James Brainard Preston 1845-1922

James Brainard Preston (12/3/1845)(10/21/1922), son of John Fairman Preston and Jane Rhea, married Harriet Bryan Tinsley on 10/21/1890. Harriet (Hattie) Tinsley was the daughter of Seaton Grantland Tinsley and his wife Fannie Gaines. Hattie was born on Feb. 18, 1861 and died July 1st, 1897. James attended VMI in 1863/64 but the battle of New Market cut his college career short. Did receive an honorary degree after the war. He was a gentlemen farmer. James was named Brainard by mistake, it was supposed to be Brainerd after the Brainerd brothers who were well thought of at the time for their work with the Indians. See his Obituary. They had one child.


James Brainard Preston, Class of '67 at Virginia Military Institute.

Seaton Tinsley Preston, Sr.

Seaton Tinsley Preston (3/29/1892)(3/20/1977)(picture at right) m. Sarah Kathryn Barber (5/20/1898)(11/28/1976). Seaton graduated from Virginia Tech in the class of 1915 with an EE degree. He served in WWI and was promoted to Captain while overseas. He worked in power companies in PA, VA and KY before becoming District Mgr. of the Appalachian Electric Power Co. in Charleston, WV in 1937. This is where he remained until he retired in 1952 and moved to Orange City, Florida. Kathyrn graduated from Dubois High School in 1916. They were married in Bluefield, WV on 5-20-1920. Seaton and Katy had 3 children:
  1. Seaton Tinsley Preston, Jr. b.8-29-1921 d.9-24-1994 m. on 7-26-1945 Aline Marie Debbaut b.4-27-1923 in Antwerp, Belgium. Seaton was born in Lothair, Perry Co., KY and died in Winnetka, IL. He was founder and executive of Preston Industries, incl. Poly Science and Preston Publications. Seaton had a BS from Virginia Tech and masters from Michigan in Chemical Engineering. He served as a lieutenant in the signal corp in WWII. S. T. and Aline had 5 children:
    1. Seaton Tinsley Preston, III b.6-19-1946 in Charleston, WV.
    2. Christiane Marie Preston b. 9-4-1947.
    3. John Thomas Preston b.3-18-1950.
    4. Thomas Gaines Preston b.9-8-1951.
    5. Philip Kenneth Preston b.8-9-1956.
  2. James Brainard Preston b.3-30-1923 in Pikeville, KY d.9-5-1984 in Boothbay, Maine m. on 4-14-1951 in Brookside, N.J. Cynthia Joan Houghton Glasson b.5-23-1925. He too graduated from Virginia Tech, served in the Navy in WWII. James started with the local telephone company in Charleston, WV and continued to work for AT&T throughout his life. Spent time in White Sands, NM and Bell Labs in Whippany, NJ. Worked in Allentown, PA and in North Carolina. Jim and Joan had 3 children:
    1. Cynthia Houghton Preston b.3-5-1952 in New Mexico.
    2. James Brainard Preston, Jr. b.8-8-1954 in North Carolina.
    3. Martha Leigh Preston b.3-19-1960.
  3. Frederick Leigh Preston b.1-27-1930 in Charleston, WV m. Betty Louise Aumack b.2-12-1933 of Fairhaven, NJ. Fred also graduated from Virginia Tech as a Metallurgical Eng. Worked with Allegheny Ludlum Steel in Dunkirk, NY, Auto Specialties Mfg. Co. of St. Joseph, MI and Lufkin Industries in Lufkin, TX. Fred served in the signal corp after the Korean Police Action ended, 1954-56. After retiring in 1997, he consulted for Lufkin Industries and then began selling real estate. Fred and Betty had 4 children:
    1. Frederick Leigh Preston, Jr. b.10-10-1955 in Arizona.
    2. Linda Louise Preston b.10-23-1956 in Dunkirk, NY.
    3. Robert James Preston b.8-14-1961 in Dunkirk, NY. (Lived in Fredonia but hospital in Dunkirk)
    4. Rebecca Ann Preston b.6-11-1964 in Dunkirk, NY.

 

James Brainard Preston's home was 'Locust Glen', 5 miles west of Abingdon, Virginia. He was a farmer. He was a freshman at Virginia Military Institute and fought with the cadet battalion in the Battle of New Market during the Civil War. A monument located by the drill field at Virginia Military in Lexington, Virginia, lists the names of those who fought in the Battle of New Market. There are a number of Prestons among the names.

According to Mary Preston Gray, the name Brainerd was for one or both of the Brainerd brothers who labored among the indians. Rev. David Brainerd (1718-1747) and Rev. John Brainerd labored among the Indians mostly at the forks of the Delaware River, the home of Rev. Tennent. Their work was much admired and there are memorials to them in the names of individuals and places. There is a Brainerd chruch, an Evangelistic Society, a Brainerd Institute and others. The Brainerd in James Brainard Preston's name was therefore as a tribute to the Brainerd brothers but was mispelled by John Fairman Preston and the mistake was continued in the naming of James Brainard Preston, my brother.

 

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Original 7/21/97
Last updated 1/1/2007
Page by F. L. Preston