Hi
I have researched the Tashinny COI Parish records for Preston a few years ago at the Representative Church Library in Dublin. I too was looking for the baptisms of children of a William Preston, specifically his daughter Jane who married Joseph Whitton. This latter couple are lineal ancestors of my late wife who was born in Ballymahon.
I have written up a document on the Prestons in Co Longford. Below are some extracts that relate to Tashinny and William in particular.
There were only a small number of Prestons in Longford and I am pretty convinced they descended from a single individual only a few generations before William.
I would be very grateful to get any data you have on the three Armstrongs who emigrated to Australia.
Regards
gerry
Jane Preston married Joseph Whitton on the 4th December 1849 at the Church of Ireland parish church of Shrule at Ballymahon. The witnesses were William Preston and William Armstrong. Jane, who signed with an x against her name was resident in Cartronboy, parish of Shrule, and recorded as the daughter of William Preston a farmer.
Forgney COI parish register records the burial of a William Preston in December 1847. He was aged 80 and was recorded as resident in Cartronawar townland, parish of Kilcommock. Cartronawar borders Clogh townland where a number of Prestons lived in the 19th century. Perhaps Cartronawar was an approximation and its possible William had relocated to Clogh to live with relations in his older age. William would have been born in 1767 and as such is the oldest recorded Preston of those appearing in the records outlined below. The witness named William Preston was possibly a brother or close cousin to Jane. He does not show up in any records subsequently.
Jane died in October 1900 aged 84 suggesting a birth year of 1816 (Ballymahon 1900/4/3/20).
Taghshinny CP
Barry Townland [DED: Ballymahon]
Barry is actually divided between Taghshinny and Kilcommock CPs. Taghshinny CP borders Forgney CP, both located in the south-east of the county next to Co Westmeath. Within Co Longford they both share a border with Shrule CP while Taghshinny and Shrule both share borders with Kilcommock CP.
William (as Willy) and Richard Preston were recorded in 1825 (TAB) in Barry townland.
The baptism register for Taghshinny COI parish reveals that William Preston and his wife Elizabeth (whose surname is never recorded) baptised the following children there:
Name Birth Date
John 11th Oct 1823
Thomas 8th Jan 1826
Margaret 30th Dec 1828
As stated above Jane was born in 1816 before the commencement of the extant parish registers so we cannot be totally certain that these were her siblings.
There were no Prestons recorded in Barry in 1854 (Griffith). Obviously William had died in 1847 and Richard may have been the same person who tenanted land in Clogh and perhaps lived in the latter townland. Its possible Jane was staying with relations in Cartronboy when she married Joseph Whitton.
Catherine Preston from Tashinny married Edward Austin from Kilcommock CP on 12th October 1826. The witnesses were Abraham Howard and Abraham Austin. The marriage took place in Taghshinny COI parish. There was an Austin tenancy in Barry townland in 1830 (TAB) as well as a tenancy in Cartronbrack [CP: Kilcommock] in the name of Abraham 1834 (TAB). The Cartronbrack tenancy was still in Abrahams name in 1854 (Griffith). It consisted of an 18 acre farm and house and farm buildings. In 1850 an Anne Austin married an Abraham Howard.
