David, a yeoman or farmer, was born at Andover, Massachusetts in 1703 and died before October 1755 in Oblong [Dover], Dutchess County, New York. David moved to Windham, Connecticut with his parents and there on August 2, 1726, he married Elizabeth Martin. Elizabeth, daughter of George Martin and Anne Choate, was born January 17, 1707/8 at Ipswich, Massachusetts, and probably died at Oblong, New York at an unknown date.
David and Elizabeth Preston of Windham received a £20 legacy from Elizabeth's grandfather, John Choate through his son Robert, which they acknowledged by an indenture dated December 9, 1734. "Whereas John Choate of Chebaco in Ipswich by deed 13 February 1718 granted son Robert Choate one half of all his housing & lands & by his other deed 9 May 1728 sold the other half with the proviso that he pay his grand-daughter Elizabeth Preston, only child of his daughter Anne Martin deceased 20£."
David and his family lived near his father and brothers in Windham Village. In 1728, David and Jacob Preston Jr., purchased land of Richard Abbe, when one of them must have been about twenty-one years of age and the other twenty-five. In March, 1732, they divided one hundred acres of land which they had owned jointly, and in 1737 David sold land adjoining land of his father Jacob, and of his brother Joseph. The last record of David in Windham is in 1747, when in June, David Preston, yeoman, of Windham, sold to John Hovey land in Windham. In December 1746, he was called farmer in a deed by which he conveyed land to William Preston; this deed was sworn in the adjoining town of Mansfield, October 13, 1747.
He must have moved to Oblong, now Dover, New York, soon after these sales, as is shown by the will of George Martin of Windham, in which mention is made of "wife Mercy, son George, four daughters: Elizabeth Preston, Mary Leach, Sarah Marsh, and Anna Stoel." The will is dated March 9, 1750, and proved September 3, 1755. Settlement was made in October 1755: "Then we Amos Leach & Mary Leach his wife both of New Fairfield, County of Fairfield, & Elizabeth Preston & Sarah Marsh widows both of Oblong Duches County & widow Anna Stoel of Windham," acknowledge receipt of their share "of the estate of our honored father George Martin, decd.", from George Martin executor. David Preston's sons, Ebenezer and Martin, were the founders of a large family in Dutchess County, NY.
See lineage of Preston Family
Read the Biography of David's great grandfather, Roger Preston
Read the Biography of David's grandfather, Samuel Preston
Read the Biography of David's father, Jacob Preston
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