Person:William Preston (82)

Research Notes

• I wonder if his middle name wasn't originally "Barraud" (his mother's middle name) instead of "Ballard?" --Cos1776 12:41, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Family Recorded, in Dorman, John Frederick. The Prestons of Smithfield and Greenfield in Virginia: descendants of John and Elizabeth (Patton) Preston through five generatons. (Louisville, Kentucky: Filson Club, c1982).

   151. ii. William Ballard PRESTON was born on November 29, 1805 in "Smithfield", Montgomery Co., VA. He married Lucinda Staples Redd on November 21, 1839 in Patrick C. H., VA. He died on November 16, 1862 in Montgomery Co., VA, at age 56.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Family Recorded, in Hanson, George Adolphus. Old Kent: the eastern shore of Maryland; notes illustrative of the most ancient records of Kent County Maryland, and of the parishes of St. Paul's, Shrewsbury and I. U. and genealogical histories of land and distinguished families of Maryland, and their connections by marriage, etc. (Baltimore, Maryland: John P. Des Forges, 1876).

   p 170 -
   ... Hon. William Ballard Preston, b. 26th May 1805, ...
   
   ... HON. WILLIAM BALLARD PRESTON, son of Gov. James Patton Preston and Ann Taylor, was a member of Congress 1847-1849, Secretary of the Navy under President Taylor, 1849-1850, a Senator in the Congress of the Confederate States, and d. 16th Nov. 1862. He m. 28th Nov. 1839, Lucinda Staples Redd, and had child., viz.,
   - Waller Redd (who m. 20th Feb'y 1867, Harriet Means, dau. of Edward Means, who d. 22d March 1869),
   - Ann Taylor (who m. 1st Dec. 1864, Walter Coles, and d. 12th July 1868, leaving child., viz., Lucy, - Walter, and Nannie Preston Coles, d.),
   - James Patton,
   - Lucinda Redd (who m. 27th Feb'y 1866, William R. Beal, and had child., viz., Ballard Preston, d., - and Annie Preston Radford Beal),
   - Jane Grace, and
   - Mary Rezin Preston, b. 29th March 1854, d. 12th Jan'y 1861. ...

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Biography, in Barringer, Paul Brandon; James Mercer Garnett; and Rosewell Page. University of Virginia: its history, influence, equipment and characteristics, with biographical sketches and portraits of founders, benefactors, officers and alumni. (New York: Lewis Publishing Co., 1904)
   1:363.

   PRESTON, William Ballard, 1805-1862
   Statesman. First Year, 1825.
   
   William Ballard Preston was born in Smithfield, Montgomery County, Virginia, on the 25th of November, 1805.
   
   He received the education given by the private schools of his neighborhood and entered the University of Virginia at its first session. Upon his return home he was elected to the Legislature of Virginia and to the State Senate, and in 1846 was elected to Congress as a Whig. He was appointed Secretary of the Navy under President Taylor. He was several times Presidential Elector upon the Whig ticket, and in 1858 went to France with the purpose of trying to obtain commercial relations with this government. He was a member of the Secession Convention of 1861, having been elected as opposed to secession. In 1861 he was elected a member of the Confederate States Senate, where he served until his death, November 16th, 1862.