The earliest known connection is James Preston and Elizabeth Fisher. James was born at Easingwold, Yorkshire on April 12, 1784 and Elizabeth was born in Easingwold on June 18, 1786. James and Elizabeth were married on May 30, 1807. Their son Thomas William Preston, a joiner, was born in Easingwold, Yorkshire and christened there June 26, 1808. Thomas married Anne Kendrew who was bap. in Kirby Wiske, Yorkshire on Dec. 9 1809. Anne's parents were William Kendrew and Anne Unknown. Thomas and Anne married in St Mary Castlegate, York, Yorkshire on July 18, 1829 and there is no record of them coming to Australia. Thomas Preston does show up in US census of 1880, as a widower, occupation Gardner, age 72, living in Pawtucket, Providence, Rhode Island. It is not known whether Thomas came directly to America or whether he went to Australia and then America. Children of Thomas and Anne:

1. James Preston bap.7/24/1831 d.3/2/1876. Born in Easingwold, Yorkshire and died at Yarra Bend of paralysis and disease of the brain. . James probably came to Australia on the 'Santipore' at the age of 20. On various documents he was described as a laborer and as a butcher. James m. on 7/27/1857 Henrietta Deverell (Deverall). They were married at All Saints Church Bendigo. James was living at Kangaroo Valley, Bendigo. Henrietta b.1831 in London d.8/16/1895. Her parents were George Deverell and Sarah Ann Hunt Deverell. Also, George Deverell's parents were Osmond and Mary Deverell m. 1782. Henrietta came to Australia in 1853 on the 'Walmer Castle'. They had 5 hildren:
1. Thomas William Preston b.4/27/1855 d.5/5/1932. Born in Tipperary Gully, Sandhurst, Bendigo, Victoria. Thomas m. on 7/23/1878 Julia Malcolm Humphries b.3/30/1856 d.9/9/1945. Julia with her parents and her sisters Hannah, Elizabeth and Georgina embarked on the ship 'Chariot of Fame' from Liverpool on 8/26/1865.  Thomas worked as a tanner and lived at Boundry Rd Hotham. Julia then lived at Bailey (Baillie ?) St., Hotham. For much of their married life they lived at 93 Mcconnell St. Kensington which Thomas reputedly built and was still standing in 2002. Thomas and Julia had 6 children:
1. Sidney Edmund Preston b.1879 d.xxxx m. Mary Dickenson. Syd became involved with horses. Syd and Mary had 2 children:(Syd my have also had another son by a second wife, Roma ??)
• Olive Preston
• Bill Preston, also involved with horses, one of which, Grey Morn, won the Grand National steeplechase during the 1950's.
2. Miriam Eugena Preton b.9/16/1881 d.11/12/1974 m. Charles Biggs. They had 4 children:
• Jesse Biggs m. Alan Jordan
• Phyllis Biggs m. Roland James
• Charles Biggs m. Hilda Dutton
• Hazel Biggs m. Ernest Welsh
3. Olive Ruby Preston b.12/31/1883 d.10/31/1961. Never married.
4. Archibald Forbes Preston b.1888 d.xxxx m. Mabel Russell. The Russell family was associated with Russell Mfg., later part of Repco Group and starting point of Repco Brabham and the original Cenovas Yeast. They had one son:
• Max Preston, a hair dresser in Liverpool, Sidney.
5. Thomas Raymond Preston b.1/24/1893 d.2/29/1953 m. on 3/11/1919 Alma Drehmann. Thomas set up a furniture manufacuring business, TR Preston & Co., together with his father Thomas at 82 Glenferrie Rd Kew in about 1920. The furniture, mostly antique reproductions, had a very good reputation. Thomas was a member of the Masonic Lodge. Thomas and Alma had 3 children:
• Douglas Raymond Preston b.5/5/1920 d.xxxx m. Myrtle Collis.
• Netta Joyce Preston b.7/25/1922 m. Howard Holden
• Malcolm Otto Preston b.7/11/1934 m. on 3/4/1965 in Luton, England, Renate Ruckdeschell. Renate was born in the vicinity of Dresden, Saxony, Germany. Her parents were Walter Ruckdeschell and Dorothea Cruschwitz. Malcolm and Renate had two sons:(Malcolm made this information available)
• Philip Raymond Preston b.1965 in Luton, England.
• Rolf Walter Preston b.1967 in Prahran, Melbourne.
6. Charles Kingston Preston b.1903 d.3/3/1987 m. Florence Trewin whose family was from the benalla region. Charles and Florence lived most of their married life in Echuca where Charles was employed by the railways. He was prominent in the Freemasons Lodge. Charles and Florence had 2 children:
• John Preston
• Gweneth Preston
2. James William Preston b.2/27/1857 d.7/18/1929. James was born in Epsom, Bendigo and was reputedly the first white child born in that locality. James m. in 1878 Eliza Shorten b.xxxx d.1888 and they had 5 children:(Information on James William Preston provided by Brian James Preston, a grandson of James Henry Preston. Also, information from Kathleen Blackwell, dau. of Rowland Marshall Preston.)
1. William James Preston d. in infancy.
2. Ethel May Preston
3. George Preston
4. Alice Isobel Preston
5. Maude Julia Preston d.7/14/1855 at the age of 5. Both William James and Maude are buried with their parents at Melbourne General Cemetery.

James William Preston m. 2nd Sarah Ann Foley on 4/20/1892 at Kensington and they had 10 children:

1. James Henry Preston b.3/2/1893 d.6/13/1951 m. Gladywys Williams. They had 2 children:
• Gordon James Lewis Preston
• Louis Yvette Preston
2. Alexander Charles Preston b.3/18/1895 d.1916 in France.
3. Oscar Blanchard Preston b.4/3/1897 d.5/7/1977 m.Allie Dineen. No children.
4. Edgar Thomas Preston b.8/14/1899 d.xxxx m. Sarah Bear. They had 2 children:
• Marjorie Preston
• Tim Preston
5. Ernest Percival Preston b.1/27/1902 d.1/21/1973 m. Florence Unknown. No children.
6. Leonard Ablethorp Preston b.4/24/1904 d.7/30/1959. Never married.
7. Clarence Herbert Preston b.8/27/1906 d.12/17/1969 m. Edna Polglase. Clarence and Edna had 5 children:
• Edna Fay Preston
• Evelyn Kay Preston
• Sandra Merle Preston
• Dennis Preston
• Geoffrey Preston
8. Evelyn Victoria Preston b.2/19/1909 d.xxxx m. Edward Glen Cooper. They had 2 children:
• James Charles Cooper
• Eric Rowland Cooper
9. Wilfred Keith Preston b.6/30/1912 d.12/30/1932.
10. Rowland Marshall Preston b.8/26/1914 d.xxxx m. Edna Olga Fouquet. Rowland and Edna had 4 children:
• Patricia Ann Preston
• Rowland Kieth Preston
• Francis Bette Preston
• Kathleen Meryl Preston
3. Henrietta (Harriet ?) Ann Preston b.1860 d.abt.1878. Henrietta gave birth to Robert Andrew Preston at Fleminton in 1878, father recorded as unknown. She then married the babies father, Andrew William Kerr in 1878. Robert changed his surname to Kerr. Henrietta died soon after at the age of 18 years 9 months.
4. George Osmond Preston b.1862 d.1862.
5. William Deverell preston b.1872 d.1873.
2. William Preston bap.4/16/1833 d.6/2/1898. Born at Acomb Yorkshire and bat. at Easingwold. William came to Australia on the 'Fitzjames' at the age of 22. William m. Jane Chard  on 4/17/1857. Married at Camperdown and he was living at Newtown. Jane Chard b.xxxx d.5/28/1910 was the dau. of Thomas Chard and Harriet Sly. William and Jane had 11 children:
• Thomas James Preston b.6/6/1858 in Chipendale. Thomas m. 1st Elizabeth Emma Mills. Their children:
• Eliza Annie Preston b.7/20/1883 in Petersham. Eliza m. Clarence Coleman (twice ?). Their children:
• Daughter unknown
• Mirium Elizabeth Coleman b.6/20/1910 in Marrickville  m. George Stanley Degan. Their children:
• Daughter unknown
• June Anne Degan b.5/9/1937 in Paddington m. Ian Donald Dawson. Their children:
• June Dawson
• William Edwin Preston b.8/30/1860 in Kingston.
• John Henry Preston b.10/27/1862
• Fredrick Henry Charles Preston b.7/20/1865
• Alfred Ernest George Preston b.5/17/1868 in Kingston.
• Joshua A. E. Preston b.1870 d.bef.1910
• Lily Amelia Gertrude Preston b.5/8/1873
• Geroge Preston b.1875 d.bef.1910
• Arthur T. Preston b.1877 d.bef.1910
• Elizabeth Edith Maude Preston b.7/3/1879
• Bertie F. S. Preston b. 1883 d.bef.1910.
3. Mary Preston bap.5/24/1835 in Easingwold, Yorkshire. Nothing more known about Mary.

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