The Preston Family
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MEMORANDA OJ' THE PRESTON FAMILY. COMPILED BY JOHN MASON BROWN. PRINTED FOB PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. IPRA.NKFORT, KY..: B. :I, K, KA.JOB, PBI1'TEB. 18'10. )Ii E-M O l\_A ND A OF THE PREFACE. The following pages are but little more than an amplifica tion of the notes published in 1842, by my deceased uncle, Col. ORLANDO BaoWN. The idea was suggestf!d to him by some papers left by my grandfather,•-· and was exec"Qted, so far as material availed him, by the joint endeavor -of himself and NATHANIEL HA:a.T, of Woodford county, Kentucky._ I found it pleasant to trace the different branches of our family tree as they developed into a more numerous progeny, and, from time to time,. made notes of such information as I could collect. As I prosecuted my inquiries, it became appar ent to me, that our kindred felt much desire that the collected materials might be published. Without further apology, therefore, I offer the following memo randa, for private distribution among th~ family. JOHN 1\1:ASON BROWN. LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, JULY, 1870. MEMO.RANDA OJI' THE PRESTON FAMILY. JOHN PBES'l'ON, the first of the family who came to America, was born in Ireland, in the city of Londonderry. His fat her and three uncles were Englishmen, who served under King William, and aided in the defense of Londonderry, when that city was besieged by King. James. ·He was a Protestant'- of the Presbyterian denomination, a man of strong mind and correct principles. He married ELIZA~ETH PATTON, a sister of Colonel JAMES PATTON, of Donegal, with whom he removed to Virginia in 17 40. Col. PATTON had for some years commanded a mer chant ship, and was a ·man of property, enterprise, and influence. He obtained an order of Council from the Governor of Virginia, under which there were appropri~ted, to himself and his asso ciates, 120,000 acres of the best lands lying above the Blue Ridge in that State, several valuable tracts of which fell to the share of his descendants. He was killed by Indians at Smithfield, Virginia, in the year 1753. Col. PATTON left two daughters, one of whom married Capt.. WILLIAM TaoMPSON, and the other Col. JoHN BucHANAN. From the last named are descended JoHN FLOYD, late member of Congress and Governor of Virginia, JAMES D. BRECKINRIDGE, o( Louisville, Kentucky, late member of Congress, and the late Col. W. P. ANDERSON, of the _United States Army. J.oHN PRESTON, on the passage from Ireland, lost part of his property in a storm; but being an associate, he obtained, under the order of Council before mentioned, a valuable tract of land 6 Memoranda of called "Robinson's," which descended to his son, . and, until recently, remained in the family. J ouN PRESTON'S first residence in Virginia was at Spri~g Hill, in Augusta county; but about the year 17 43 he purchased, and with his family, settled upon a tract of land adjoining Staunton, on the north side of that town. He died soon after, and was buried at the Tinkling Spring Meeting-house. He left a widow and five children. Mrs. _PRESTON exhibited great energy and strength of characte~, continuing to reside upon and man~e the plantation they had purchased, until her children were all educated and married. She then removed to Greenfield, the seat of her son, Col. WILLIAM PRESTON, where she died in 1776, aged seventy-six years. The children of J OBN and ELIZABETH PRESTON were, LETITIA who married Col. Ro BERT BRECKlNRIDGE ; MARGARET, who married Rev. JouN BRoWN; WILLIAM, whos·e wife was SusANNA SMITH; ANN, who married Col. JouN SMITH; and Mary, wh·o married BENJAMIN HowARD. LETITIA PRESTON, eldest daughter of John and Elizabeth Preston, married Colonel Robert Breckinridge, of Bottetourt county, Virginia. At the death of her husband she removed to Kentucky, and died in 1798, aged 70 yes.rs. Ber fam-ily consisted of foar sons and a daughter. {A) WILLIAM BRECKINRIDGE married Miss Gilham, aud resided in Fayette county, Kentucky. His children were ·six in number: (a) ROBERT H. BRECKINRIDGE married Miss Eliza.beth Pollrwrd, and left two children : 1. CATHARINE BRECKINRIDGE, 2. BRAXTON BRECK-INRIDGE. (b) JOHN B. BRECKINRIDGE, s. merchant· of Staunton, Virginia, who left two children-a son and daughter. ·( c) ELIZ.A.BETH BRECKINRIDGE married Andrew Calvin, and left 'two children: l. JOHN W. CALVIN, 2. ROBERT H. CALVIN. (d) SAMUEL M. BRECKINRIDGE, an officer of the U. S. Navy, died childless. The 1'1'eston Family. 7 (e} MEREDITH BRECKINRIDGE died leaving no children. (f) WILLIAl\l GILHAM BRECKINRIDGE died unmarried. (B) JOHN BRECKINRIDGE, a lawyer and politician of emine'!lce, Senator in Congress, and Attorney General of the United States in the Cabinet of Mr. Jefferson. He married Miss Mary Hopkins Cabell, and died in 1806, leaving a family of five sons and two daughters, viz: (a) LETITIA BRECKINRIDGE was twice married; first to Alfred Grayson, by whom she had one child-John B. Grayson; and afterwards to General Peter B. Porter, of Niagara Falls, New York, by whom she had a son and daughter. Her children mar ried as follows: 1. JOHN B. GRAYSON was an officer of the United atates Army, and afterwards a General officer in the Confederate States army. He married :Miss C. Searle, of New Orleans, and left one son: (a) JOHN B. GRAYSON, JR., an officer in the Confederate Army, now a planter near Gainesville, Alabama, who married Miss C. Fournier, of Alabama. 2. ELI1A\.BETH PORTER resides at Niagara Falls, ~ew ror~, ~dis unmarried. 3. PETER A. PORTER, a Colonel of New York Volun teers in the United States Army, was killed in battle at Cold Harbor, Virginia. He was twice married; first to. his cousin, Mary 0. Breckinridge, daughter of Bev. John Breckinridge (see post), by whom he had one so~ viz: (a). PETER A. PORTER, JB., a minor. His_ s.econd wife was Miss J. Morris, of New York, by whom h~ had two children : (b) ELIZABETH L. PORTER, dead. (c) GEORGE .M. PORTER, a minor. (b) JQSEPlI CABELL BRECKINRIDGE, Speaker of the Kentucky Ho.use of Represe~tatives, and Secretary of State of Kentucky, married ~iss Mary C. Smith, daughter of Dr. Smith, President of Princeton College. His family was- 1. FRANQ~S. ,4. BRECKINRIDGE married Rev. John 0. Young, President of Danville College, K~ntucky, and left fo~ daughters: (a) MARY YOUNG married ReT:Gelon H. Bout, now of Versailles, Kentucky. Her children are: 8 Memoranda of 1. JOHN ROUT, 2. CORNELIA ROUT, minors. (b) CAROLINE J. YOUNG married Rev. Ruth erford Dougla~, now of Woodford county, Kentucky, and has three children, viz: 1. JOHN YOUNG DOUGLAS, dead. 2. GEORGE DOUGLAS, 3. RUTHERFORD DOUGLAS. (c) JANE E. YOUNG married Rev. E.· Ruther ford, now of Petersburg, Virginia. She has no children. ( d) FRANCES B. YOU NG married lL:. Craft, a lawyer of Holly Springs, Mississippi, and has four children: 1. JOHN CRAFT, 2. BESSIE CRAFT, 3. GELON CRAFT, .4. CORNELIA CRAFT, minors. 2. CAROLINE L. BRECKINRIDGE married Rev. Joseph J. Bullock, a well-known Presbyterian divine, for merly of Kentucky, now ·of Baltimore. She left seven cbildren, viz: (a) WALLER BULLOCK, a lawyer of Baltimore, married Miss Canfield. (b) MARYS. BULLOCK, unmarried. (c) ,CABELL B. BULLOCK, a lawyer of Lexing- ton, Kentucky. (cl) JOSEPH J. BULLOCK, (e) LETITIA B. BULLOCK, (/) JOHN BULLOCK, (g) SARAH BULLOCK, 3. MARY CABELL BRECKINRIDGE married Dr. Thomas P. Satterwhite, of Lexington, Kentucky, and left two • children, viz : (a) MARY SATTERWHITE married Dr. H. Mil ler., of Louisville, afterwards of Henderson, Kentucky, and left one child: HENRIETTA MILLER, a minor. (b) THOMAS P. SATTERWHITE, a physician of Louisville, Kentucky. Married his relative, The Preston Family. 9 Maria P. Rogers. (See pod.) His children are: LILLY SATTERWHITE, THOMAS P. SATTERWHITE, MARIA P. SATTERWHITE, minors. 4. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, member of Congress and United States Senator from Kentucky, V1ce President of the United States, a .Major General and Secretary of War of the Confederate States. Married Miss Burch, of Scott county, Kentucky. His children are: (a) CABELL BRECKINRIDGE, married to Miss Johnson, daughter of Hon. R. W. Johnson, of Arkansas. (b) CLIFTON BRECKINRIDGE, ( c) FANNY BRECKINRIDGE, ( d) JOHN BRECKINRIDGE, (e) OWEN BRECKINRIDGE, .. (f) MARY BRECKINRIDGE; the last three mi nors. ·s. LETITIA BRECKINRIDGE married Charles Parkhill, of Florida, and left no children. (c) KARY H. BRECKINRIDGE died in early youth. (d) ROBERT H. BRECKINRIDGE died in early youth. (e) MARY ANN BRECKINRIDGE married David Castleman, Esq., of Fayette county, Kentucky. Her only child died in infancy. (f) JOHN BRECKINRIDGE, a distinguished Presbyterian Minister and Professor at Pr:nceton. He was twice married-first to Miss Miller, daughter of Rev. Dr. Miller, of Princeton, by whom he had three children that survived him; and again to Miss Agatha M. Babcock, of Connecticut. His family con sisted of- 1. SAMUEL M. BRECKINRIDGE, a. lawyer and judge of St. Louis, :Missouri. Married Miss Virginia Castleman, of Fayette county, Kentucky, and has eight children, viz: (a) MARGARET M. BRECKINRIDGE, (b) VIRGINIA C. BRECKINRIDGE, (c) MARY 0. P. BRECKINRIDGE, (d) JOHN BRECKINRIDGE, 2 10 Jifen'lloranda of (e) DAVID C. BRECKINRIDGE, (/) ALMY H. BRECKINRIDGE, (g) SAMUEL M. BRECKINRIDGE, (h) ELIZABETH L. P. BRECKINRIDGE. All minors. 2. MARY C. BRECKINRIDGE married her cousin, Peter A. Porter, of ·Niagara Falls. (See supra.) She left one son: (a) PETER A. PORTER, JR., a minor. 3. MARGARET M. BRECKINRIDGE was conspicuously active and devoted in hospital and other charities during the war of rebellion. She died unmarried. 4.