Robert James Preston (1841-1906)

Dr. Robert James Preston b.1-25-1841 d.8-20-1906, son of John Fairman Preston and Jane Rhea, married on 10-19-1875 Martha E. Sheffey b.3-15-1849 d.11-2-1898, daughter of Eleanor Fairman Preston (1812-1887) and Judge James White Sheffey. Robert was born in Washington Co., VA and was a physician at an Insane Asylum in Marion. He was Superintendant of the Southwestern State Hospital in 1888. He had attended Abingdon Academy and Emory and Henry College 1859-1861. He was in the Confederate Army as a 1st Lt. but resigned and re-enlisted several times. He practiced medicine in Abingdon, Marion and New York, where he died. Martha was born in Marion, Smythe Co., VA. and they had two children: (Data originally from "The Family Tree" by Mary Preston Gray, more of the above detail added courtesy Ed Foley.)

1. Eleanor Fairman Preston b.8-11-1876 in Marion. She was a physcian in Oakland, Calif. She married Dr. James Thomas Watkins and they had four children.
• James Thomas Watkins
• Robert Sheffey Watkins
• William Watkins
• Sherman Watkins
2. Robert Sheffey Preston, M.D. b.7-30-1885 d.10-28-1953 married on 10-3-1916 Miss Alice Burwell Reed b.7-19-1895 d.8-25-1979. Robert died in Richmond. They had 3 children.
• Robert Sheffey Preston, Jr. b.8-15-1917 married on 8-14-1943 Miss Louisa Darragn b.1-23-1919. They had 5 children:
• Mary Louisa Preston b.11-1-1944
• Alice Valeria Preston b.5-22-1947 married on 8-15-1967 Charles C. Chewning b.10-23-1946. They had one child.
• Gwenedd Preston Chewning b. 5-24-1979
• Carolyn Reed Preston b.5-27-1950
• Robert Sheffey Preston III b. 11-9-1953
• Frederick D. Preston b.9-28-1963.
• William Reed Preston b.6-3-1920 d.7-18-1971 married on 1-11-1947 Miss Suzanne Cosley Pulliam b.12-8-1922. They had 4 children.
• William Reed Preston Jr. b.12-2-1948 married on 1-5-1975 Miss Irene Walker Fraley b.4-26-1951. They have one son, Christopher Reed Preston b.9-27-1980.
• Martha Cosley Preston b.3-17-1951 married on 9-27-1975 Peter Walsh Farnsworth b.1-28-1949. They have one child, Suzanne Pulliam Farnsworth b.2-5-1978.
• Thomas Burwell Preston b.3-19-1954.
• Suzanne Crenshaw Preston b.10-26-1962.
• Alice Burwell Preston b.2-24-1927 married on 4-10-1948, Parke Farr Smith b.1-24-1920. They had 4 children.
• Christie Reed Smith b.11-1-1950 married on 1-27-1979 M. B. VanDoren III b.6-16-1949.
• Preston Sheffey Smith b.1-5-1953 married on 9-27-1980 Cynthia Gay Velom b.9-15-1956.
• James Alexander Smith b.1-5-1953 married on 11-26-1977 Janet Lynn Rhodes b.2-15-1956.
• Parke Burwell Smith b.7-15-1959.

Original 10/8/97
Last updated 4/11/2007
Page by F. L. Preston