no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

William Preston (1728 - 1804)

William Preston aka Presson
Born in Beverly, Massachusettsmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 12 Jun 1752 in Chester, New Hampshiremap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 75 in Strafford, Orange Co, Vermontmap
Problems/Questions Profile managers: GeneJ X private message [send private message] and Bill Smith private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 11 Mar 2011
This page has been accessed 1,497 times.

Contents

Biography

William Presson was born Beverly, Essex county, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 5 August 1728[1]; died Strafford, Orange, Vermont, 9 January 1804,[2] the son of William Presson and his wife, Mary Raymond.[3]

William married Chester, Rockingham, New Hampshire, 12 June 1752 to Hannah Healey [Hannah Helay].[4]

Children of Hannah Healey and William Preston[5]

  1. Molly Preston, born Chester, New Hampshire, 14 November 1752.
  2. William Preston, born Chester, 6 July 1754.
  3. Hannah Preston, born Chester, 25 March 1756.
  4. Mary Preston, born Chester, 2 February 1758.
  5. Benjamin Preston, born Chester, 2 January 1761.
  6. Elizabeth Preston
  7. Alexander Truesdale Preston, born Rumney, 11 June 1764
  8. Sarah Preston, born Chester, 3 July 1766.
  9. Hitty Preston, born Rumney, 18 June 1768.
  10. Joseph Preston, born Rumney, 15 January 1771.
  11. Asahel Preston, born Rumney, 1 November 1772.
  12. John Preston, born Rumney, 8 July 1774.

Research Notes

Vermont Families (1997) record by submitter Barbara Sprague reports eleven children born to William and Hannah, raising particular questions about Molly (born 1752) and Mary (born 1758), the latter of whom is alias Elizabeth with alternate birth of 1762 and wife of John Dolloff.[6] While Sprague reported two daughters, proof of life exists for all three--Molly, Mary and Elizabeth.

New Hampshire Vital Records report about the births of Molly (first child)[7] and Mary (fourth child)[8] at Chester. Searching the entries from Chester and Rumney, no entry in the same collection has been found for Elizabeth.

New Hampshire Vital Records report the related Rumney 1780 marriage of Molly Presson and John Harris,[9] and in the 1880s, William and Hannah's granddaughter, Hannah (Preston) Webster (born 1811), referred to her aunt Harris as "Mary" noting "State of New York."[10]

In the same 1887 exchange, Hannah (Preston) Webster mentioned her aunt "Dolloff of N. Hampshire," without further identifying the aunt or her spouse. No town record has been located that memorializes the date and location of a relevant Preston-Dolloff union, but Hannah's aunt and uncle are almost certainly John Dolloff and Elizabeth Preston, whose children's births (1785-1805) are reported in the town records of New Hampton, Belknap, New Hampshire.[11] Some confirmation of Hannah's 1887 statement arises from onomastic clues. Among the seven sons born to Elizabeth (Preston) Dolloff are those named "William Preston Dolloff" and "Joseph Preston Dolloff," and the more interesting name, Elijah Blake Dolloff. The latter name possibly derived from William and Hannah (Healey) Preston's son-in-law, "Elijah Blake" (married Sarah Preston).

The New Hampton town records report Elizabeth's birth as 18 September 1762,[12] placing her between the last of William and Hannah's children recorded Chester (Benjamin, born 20 January 1761),[13] and their first child recorded born at Rumney (Alexander Preston, 1764)[14]

In the 1997 published account about the daughter Hannah (born 25 March 1756), her death was confused with that of her niece, Hannah Presson (twin to Joseph), born Rumney 06 May 1796. died 04 March 1797, buried Rumney Depot Cemetery, daughter William and Elizabeth (Clark) Presson.[15] As Hannah (Presson/Preston) Brainerd, William and Hannah's daughter lived a long life; with her husband, Asahel Brainerd she bore 10 children and died 1844, "in her 89th year."[16]

Deeds

From Strafford Deed Index, FamilySearch, DGS 008209355, image 155 of 775.

  • (Grantor to Grantee) Asa Pattee, Jr. to William Presson [indexed as Preston], B:255; FamilySearch, DGS 008209355, image 404 of 775; deed dated 26 August 1784.
  • (Grantor to Grantee) ?Preston, William to Sanborn Blake, B:490.

Clues about Rumney to Strafford Timeline

  • 26 August 1784. -- Deed (above).
  • 4 Nov 1784 -- Daughter Sarah marries in Strafford to Elijah Blake (pages from family bible in her W[idow's] 15,586 (New Hampshire), Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty‐Land Warrant Application Files).
  • 20 October 1785 -- Son Alexander reports residence as Strafford in the record of his Rumney marriage to Mary Durkee.

Sources

  1. William Presson (1728) birth entry, Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, 2 vols, 1: 266; digital images,Internet Archive.
  2. William Preston 1804 death record, "Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954"; index and images, FamilySearch.
  3. Scott Andrew Bartley, ed., Vermont Families in 1791, 2 volumes (St. Albans, Vermont: Genealogical Society of Vermont-Vol 2, 1992), 2: 165-167.
  4. Presson-Helay 1752 marriage, "New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947"; index and images, FamilySearch.
  5. Reporting of all the twelve children (as eleven) is found in Scott A. Bartley, Vermont Families in 1791, 2 volumes (St. Albans, Vermont: Genealogical Society of Vermont-Vol 2, 1992), 2: 165-167.
  6. Scott A. Bartley, Vermont Families in 1791, 2 volumes (St. Albans, Vermont: Genealogical Society of Vermont-Vol 2, 1992), 2: 166 (in particular part).
  7. Molley Presson, 14 Nov 1752 birth, "New Hampshire, Birth Records, Early to 1900"; index and images, FamilySearch, citing FHL microfilm 1001028.
  8. Mary Presson, 02 Feb 1758 birth, "New Hampshire, Birth Records, Early to 1900"; index and images, FamilySearch, citing FHL microfilm 1001028.
  9. Presson-Harris 06 Jan 1780 marriage, "New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947"; index and images, FamilySearch, citing FHL microfilm 1001267.
  10. Charles Herbert (Concord, NH) papers, 1862-1865 [sic]; digital images; supplied by New Hampshire Historical Society (catalog search here; pages stamped 217-219 Include oral family tradition of Hannah (Preston) Webster, recorded 15 September 1887 by her cousin, Charles H. Herbert.
  11. "John Dolloff Family Record." "New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947"; images, FamilySearch, Belknap > New Hampton > Town records 1777-1821 vol 1 > image 176 of 287.
  12. "John Dolloff Family Record," "New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947"; images, FamilySearch, Belknap > New Hampton > Town records 1777-1821 vol 1 > image 176 of 287.
  13. Benjm Presson, 02 Jan 1761 birth, "New Hampshire, Birth Records, Early to 1900"; index and images, FamilySearch ; citing FHL microfilm 1001028.
  14. Alexander Presson, 11 Jun 1764 birth, "New Hampshire, Birth Records, Early to 1900"; index and images, FamilySearch, citing FHL microfilm 1001028.
  15. Scott Andrew Bartley, ed., in Vermont Families in 1791 (1992, 1997) 2 vols. 2:165.
  16. Lucy Abigail Brainard, Genealogy of the Brainerd-Brainard Family in America (Hartford, Ct.: Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1908, reprinted 1987), 3 vols., 1 (part::Joshua):52 (Asahel); digital images, Hathi Trust.
See also
  • Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, 2 vols, 1: 266, William Presson, born 5 August 1728, entry reads, [Presson], "William, s. William and Mary, Aug. 5, 1728"; digital images, Internet Archive.
  • William Preston/Mary Raymond family entries, "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Towns Records, 1579-2001"; images, FamilySearch , Essex > Beverly > Births, marriages, deaths 1653-1890 > image 386 of 589.
  • Benjamin Chase, History of Old Chester [NH] (1869), p. 576 for Presson family sketch; digital images,Internet Archive. Note: Includes William, Jr., "m. Hannah, dau. of William Helaey, June 12, 1752"; lists some of their children and reports they removed to Rumney, NH. For more complete reporting and richer documentation, see, Vermont Families in 1791 2: 159-67, entries for William and Hannah's family (pgs. 165-7), and similar entries for sons Benjamin Preston and Alexander Truesdale Preston.
  • Benjamin Chase, History of Old Chester [NH] (1869), pp 543-4 for "Healey" family; digital images, Internet Archive. Note: "William Healey was a grantee, and was the son of Samuel Healey, of that part of Hampton now Hampton Falls, and grandson of William Healey of Cambridge. He was b. Jan 29 1689-90; m. Mary, dau. Benjamin Sanborn, 1715. He came to Chester about 1728, and settled on his home, lot no. 7, since owned by Ephraim Orcutt. His will was dated 1767, proved 1772, children ...[reports 8 ch (incl. dau. Hannah m. William Preston, Jr. "moved to Plymouth"); some ch. reported born at Hampton Falls]."
  • Joseph Dow, History of the town of Hampton, 2 vols. 2 (1893) 2: 745 "Healey" family; digital images, Internet Archive. Note: Reports 4 children born to Samuel and Hannah, including William (no stated dob); about the son William, reports he was "probably" son of Samuel; this William "married Jan. 12, 1716, Mary, daughter of Deacon Benjamin Sanborn (9)," reports about nine children, but does not include the same eight children reported by Chase and does not report a daughter Hannah Healey.
  • Mrs. Carl W. Carrier, et. al., compiler, Healy History, 1968. Note: Continues an apparent misconception that William (m. Mary Sanborn) was twin b. 1690 to Samuel and Hannah. Therein, "William Hele twin of Mary, b. 1/29/1689-90 in Hampton Falls, N.H., did not die youn[g] as some histories record, but d. about 1772 in Chester N. H.; m. Mary Sanborn, dau. of Benjamin Sanborn...." Separately as well in the text, his twin sister, Mary did die young. Mary said dec'd 2/16/1689[/90]. The 1961 version of Ms. Carrier's work may be accessed via Heritage Quest. In this 1961 version, the following pagination applies: p. 63+ Samuel^2 Hele (William^1); p. 69, has mistaken entry for twins Mary and William, saying "William ... did not die young ..."; same entry advances William^3 Hele; reporting his marriage to Mary Sanborn and their children; p. 72 reports birth of Hannah^4 Healey to William and Mary (Sanborn) Hele; has her marriage to William Preston, and five of their Preston children.

Acknowledgments

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Click on the "Changes" tab to review the contributions of WikiTree collaborators.





Is William your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message private message a profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with William by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with William:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 3

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
Hi Valerie,

You are correct, William Preston (born 1728) is not his grandson, William Preston Dolloff (b. 1788).

But, I think the men Preston 2514 or Preston-321 are both the grandfather of Dolloff, William Preston b. 1728, who married Hannah Healey.

What do you think?

posted by GeneJ X
Preston-2514 and Preston-321 are not ready to be merged because: William Preston is not William Preston Dolloff. Maybe part of the family?
posted by [Living Dolloff]
Preston-2514 and Preston-321 appear to represent the same person because: Please see the notes and narrated explanations posted to Preston-321.
posted by GeneJ X

P  >  Preston  >  William Preston

Categories: Beverly, Massachusetts