Smithfield Prestons

Col. Robert Breckenridge had been married previously and had two sons, Robert and Alexander. Letitia Preston and Robert Breckenridge had four sons and one or two daughters ?

1. William Breckenridge b.abt 1750 resided in Fayette County, Kentucky, married a Miss. Gilman and they had six children.
• Robert H. Breckenridge b.abt 1775 m. Elizabeth Pollard.
• John B. Breckenridge b.abt 1777 was a merchant in Staunton, Virginia and left several children.
• Elizabeth Breckenridge b. abt 1779 m. Andrew Calvin and left several children.
• Samuel M. Breckenridge b.abt 1783 was and officer in the United States Navy.
2. John Breckenridge b. abt.1752, was a lawyer and statesman of high standing. A Senator in congress and Attorney-General of the U.S. in the Cabinet of President Jefferson. He married Miss Mary Hopkins Cabell, of a noted Virginia family. John died in 1806 leaving seven children.
• Letitia Breckenridge, their eldest child, married twice. Her first husband was Alfred Grayson, who left one son:
• John B. Grayson who was an officer in the U. S. Army and afterwards a general officer in the Confederate Service. John married Miss. L. Searle, of New Orleans, and left a son, John B. Grayson Jr. who was also an officer in the Confederate Service and was afterwards a planter near Gainesville, Alabama.
• Letitia Breckenridge married secondly Major General B. Porter, of Niagara Falls, also Irish, who was offered by President Madison, and declined, the office of General-in-Chief of the United States Army. He was Secretary of War in the Cabinet of John Quincy Adams. He distinguished himself at Chippewa and Lundy's Lane for which he received a gold medal from Congress. They had several children.
• Peter A. Porter married his cousin, Mary Cabell Breckenridge, daughter of Rev. John Breckenridge, a professor of Princeton college, and grand-daughter of Rev. Doctor Miller Porter, US Senator from Michigan. Peter was a Col. in the New York Volunteers and was killed in the battle of Cold Harbor.
• Joseph Cabell Breckenridge, the second child of John Breckenridge and Mary Cabell, was Speaker of the House of Representatives from Kentucky and Secretary of State of Kentucky. He married Miss Mary C. Smith, daughter of Dr. Smith, President of Princeton College, another Irish-American. They had four children.
• Frances A. Breckenridge married Rev. Joseph J. Bullock, a famous divine of Kentucky, and afterward of Baltimore.
• Mary Cabell Breckenridge married Dr. Thomas P. Satterwhite of Lexington, KY.
• John Cabell Breckenridge (1821-1875), member of Congress and Senator from Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, a Major General and Secretary of War of the Confederate States, and candidate for the President of United States. He married Miss Burch, of Scott County, Kentucky. Their son Clifton R. Breckenridge was a member of Congress from the second district of Arkansas.
• Descendants of Joseph Cabell Breckenridge and Mary Cabell include the Routs of KY, The Douglasses of KY, the Crafts of Mississippi, the Bullocks of KY and Maryland, the Satterwhites of KY, children, childrens' children of great great grand children of John Preston.
• Rev. John Breckenridge, the sixth child of John Breckenridge and Mary Cabell, married twice. First to Miss Miller, daughter of President Miller of Princeton College. Secondly to Agatha M. Babcock, of Connecticut. He had four children, three by Miss Miller and one by Agatha Babcock.
• Samuel M. Breckenridge, a lawyer and Judge in St. Louis, MO, married Miss Virginia Castleman of Fayette County, KY and had a large family .
• Mary Cabell Breckenridge who married her cousin Peter Porter mentioned above.
• Margaret M. Breckenridge who was distinguished for her work in hospitals and other charities during the war (Civil) and died unmarried.
• Agatha M. Breckenridge, daughter of Rev. John Breckenridge and Agatha Babcock.
• Robert J. Breckenridge, a theologian from Baltimore. He was thrice married. His first wife was a relative, Miss Sophonisba Preston, daughter of Gen. Francis Preston, sister of William C. Preston of South Carolina and Grand Niece of Gov. Patrick Henry. They had eleven children. See Sophonisba Preston for an account of this family.
• Rev. William L. Breckenridge, was for a time President of Danville College, afterward a resident of Missouri. He married Miss Frances Provost (Prevost ?) a daughter of Judge Provost of Louisiana. They had twelve children, of whom, Robert J. Breckenridge, a physician in Louisville, married Miss Kate Hunt, daughter of A.D. Hunt.
3. James Breckenridge b.abt 1757, third child of Letitia Preston and Robert Breckenridge, a lawyer in Virginia, a member of the legislature of Virginia, a member of Congress from that state from 1809-1817. He married Miss Ann Seldon and had 10 children, of whom the eldest child;
• Letitia Breckenridge, married Col. Robert Gamble of Richmond, VA, afterward of Tallahassee, Florida, and they had 9 children.
• Catherine Gamble who married John S. Sheppard of Florida and left children and grandchildren named Sheppard and Beard.
• James B. Gamble who married twice, first to a cousin, Miss Mary Watts, and second to Miss J. Rosetta Morris of New York.
• Cary B. Gamble who resided in Cambridge, Md., married Miss Shaw of Florida and was a surgeon in the Confederate Service.
• Letitia Gamble who married first Louis P. Holliday and second C. H. Latrobe, of Baltimore.
• Edward W. Gamble, and artillery officer in the Confederate Army.
• Robert B. Gamble, of Tallahassee, Florida, a captain of artillery in the Confederate Army, who married Miss Chavis, of Florida.
• Elizabeth Breckenridge, second child of James and Ann Seldon Breckenridge, married G. Edward Watts, a lawyer and speaker of the Virginia Legislature. They had 10 children.
• The third child, name ?, married a daughter of Judge J.J. Allen of Virginia. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention and a Colonel in the Confederate Army.
• Ann S. Watts married Hon. J. P. Holcombe of Bedford County, VA.
• Letitia Watts married first D. Landon Rives of Cincinnati, second D. L. Sorrel, of Savannah, medical inspector of the Confederate Army, resident of Roanoke County, Virginia.
• Alice M. Watts, married first Dr. George W. Morris, and second Judge Wm. J. Robertson of Charlottesville, VA.
• Emma G. Watts married Colonel George W. Carr, of the US and Confederate Army.
• Carey Breckenridge married Miss Gilmer and had nine children.
• Gilmer Breckenridge married Miss Julia Anthony of Botetourt Co. VA. He was a Captain in the Confederate Army and was killed in action.
• James Breckenridge married Miss Burwell of Bedford Co. VA, he was also an officer in the Confederate Army and was also killed in action.
• Cary Breckenridge was a Colonel in the Confederate Army, he married Miss Virginia Caldwell of Greenbrier College, VA.
• John Breckenridge was an officer in the Confederate Army, killed in battle, unmarried.
• Matilda Breckenridge, the fifth child of James Breckenridge married H. M. Bowyer of Botetourt Co. VA and had 8 children. The fourth, Mary Ann Bowyer, married William Penn; the sixth, Woodville Bowyer, was an officer in the Confederate Service and was killed in battle; the seventh, Edward Bowyer, died a surgeon in the Confederate Service.
4. Elizabeth Breckenridge b.abt 1760, the fourth child of Letitia Preston and Col. Robert Breckenridge, married Col. Samuel Meredith, of Amherst, Virginia and afterward of Fayette, KY. He was a nephew of Patrick Henry. She had five daughters, the second of whom, Letitia P. Meredith, married Col. W. S. Dallam, of Baltimore, afterward of KY; the fourth, Elizabeth Meredith married James Coleman of Fayette Co., Kentucky and had eight children.