Preston family from Meath

[diane carey]

I am new to this forum. I've been looking for John Jilson Preston forever, it seems like. He is very hard to track. Supposed to have come from County Meath.Don't know what town. Was born about 1743-45. Landed in Virginia with about 5 brothers before 1760. He was married to , we think, an Elizabeth Harkness. His son Gilson or Jilson was born in Virginia in 1763. Don't know if he was married when he came over or married here. My Aunt Pauline seems to think that we are related to the Gormaston Prestons. I don't think so. I need help. I can't afford to go on paid sites, so I have to rely on others to help me. Can anyone out there give me some clues about John Jilson Preston?

[Sinann]

Even if you could go on Pay Sites your chances of finding anything from the 1700s is fairly slim.
I wonder if this couple could be getting mixed up with yours.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2PT-Q5T

[diane carey]

Thanks for the tip. Did not know date of marriage for this john preston and elizabeth harkness. It isn't my line. Not unless john was well over a hundred years old when he married her. My john's wifes first name was listed
as Betsy, which is a nickname for elizabeth

[dathai]

A John Preston,Ballinter Co Meath.
Search John Preston item no 8 on list
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-archives/

[rathmore]

http://www.nli.ie/pdfs.mss%20lists/132_gormanstonpapers.pdf

Preston and Gormanston list on the peerage
http://www.thepeerage.com

[rathmore]

sorry

http://www.nli.ie/pdfs/mss%20lists/132_gormanstonpapers.pdf

[diane carey]

I checked out the peerage site. No help there. did find the names that my aunt pauline thought were ours and she just filled in the rest out of her imagination. None of my Preston line could read or write until my great grandfather, Gratton Hanley Preston. I will keep looking, but i don't hold out any hope that i will find anything out.

[Nick_Preston]

I traced my grandfather all the way back to him. I live in Alabama. I’d love to know more about John Jilson Preston. And if I have any relatives in Meath, Ireland.

[ChrisMcLain]

By the 18th century, the Preston surname was scattered all over Ireland although they were very early associated with Meath.  This may be your permanent brick wall, rarely is any research possible in Ireland pre-1800 unless it's within one of the few big cities whose churches kept good records.  However Nick, the fact that you are a direct male descendant, I would recommend a YDNA test from FamilyTreeDNA (they specialize in the Y-line genetics, its not one of those "ethnicity test" fads).  This will put you in touch with either close or far Preston connections as well as people related to your Preston line before Preston was even the surname.  It's definitely possible to narrow down a geographic area of origin this way.  If you take the test and need any help, dont hesitate to shoot me a message.