Doug, I never met Aunt Mattie, my father knew her when he was a child. he also got information from his grandfather, Gratton H Preston. They both said that the family came from Ireland. County Meath. The story handed down was that John Preston born about 1743 came from Ireland in the late 1700's to Virginia. He and his son Gilson came to Kentucky to sell land that Gilson owned. Gratton remembered his grandfather, Lewis as speaking with a heavy Irish accent. Lewis was the son of Gilson. Our John Preston is NOT the John Preston who married Elizabeth Patton. That John Preston is an earlier one. Our John married a woman possibly named Elizabeth Harkness, but cannot confirm this.Please email me at my gmail address---dcpuffin@gmail.com