Village by CHARLES HENRY PRESTON
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Descendants of Roger Preston of Ipswich and Salem Village By CHARLES HENRY PRESTON Salem, Massachusetts THE ESSEX INSTITUTE 1931 [Reprinted from the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, Volumes LXI-LXVII.] Salem, Massachusetts NEWCOMB & GAUSS CO., Printm 1 9 3 1 ROGER PRESTON'S LEASE OF THE DOWNING FARM IN SALEM INTRODUCTORY NOTE This volume of the genealogy of the descendants of Roger Preston, who settled in Ipswich, Tufassachusetts, in 1635 or soon after, is the result of more than twenty years research and correspondence, and gives a fairly complete account of his descendants bearing the name of Preston, and many allied families. The work has been greatly complicated, especially in the earlier generations, by the fact that several other Prestons were in New England very early, and the descendants of each have covered much of the same territory. A William Preston settled first in Dorchester, Massa chusetts, in 1635, thence went to New Haven, Connecti cut, in 1639. He had a son Daniel who remained in Dorchester. William Preston had many descendants, and a genealogy of one branch of this family was published in 1896 by E. R. Wilcox. Cothren's History of Wood bury, Conn., also has an account of this family. A short genealogy of Daniel Preston's descendants appeared in the New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 14, page 26. The compiler of this volume has much material concerning the family of William Preston and Daniel Preston which has never been published. There was a John Presson or Presbury in Saco, Maine, as early as 1675. He had a son William Presson iu Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1690. Most of the descendants of William now spell the name Preston, and they are widely scattered in New England and elsewhere. A John Preston who served in King Philip's War in 1676, was in Hadley, Massachusetts, as early as 1678, when his marriage is recorded there. No connection has been established between John Preston and Roger Preston, though it is possible that they were related. There are manv descendants. There was a Samuel Preston in Wilmington, Massa chusetts as early as 17 42. His descendants have been traced, but it is not a large family. (i) 11 DESCENDANTS OF ROGER PRESTON There was a William Preston in Poultney, Vermont, going there from Connecticut, probably from Litchfield. He was born in 1715 and was probably a descendant of '\Villiam Preston of New Haven, but that is not proven. There were a few other scattered Preston families in New England, having no known connection with any of the lines already mentioned, but doubtless belonging to one or the other of them . .. A.. number of Prestons settled in colonies outside of New England : among them, John Preston, who came from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1740, and settled in Vir gmrn. Several accounts have been published concerning this distinguished family, most of the descendants being in the Southern states. Philip Preston was the head of another Southern Pres ton family; he settled in Bedford County, Virginia, and a good account of this family appears in a book entitled, "Preston Family Genealogy," by William B. Preston. A William Preston settled in Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth century, and has left many descendants. The compiler of this volume of the genealogy of the descendants of Roger Preston has confined this work solely to an accurate and complete account of Roger Pres ton's descendants. Some search has been made to ascertain the English ancestry of Roger Preston, but nothing has yet been found to indicate where he was born or lived previous to his taking the oath of allegiance, in the parish of St. Alphage in London in 1635, just previous to his sailing for New England. The Preston name is very common on the records of that period, and the name Roger Preston is not uncommon. A more systematic search may prove more successful. I am greatly indebted to the many who have so kindly furnished material for this genealogy. It would be im possible to mention them all by name here, but I wish to acknowledge my great obligation to all who have in any way helped and encouraged me in the undertaking. C.H. P. DANVERS, niASSACHUSETTS. ,L-\NTrARY, 1081. ILLUSTRATIONS Roger Preston's Lease of the Downing Farm in Salem Frontispiece Gravestone of Levi Preston in Cohansey Burying Ground below Fairton, N. J. facing p. 23 Gravestone of John Preston, Hampton, Connecticut 23 House of John Preston of the Third Generation, Danvers 27 House of Lieut. John Preston, Dayton Street, Danvers 45 DESCENDANTS OF ROGER PRESTON OF IPSWICH AND SALETuI VILLAGE. BY CHARLES HENRY PRESTON. I. 1. ROGER PRESTON was one of the many who came to .America from England in the year 163,5. The only record found of him in England is the following: "Port of London, 8 April 1635. Theis parties here under mentioned are to be transported to New England imbarqued in the Elizabeth of London, Wm. Stagg master bound thither; they have taken oath of allegiance and supremacy, per certificate from St. Alphage, Cripple gate the minister thereof. Wm Ho1dred 25 rRoger Preston 21 Tanners I Danie} Brad1ey 29 lIsaac Stedman 3 0 That theis 3 ptes are no subsedie men we whose names hereunto written belonging to Blackwell Hall do averr they are none. Robert Farrands Thomas Smith." Nothing has been found on the records to show where Roger Preston lived for the four years following his com ing to New England, but he probably went directly to Ipswich, Mass., as we :find he owned a house and lot and a "planting Iott" there in lo39, as shown by this record from the Ipswich town records: "Granted to William Holdred an house lott an half an acre of ground lying on the south side of the towne River having an house lott of Daniel Rovey's on tha Northeast and a house Iott of Roger Preston's on the southwest; also six acres of planting ground lying on Sagamore Hill having six acres of the lyke ground of Daniel Hovey's on the West and a planting Iott of Roger Preston's on the East to enjoy the said Landes to him his heirs and assigns forever. Entered this 9th day of Aprill 1639." The William Holdred mentioned in this record is un doubtedly the same William Holdred who came to New ( 1) 2 DESCENDANTS OF ROGER PRESTON England in the "Elizabeth of London" in 1635, with Roger Preston, and who took the oath of allegiance at the same time. There are very few other references to Roger Preston on the Ipswich town records. The following appears in October, 1643: ":Mr. Browne his note of such as have forfeited for not returning their Powder according to an order of the Towne. ( among others) Roger Presson £1." In 1648 we find the following: "It is therefore ordered that henceforth the seaven men shall yearly in November put the said sum of 24£-7s into a rate pportioning it upon the Inhabitants having also respect unto the bill of subscription of the Towne :from yeare to yeare to be levyed and colected by the Con stables and payd unto the sayd Major Denison on the 10th of December yearly soe long as he shall continue to be leader of this companye. "Voted by the Towne at the generall meeting above mentioned. "A list of the names of those that did subscribe their names to allow unto 11:ajor Denison these severall sumes yearly while he continued to be our Leader. ( among others) Roger Preston 3s" The next record is the following: "The 10th of October 1653. "Reckoned with the cow-keepers for the North syde of the River and the cowes come to 3s y head Bulls and all. Roger Preston 3s" In 1656: "The Selectmen having considered the severall families of this Town and their employments have accordinge to the order of Court assessed them spinners as is under written for the year ensuing. Roger Preston 3 quarters 67½ li." In "Old Homes of Ipswich," published at the time of the Ipswich celebration, is this statement: "On the opposite side of the river from the Howard house is an ancient and interesting residence. It was built with another which once stood by its side by Robert OF IPSWICH AND SALEM VILLAGE 3 Wallis, and sold by him to Roger Preston whose wife's name was Martha." In 1658 Roger Preston sold his holdings in Ipswich and removed to Salem in 1660, as recorded in the Essex Registry of Deeds: Be it known to all men whom it may concern that I Roger Preston of Ipswich in New England in the county of Essex: planter, and Martha my wife for divers considerations me thereunto moving but especially in consideration of the full and ju»t sum of one and fifty pounds of current country pay to be paid to me or my assigns at two several payments. viz: thirty pounds at Christide next following the date of these presents and the remainder by that time twelve months in current English corn sweet dry and merchantable by Reginald Foster of Ipswich aforsd. husbandman all that my dwelling house and house lot with the barns, cow-houses and other buildings thereunto belonging and also my other house lot, both which house lots contain two acres, more or less with the gardens orchards and fences and other privileges there'u:nto belonging which I purchased of Robert Wallis of Ipswich afore said as they be situated and inclosed on the north side of the river of Ipswich having the highway next the river toward the South and Thomas Knowlton's land and Robert Pierce's toward the North.