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Note: Came from North Carolina to TN about 1829-1830 -- see 1860 census below
Settled near Camden in Benton County
Children James, Jarrett, Moab and Harrison were local preachers in theMethodist Episcopal Church.
Spelling can also be Preston
Probably changed in 1700's
A previous relative William, one of 4 brothers came from Ireland beforethe Revolutionary War.
One was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary war and was the greatgrandfather of Riley Alexander Presson.
1860 TN Census shows:
wife: Anna 53
Children:
Sara 27
Mirana 21
Thomas 20
William 16
Liddy 13
Samuel 10
From "Historic Benton, A Peoples History of Benton County, TN" byJonathan Kennon Thompson Smith 1975
"Several miles northwest of Camden, in civil district 6, the tribe ofPressons settled-in at an early date, a people proud of the York County,Virginia and Anson Count, North Carolina origins, from the latter ofwhich most of them had come in the (eighteen) Thirties."
"Allen Columbus Presson (29 November, 1806 - 15 January, 1896) was oneof the first teachers in the county; sheriff, 1842-44; county surveyor,1848-52, 1860-65; county court clerk, 1865-68; a Unionist during theCivil War."
"James Freeman Presson was also a locally prominent figure, as relatedin his obituary published in the 'Camden Chronicle' issue of March 8,1895.
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Note: Samuel Presson (Son of William Sr, grandson of John, great-grandson ofRobert, great-great-grandsonon of Nicholas) was born in North Carolinain 1803 and died in Benton County, Tennessee on 23 January 1886. He wasmarried in Anson County, North Carolina by 1825 to Ann Presson, hisfirst cousin, and it is said that they eloped - she leaving home by thetraditional window of her father's house. Ann Presson was the daughterof Samuel Presson, Sr., and his wife Sarah Morton. She was born about1807 in Anson County, and she died between 1880 and 1886 in BentonCounty, Tennessee.
In 1832 Samuel joined the Presson migration to Tennessee and wasone of the pioneer residents of Benton County. He was a member of thefirst grand jury empaneled there on 11 April 1836. His brothers Johnand Mathew Presson wer also on the jury, and the court met in a onestory log house which had one door and big cracks for windows.Throughout his long life he was a useful citizen of the county which hehelped to found.
Samuel Presson was listed on the first tax list of Benton County asa resident of the 6th District paying his poll tax of 37 and ½ cents andhis state tax of 12 and ½ cents. He continued to live in the 6thDistrict where he held 163 and ½ acres of land wheich he had receivedfrom the state of Tennessee in 1852 under the occupant laws. His landwas in Range 7 Section 4 and cornered the entry of A. C. Presson. Theland had been surveyed in 1848 by his cousin Allen C. Presson, and thechain bearers were Jarrett Presson (his son) and Jonathan J. Rushing.
The court minute books of Benton County are filled with referencesto the Pressons, of course, because they were active members of thecommunity in which they lived. Samuel is found there working the roads,serving the juries, and buying at the sales made to settle estates.Regarding the last, Samuel Presson was a frequent purchaser, and almostalways he bought tools. For example, in 1846 he paid $3.62 and ½ for aborad ax. This was at a time when a spinning wheel could be bought for62 and ½ cents. In 1850 he bought an adz for $1.00. Ten years later hepaid $2.50 for a hand saw and 40 cents for and auger. So marked is hisbuying of tools that one is led to think that perhaps he had more than ausual interest in working with his hands, and inevitably we rememberSamuel's grandfather John Presson, the joiner, who almost a hundredyears before had learned to use adz and auger in his cousin's SussexCounty, Virginia workshop.
But this was Tennessee in the mid-nineteenth century, and SamuelPresson's life was that of a farmer of that era. In addition to hiswork "on the place" he stood his turn at keeping the roads in passablecondition. His usual stint was from Lewis Cross's to "the 13 miletree," and frequently he was named overseer. At the November court in1846 Samuel with his brothers Thomas and Mathew, among others, wereappointed as a jury "to view and mark a road leading from the town ofCamden to Travis's Bridge on the Sandy River and to report at the nextterm of court the advantages and disadvantages to the public andindividuals." Two years later Samuel and Mathew again served this typeof duty concerning a road from the stage road to Traver's mill on theSandy at Mattison Wiseman's.
These few examples are enough to remind us that a man's life duringthe time Samuel Presson lived was strongly interwoven with that of thecommunity in which he resided. This was reflected in the spiritualaffairs of the people, as well. Samuel Presson's life was full in thatrespect, for he was a steward in the Methodist church and saw three ofhis sons become ministers in that denomination.
There was seed-time and harvest-time and the years passed until by1880 Samuel Presson and his wife Ann had been married at least 55 years.Then sometime within the next five years, death separated the, for Annpassed away before her husband did. They were said to have been theparents of 12 children; we have definitely identified eight of theirsons and daughters who are listed below - the other four attributed tothem were Riley A., George W., Calvin and Lorenzo all of whom had diedby 1888.
Although some of his children moved westward, Samuel Pressonremained in Benton County where he died on 23 January 1886. Hisnuncupative will reads; "on the 6th day of October 1885, Samuel Presson,deceased, in his last sickness, at N. W. Presson's, his son's,habitation, where he had gone to be waited on and cared for during hisnatural life, in Benton County, Tennessee, declared in the presence ofus, the undersigned, whom he especially requested to bear witnessthereto, that his will was as follow, that all his debts be paid, andalso his burial expenses, and then after paying his son N. W. Pressonfor waiting on him and caring for him in his sickness a reasonable pay,that the balance of his means be equally divided between his heirs, andthat his said son N. W. Presson be Executor to carry out his will. Thesaid Samuel Presson died at said N. W. Presson's on the 23rd day ofJanuary, 1886. Witnessed and signed by us the 1st day of July 1886.Signed: J. F. Presson, S. T. Presson, and W. P. McGill." The will wasproduced in court by the three witnesses, and letters testamentary weregranted to Needham W. Presson "on this first day of July 1886 and 110years of American Independence.
At the sale of Samuel Presson's personal property the followingitems were disposed of: a saddle at 75 cents; a trunk at 25 cents; abox of sundries at 25 cents; one lot of tobacco at 10 cents; a chair for25 cents; three bed quilts at 40 cents; one box at 10 cents; and one bedand clothes for $17. The various settlements show that on 21 January1889, the estate had assets of $114.64 apart from real estate.
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