Person:William Preston (58)

Col. William Preston was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

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Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

William Preston's land (Beverley Manor NE, 334 acres, 1749 & 365 acres, 1749 (shown as 320 acres on Hildebrand Map)) as shown on the map meticulously drawn by J.R. Hildebrand, cartographer. This map is copyrighted©, used by permission of John Hildebrand, son of J.R. Hildebrand, April, 2009.

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's:

• Page 680.—2d March, 1749. Same (From William Beverley) to Wm. Preston, 334 acres in Beverley Manor. In Beverley Manor, John Maxwell's line; Col. Lewis' line.

• Page 683.—2d March, 1749. Same to same (From William Beverley to Wm. Preston), 365 acres. In Beverley Manor, on Lewis Creek, above Court House; Col. Beverley's Mill Place line. (listed just after transaction above).

• Page 33.--17th November, 1752. James Brown and Agness to Wm. Preston, 277 acres on second Fork of Thorney Branch of North River of Shanandore; Smith's land. From Repentance Townsend, who patented it in 1749, 5th September. Teste: John Walter and James Trimble.

• Vol. 1 - 1768-9. - William Preston entered, 30th December, 1767, 250 (acres) between Gilbert Marshall and James Alexander on Back Creek; 400 (acres) joining lands of Jasper Torry, James Neely and Andrew Wilson; 400 (acres) on Potts Creek, above the Paint Bank Survey.

Disposition of Land from Chalkley's:

• Page 384.--1st June, 1751. William Preston to Alexander Wright, merchant, 334 acres in Beverley Manor; John Lewis's line; Maxwell's line. Teste: Henry Murray, Robert Scott.

Information on William Preston

• Patton Geneaolgy

iii. WILLIAM PRESTON, b. December 26, 1729, Newton-Limavady, Derry (now Londonderry), Ireland; d. June 28, 1783, Smithfield "Montgomery Co., " Virginia.

Notes for WILLIAM PRESTON: SMITHS OF VIRGINIA, GEORGIA AND ALABAMA 4479 total entries, last updated Sun Jun 17 22:52:27 2001 All questions, comments or suggestions regarding information on this page should be addressed to: Walter Kenneth Smith <KenCade@@net-3.net> ID: I2534 Name: William PRESTON , Colonel Sex: M Name: William PRESTON Name: William PRESTON , Colonel Birth: 25 DEC 1729 in Of Hanover County, VA Birth: 25 DEC 1729 in Londonderry, Ireland Death: 1783 Death: 28 JUN 1783 in Smithfield, Montgomery Co., VA Burial: Smithfield , Blacksburg, Montgomery Co., Virginia Note: Was a member of the House of Burgesses and died from wounds received at the battle of Guilford Courthouse in the Rev. War. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and died from a wound received at Guilford Courthouse.

Father: John PRESTON b: in County Derry, Ireland Mother: Elizabeth PATTON b: in County Donegal, Ireland

Marriage 1 Spouse Unknown Children Gen. Francis PRESTON Thomas Lewis PRESTON

Marriage 2 Susannah SMITH b: 4 FEB 1739 in Spotsylvania Co., VA Married: 17 JUL 1761 in Hanover County, VA Children Elizabeth PRESTON John PRESTON b: 2 MAY 1764 in Smithfield , Blacksburg, Montgomery Co., Virginia William PRESTON b: 26 MAR 1765 Francis Smith PRESTON , Gen. b: 2 AUG 1765 in "Greenfield," Botetourt Co., VA Sarah PRESTON b: 3 MAY 1767 Anne PRESTON b: ABT. 1769 Mary PRESTON b: ABT. 1772 Susannah PRESTON b: 7 OCT 1772 James Patton PRESTON , Gov. b: 21 JUN 1774 Letitia PRESTON b: 29 SEP 1779 Thomas Lewis PRESTON b: 19 AUG 1781 Peggy PRESTON b: ABT. 1783 Francis PRESTON , General

AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA - CHALKLEY'S CHRONICLES; Vol 3, PP 30 - 49 Page 84.--18th November, 1754. William Preston, Assistant Surveyor, enters 400 acres below the survey made on the Forks of John's Creek; 200 acres above the uppermost survey on South Fork of John's Creek; 200 acres above the survey made on the North Fork of said creek; two 400-acre tracts between Bradshaw's survey and Adam Looney's land; 200 acres called the sugar land; 200 acres called the Mill place joining Jacob Patton's old place; 200 acres at a spring below Henry Holston's joining Frederick Hartsough's land; two 400-acre surveys between the Spreading Spring Draft and George Burdwell's; 400 acres at the Poplar Spring joining Dayley's land; 200 acres on the west end of Dayley's; 200 acres between John McGowin's and Nathaniel Evans' land; two 400-acre tracts below the Laurel Gap on Pott's Creek; 400 acres on the next large bottom above said Gap; 400 acres on Purgatory Creek on north side of James River; 200 acres on east side of the Long Bottom; 400 acres between William Hutchinson's and James Moore's on the Path; 400 acres between Priscilla Reese's and James McAfee's land; 200 acres at head spring of little Catabo.--James Patton.

More About WILLIAM PRESTON: Burial: 1783, Smithfield, Blackburg, "Montgomery Co., " Virginia

From "Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871", by Joseph Addison Waddell:

W1ll1am Preston was the only son of John Preston, and was born in Ireland in 1730. He was therefore about ten years old when he came with his father to the Valley. For most of his education he was indebted to the Rev. John Craig, near whose residence he lived, according to the testimony of his daughter, Mrs. Floyd. His first regular appointment was posting the books of the Staunton merchants and aiding his uncle, Col. Patton, in his extensive business. He was deputy for Wallace Estill, when the latter was High Sheriff of Augusta. He was also clerk of the Vestry of Augusta Parish and clerk of the Court-Martial of the county. Step by step he rose to higher employments. During the Indian wars he became quite prominent as captain of a company of rangers, and many of the letters of Governor Dinwiddie in that stirring time were addressed to him. When the town of Staunton was incorporated in 1761. he was one of the board of trustees. In the same year he married Susanna Smith, of Hanover county. He represented Augusta in the House of Burgesses in 1766-1768-9, and was probably a member from Botetourt in 1774. Upon the formation of Botetourt in 1767, he removed to that section, and was one of the first justices of that county. At the first court he qualified also as county surveyor, coroner, escheator and colonel of militia. His residence was at a place called Greenfield, near Amsterdam. Fincastle county was formed in 1772, and Colonel Preston became its first surveyor. In 1773, he acquired the Draper's Meadows estate, removed his family there in 1774, and changed the name to Smithfield. He intended to accompany Colonel William Christian in his march to the Ohio, in the fall of 1774, but was detained at home by his wife's condition. The child born to him at that time was James Preston, who became Governor of Virginia. In 1480, Colonel Preston was engaged with Colonel Arthur Campbell and Colonel Christian in their respective expeditions against the Cherokees. The legislature of North Carolina included him with Colonel Campbell in a vote of thanks for their services in protecting the frontier. Throughout the war of the Revolution he was actively employed, holding important command in Southwest Virginia, and his official papers show that he was a man of more than ordinary culture. He died at Smithfield in 1783, leaving eleven children, of whom five were sons. One of his sons, General Francis Preston, married the only daughter of General William Campbell, and was the father of William C. Preston of South Carolina.

Historical Marker

KG-9 Smithfield, Montgomery, Virginia "One mile west is "Smithfield", old home of Col. Wm. Preston, who materially guided the destiny of the Virginia frontier from the French and Indian War through the Revolution. On this estate two Virginia Governors were born: James P. Preston, 1816-19; John B. Floyd, 1848-52, the latter was the son of another Virginia Governor, John Floyd, 1830-34, who while in office advocated before the Legislature abolition of slavery in Virginia."

1. ↑ Col William Preston, in Find A Grave.
2.   Ancestry of William Preston