. Martha Beatrice Preston b.1849 d.4-16-1867. (Not shown in Lisa's data)
  5. Weatherington Preston 1756-.
  6. Joshua Preston 1759- m. on 12-12-1798 Lishea Feagins and they had 5 children:.(New data supplied by Sarah Rafter.)
    1. Jones Preston b.9-7-1795 d.3-4-1850 m. Rebecca Sargett.
    2. Frances Preston b.4-17-1796 d.1-25-1825 m on 1-15-1824 Benjamin Stanley.
    3. Penelope Preston b.9-17-1798 d.xxxx m. on 10-21-1821 John J. Cleaton. They had 8 children:
      • Margarett Cleaton 1825- m. Charles Leon Thomas.
      • John Cleaton, Jr. b. 1828
      • James Cleaton b.1829- .
      • Penelope Cleaton b.1830- .
      • Louisa F. Cleaton b.1832- .
      • Thomas J. Cleaton b.8-7-1836 d.1-15-1915 m. on 2-10-1864 Louisa F. Chambliss. Thomas and Louisa had 7 children:
        • James Bufford Cleaton b.5-10-1865 d.12-14-1946 m. Willie Thomas Tate and had 2 children.
        • Etta Lee Cleaton b.7-6-1866 d.4-8-1944 m. Drury Young and had no children.
        • Nellie Susan Cleaton b.1-31-1868 d.2-18-1891 m. Drury Young (same as above) on 12-14-1887 and they had 2 children.
        • Addie Lavenia Cleaton b.10-24-1869 d.11-27-1961 m. on 4-12-1898 Walter Irby Scott.
        • William Jackson Cleaton b.5-11-1871 d.1-26-1939 m. Myra Duane Darby and had 5 children. (Sarah's Line)
        • Charles S. Cleaton b.5-7-1838 m. on 1-2-1867 Sally D. Crowder b.1839-. They had one daughter.
        • Robert J. Cleaton b.xxxx d.1-20-1896 m. Susan unknown and had 3 children.
      • Charles S. Cleaton
      • Robert J. Cleaton
    4. Catherine Preston
    5. Nathan Preston
  7. James Preston 1760-.
  8. Mary Preston 1762-.

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    Original 12/22/97
    Last updated 1/5/2007
    Page by F. Preston