Jacob Alexander Preston (March 12, 1796 – August 2, 1868) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Early life

Jacob Alexander Preston was born on March 12, 1796, at the "Vineyard" in

Bel Air, Maryland The town of Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, Maryland. According to the 2020 United States census, the population of the town was 10,661. The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area in northeast ...

, to Sarah (née Bond) and Bernard Preston. His grandfather was Jacob Bond, a large land owner near Bel Air. He attended the common schools and graduated from the medical department of the

University of Maryland at Baltimore The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1807, it is the second oldest college in Maryland and comprises some of the oldest professional schools of dentistry, law, me ...

in 1816 with a

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

Career

Preston started his medical practice in

Perryman, Maryland Perryman is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,342 at the 2010 census. History St. George's Parish Vestry House was listed on the National Register of H ...

, but also practiced in Harford,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, and

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada * Cecil, Alberta ...

counties. He also engaged in agricultural pursuits, and served as lieutenant of a Maryland regiment in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. Preston was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1844, and resumed the practices of medicine and agriculture.

Personal life

Preston married Caroline Perryman, daughter of George Perryman. His children included Emily, John Fisher and J. Alexander. His grandson John F. Preston served as Army inspector general. His grand nephew was judge Walter W. Preston. Preston died on August 2, 1868, at his home in Perryman. He is interred in Old Spesutia Cemetery, St. George's Churchyard in Perryman.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Jacob Alexander 1796 births 1868 deaths People from Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore alumni Physicians from Maryland American militiamen in the War of 1812 American militia officers Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives