Bits and Breadcrumbs: Rev. Michael Merrill^8 Preston (Michael^7, Maj. William^6, William^5, William^4 Presson, William^3 Presbury, John^2, perhaps John^1)

While searching for Canadian records about the family of Michael^7 Preston, I discovered a naturalization index record and U.S. passport application for the son, Rev. Michael M. Preston.

Rev. Michael M. Preston, application no. 1?48 [?1048] dated 16 May 1851 at Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass.; Passport Applications, 1795-1925; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1372. Reports he is age is 30 years, he is 5 feet 8 inches tall, has a high forehead, blue eyes, a straight nose, medium mouth, round chin, light brown hair, light complexion and oval face. States Michael was born at ?Broome, Lower Canada [indexed in the related database as Broone, Lower, Canada]; he is a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Michael M. Preston, card P623 (penned at upper left), naturalized 16 May 1851 at U.S. District Court, Boston, Mass. (cites certificate vol 4, page 287); Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1299, roll 102<, [CD]>. Reports his address as Hingham, Mass; "Country of birth or Allegiance" is Great Britain, born 5 April 1821.

Although we hope there remains much to be learned about Rev. Michael M. Preston, these bits are nice additions to the prior evidence located.  First, the naturalization index card provides us a document supporting the otherwise unsourced IGI entry for Michael M. Preston. That IGI entry reported his birth 5 April 1821 at Canada. It's also interesting that Michael applied for his passport on the same day he was naturalized.

Finally, it's noteworthy that these two 1851 records become the last (as in latest) personal records I have about Michael M. Preston in my current research.

Breadcrumbs:
(1) Isadore Preston, born 26 Sept 1844 is a named party in seven (7) WorldConnect entries at Rootsweb.com (and in six User-Submitted trees at OneWorldTree [Anestry.com]). From these  WorldConnect entries, it appears Isadore married 1 Jan 1862 to Edward Burgess Slafter, born Killingly, Connecticut, 5 April 1841, son of Brayton and Patience (Millard) Slafter ; two of the trees reported Isadore to be the daughter of Michael Merrill Preston. All of the entries reported Edward Burgess and Isadore (Preston) Slater were the parents of a daughter, Alice Maria Slafter, born 20 Aug 1863, generally citing Rev. Edmund F. Slafter, A. M., _Memorial of John Slafter_ (1869), pp. 111, 129.

(2) Images of above source were located at Ancestry.com; entry from p. 129, "Edward-Burgess [Slafter] ... b. April 5, 1841; m. Isadore, dau. of the Rev. Michael Merrill Preston of Killingly, Ct., Jan 1, 1862. She was born Sept. 26, 1844." Reports issue as Alice Maria, b. Aug 20, 1863. Entry includes notation "Providence, R.I."

(3) Searching the surname spelling "Slater," other references were located, including a variety of family trees reporting Edward B. Slater married more than once; also had wife Jennie D. See Elaine Tenis, "Adams," Ancestry Public Trees, entry for Edward Burgess Slater, b. 5 April 1841 at Rhode Island, d. 28 Oct 1902 at Rhode Island, citing as to the latter,  Ancestry database, "Rhode Island Deaths, 1630-1930. I viewed the latter entry, which confirms the date of death; also reports Brayton Slater as "kin 1" and Matin M. Slater as "kin 2."


(4) 1900 U.S. census, Providence City, Rhode Island, population schedule, Providence City, page 34 (stamped), enumeration district (ED) 42, sheet 1A (penned), dwelling 4, family 8, Edward B. Slater household, 1 June 1900; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed  31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1507<; [CD]>. Edward B. Slater, ae 59, b. April 1841, married 6 years; born, RI/RI/RI; is a gas inspector; wife is Jennie D., ae 39, b. April 1861, married 6 years, no children, b. Mass/Mass/RI.

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Michael Merrill Preston (Rev.) was born at Canada 05 April 1821, the son of Michael Preston and Mary Merrill.[1] Rev. Michael M. Preston married at Willingly, Windham Co., Conn., on 09 Oct 1843 to Eliza M. Law, [2] b. c1821 at Conn.[3]

There were two children born to Rev. Micheal and Eliza M. (Law) Preston, as follows:
1. Isedora Elizabeth Preston, born at Wrentham, Norfolk Co., Mass. on 06 Sept 1844 [4]
2. Mary M. Preston, born at Connecticut about 1850. [5]

[1] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), "International Genealogical Index," database, _FamilySearch.org_ (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed, 20 Oct 2008), North America Region; entry for Michael Merrill Preston, born 05 April 1821, location unknown, bap. 14 Feb 1823 at Shefford, Shefford Co., Quebec, s/o Michael Preston and Mary Merrill, submitted by unidentified LDS church member, n.d., batch 8010021<, [CD]>.

[2] "Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records," online vital record transcriptions, _Windham County Connecticut GenWeb_ (http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/barbour/barbourkillinglynop.htm : accessed 20 October 2008), Killingly Vital Records, citing vol 2, pg 20, entry for marriage of Michael Preston and Liza M. Law; entry reads, "[Preston], Michael M., Rev., m. Eliza M. Law, b. of East Killingly, Oct 9 1843, by Rev. R. W. William, of Norwick<, [CD]>.

[3] 1860 U.S. census, Windham County, Connecticut, population schedule, Killingly, page 561 (stamped on facing page), sheet 84 (penned), dwelling 650, family 675, Eliza M. Preston household, 30 June 1860; digital image, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed  20 October 2008), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 92<; [CD]>.

[4] "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841 - 1910," vol. 11, pg 130 (Wrentham Births), Isedora Elizabeth Preston, born 1844 Sept 6 at Wrentham, Massachusetts, to Michael M. and Eliza M. Preston, the father, Michael M. Preston is a clergyman; digital images, New England Historic and Genealogical Society, _NewEnglandAncestors_ (http://www.newenglandancestors.org : accessed 20 Oct 2008), cites original records held by the Massachusetts Archives, Boston<; [CD]>.

[5]  1860 U.S. census, Windham County, Connecticut, population schedule, Killingly, page 561 (stamped on facing page), sheet 84 (penned), dwelling 650, family 675, Eliza M. Preston household, 30 June 1860; digital image, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed  20 October 2008), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 92<; [CD]>.

Buyer beware! Wake-up Microsoft!

Office 2011 (Mac) is out. There are two suites, "Home and Business" and "Home and Student." ("Home and Business" has "Outlook.") Microsoft offers each suite in a single license-single user pack and in multi-license packs. 

Buyer beware! If you only need one license, you can buy it, but not at the Microsoft store online. The Microsoft website offers only multi-license (more $$) packages.

Wake-up, Microsoft. You nixxed "upgrade" pricing, so make the more affordable packages available at your online store also.

DearMyrtle's, "Blogging for Beginners"

I'm attending DearMyrtle's, "Blogging for Beginners" webinar, so this is where the blog begins.

"Blogging for Beginners," was hosted by Geoff Rasmussen, Legacy Family Tree.

The webinar is great. We've learned how to set up a blog, how to pool our blog subscriptions and how to upload images to a blog. Myrt has even talked to us about what to blog about.

She's also shown us the blogger resources available at Geneabloggers. We are now in the live Q & A section of the program.

This was a great one-hour webinar. As you can see, it worked for me! --GJ