Hamilton Smith Preston

Born 6 May 1839 at Roxbury, Delaware County, New York

Died 26 May 1893 at Stamford, Delaware County, New York

Hamilton was the third of four children born to Ezekiel Preston and Cornelia Laraway Smith Preston. He was raised at Roxbury where his father was the owner and operator of a farm. He was educated in the district school, Roxbury Academy, and then Charlottesville Seminary at Charlottesville, New York. Hamilton enlisted for Civil War service in 1862. He mustered in as a sergeant with Company H of the 144^th Infantry, New York Volunteers. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1864 and was discharged, with his company, from service at Hilton Head, South Carolina in 1865. Hamilton married to Mary E. Barner on 14 November 1866. He was elected Sheriff of Delaware County and relocated his family to Delhi, New York in 1867. About 1871, they relocated to Stamford, a village in the town of Harpersfield, where he built a beautiful home that he named “Westholm”. He was a hardware merchant at this place in 1875 and retired about 1880. Hamilton was also an elected Supervisor of the Town of Harpersfield and a member of the Board of Trustees of Stamford Seminary. Hamilton and Mary were the parents of four children; Margaret L. Preston, Cornelia Laraway Preston, Maude S. Preston, and Hattie Preston. Hamilton was buried at Stamford Cemetery at Stamford. His wife was buried next to him upon her death in 1904. Hamilton was my second cousin four times removed.