Othniel Preston (1757 - 1840)

Born 1757 in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Roxana Unknown — married about 1783 in New York, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Sep 1840 at about age 83 in Penfield, Monroe, New York, United States

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Biography

Othniel Preston was born in Killingly, Windham Co. CT in 1757, son of Othniel Preston and Anna Love. His ancestry is well documented in the book "Descendants of Roger Preston of Ipswich and Salem Village".

When he was still quite young Othniel Preston (II)'s family moved from Connecticut to the village of White Creek, Cambridge Twp., Washington County, NY, in the 1760s or possibly as late as the very early 1770s.

Othniel Preston (II) served over seven continuous years in the Continental Army of (New York 3rd and 1st Regiments) from 1776-1783 and was present at the Siege of Ft. Stanwix in New York and at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia. His entire service history during the American Revolution can be traced based on his pension hearings (1818 and 1820), his listing in the enlistment and muster records, and the regimental histories of the 3rd and 1st Regiments of the New York Continental Army. Othniel's father Othniel Preston (I) fought in the Battle of Bennington on the side of the British Loyalists, was captured and imprisoned near Albany after the battle, and died in 1777 from either wounds or disease.

In 1800 Othniel Preston (II) is listed as head of household in Cambridge Twp., Washington Co., New York. His residence was probably near the village of White Creek which is where the Preston homestead was located.

In 1818 and 1820 Revolutionary Pension files record Othniel Preston (II) as living in Ft. Ann, Washington Co. NY. His six youngest children are listed in the pension records. His six older children are known through family genealogical records and the will of Othniel's son Elijah Preston (who lists all of the children of his deceased siblings still alive as of 1872).

Several of Othniel Preston (II)'s sons moved to Penfield/Webster Monroe County NY by 1810-1820. Othniel (II) and his younger children joined them there, probably by 1830, but definitely before the census of 1840 when Othniel Preston (II) is listed in Penfield. His son Othniel Preston (III) (b. about 1790) is also listed in Penfield in the 1840 census, having lived in the Penfield area continuously since about 1810 (land and census records). He is listed as Othniel Preston "Jr" in the 1840 census to distinguish him from his father of the same name who was living in the same town.

Important Note: another separate Othniel Preston, b. about 1784, who lived in Ohio, Illinois and later in Iowa, and died after the 1860 census is well documented and is clearly not the son of the Othniel Preston (1757-1840) of this profile. Othniel Preston the actual son of the Othniel Preston of this profile, was living in Penfield, Monroe Co., NY at the same time this other contemporary Othniel Preston was living in Ohio and Illinois.

Othniel Preston (II) died 4 Sep 1840 and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Penfield, Monroe Co. NY. The cemetery records list him as O. Preston. DAR records list his burial at this same plot as well. As of 2018 no stone or other marker remained on his grave, but in 2019 a stone for Othniel Preston was installed by his direct descendant Robert C. Amos.

A 1842 newspaper article (Rochester Daily Democrat) lists the Revolutionary War pensioners who were still living in the area at the time of the 1840 census. Othniel Preston of Penfield is among those listed.

Othniel's son Elijah Preston died in 1872 in Webster, Monroe Co. NY. Elijah's will lists the 44 grandchildren of Othniel Preston (1757-1840) who were still alive in 1872. They are can be attributed to Othniel Preston's children as follows:

Children of Rev. David Preston (b. about 1785): David Preston, Detroit MI; William Preston, Concord, Erie Co. PA; Betsey Hobart, Mills Flats, Chataqua Co. NY; Sophronia Kean, Leach Corners, Mercer Co. PA.

Children of Benjamin Preston (b. about 1795): Martha Gates, Dansville, NY; Olive Maynard, Dansville, NY;Camilla Dewey, Kalamazoo MI; Jackson Preston, MI.

Children of James Preston (b. about 1791): James Henry Preston, residence unknown; Othaniel Preston, Rogersville, Steuben Co. NY; Josiah Preston, Chicago IL; Mary Siebert, Chicago IL; Eunice Youngs, Alleghany Co. NY

Children of Othniel Preston (b. about 1789): James Andrew Preston, WI; William E. Preston, WI; Ann Eliza Preston, WI.

Children of Daniel Preston (b. about 1788): Julia A. Kellman, Leslie, MI; Betsey A. Dunham, Fichburg, MI; Othaniel Preston, Napoleon, Jackson Co. MI; Sophronia Kaler (Keeler), Alscata, MI; Daniel Preston, Jefferson, MI; Sidney Preston, Albion, MI; John Preston, Stockbridge, MI; Ira Preston, St. Johns, MI; Jane Turner (Towner), Jefferson, MI; Nancy E. Conklin, Sylvan, MI.

Children of Rosanna Preston (b. 1801), m. James Robb: Lucinda Grover, Springwater, NY Alfred Robb, Douglas, Alleghany Co., NY Sprancer Robb, Penfield NY Daniel Robb, MI Luke Robb, Eden, Erie Co., NY Martha Willard, Webster, Monroe Co., NY

Children of Lucinda Preston (b. 1808) m. Jacob Curtice: Francis Curtice, Beloit, WI; Almina Kellogg, Springwater, Livingston Co., NY; Ezra N. Curtice, Springwater, Livingston Co., NY; Mary Daniels, Rochester, MN.

Child of ?? (possibly Elizabeth Preston, b. 1802): Richard Kirby, res. unknown.

Children of Joseph E. Preston (B. 1794): Alvah Preston, Webster, Monroe Co., NY; Joseph Preston, Webster, Monroe Co., NY; Benjamin Preston, Fowlerville, Livingston Co., MI; George Preston, Fowlerville, Livingston Co., MI; Roxanna Daley, Fowlerville, Livingston Co., MI; Betsey Abbott, Fowlerville, Livingston Co., MI; Mary Bronson, Fowlerville, Livingston Co., MI.

Sources

• Descendants of Roger Preston of Ipswich and Salem, by Charles Henry Preston, Essex Institute, 1931, reprint {accessed 2017 by R. C. Amos}

• 1800 U. S. Census, Washington County, NY.

• 1818 and 1820 American Revolution Pension Records for Othniel Preston of Ft. Ann, Washington Co., NY: U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Provo, UT, USA {accessed 2017 by R. C. Amos}

• 1830 Census, Penfield, Monroe Co. NY

• 1840 Census, Penfield, Monroe Co. NY

• 21 Apr 1842 Rochester Daily Democrat: names Othniel Preston of Penfield NY as a Revolutionary War pensioner as listed in the 1840 U.S. census. http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html {accessed 2017 by R.C. Amos}

• Oakwood Cemetery Burial Records, Penfield, Monroe Co. NY {accessed 2017 by R.C. Amos}

• DAR Ancestor Index, lists Othniel Preston (1757-1840) as buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Penfield NY. Record states that there is a DAR marker on the grave, but it is not there as of 2018. http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=1

• Records and files of town historian of White Creek, Washington Co. NY, by personal communciation {accessed 2017 by R.C. Amos}

• 1872 Will of Elijah Preston, son of Othniel Preston (1757-1840); lists 44 grandchildren of Othniel Preston alive as of 1872. {accessed 2018 by R.C. Amos}

• 1818-1820 Pension File for Othniel Preston of Ft. Ann, Washington Co., NY: U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Provo, UT, USA. {accessed 2018 by R.C. Amos}