Information below courtesy of Joyce Hetrick
We aren’t sure how much before 1647 that WILLIAM PRESLEY-1 came to Virginia, but it isn’t likely that it was many years. That he became a representative speaks well of his connections in the colony and in England previous to his move to Virginia. We estimate that his date of birth was probably before 1620, maybe as early as 1610. We know he was dead prior to 1660. We don’t know if the children of this man were born in the colony or if they were born in England.
Children of William Presley -1
William Presley-2, may have been born around 1640, died about 1685, was a justice of the county and a Burgess during the “Long Assembly” from 1662 until 1676, at the time of Bacon’s Rebellion. Issue were William Presley-3, who did not survive his father; and Peter Presley-3 listed as “heir of William Presley.” Peter Presley-3 was referred to as “Peter Presley, Jr.,” to distinguish him from his uncle, PETER PRESLEY-2, until after the death of PETER-2, at which point it was noted, “Peter Presley, now elder” since there was then another Peter Presley, younger than Peter-3. Peter-3, left no male descendants. In 1658, a heifer had been given to Peter-3, by Thomas Kedby and it was noted that Peter-3 was “now eldest son of William Presley.” So, William-3 must have already been dead by then. [Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Northumbria Collectanea, 1645-1720, A-L, page 558.]
PETER PRESLEY-2, was born before 1640, married about 1664, and died in 1693, but we have not found his will due to a fire in the courthouse in 1710. However, a codicil was noted on April 19, 1693, which survives. He named his nephew, Peter Presley, Jr.-3, as one of his executors. It was witnessed by “Mr. Daniel Neale and Mr. Thomas Hobson.” His wife was ELIZABETH THOMPSON, the daughter of RICHARD and URSULA [BISH?] THOMPSON. A deed, dated April 29, 1662, “from James Pope to Mr. William and Peter Presley” for 1,000 acres of land on Mr. Presley’s Creek, must refer to the two brothers, [William-2 & Peter-2} since their father was dead.
Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Northumbria Collectanea, 1645-1720, notes on page 505, that William Boles was a head right of “William Presley, January 21, 1660/1 [OS/NS].” Since WILLIAM-1 died prior to this date, this must, of necessity refer to William Presley-2.
Though Virginians, as a whole, tended toward loyalty to the king during the British Civil War, the PRESLEYS signed the Northumberland Oath in 1652 vowing loyalty to the “Commonwealth of England without a King or House of Lords.”
After the King was restored, William Presley-2 was a justice of the county and a Burgess during the “Long Assembly” from 1662 until 1676, at the time of Bacon’s Rebellion. After the Rebellion, he was again a representative until 1685, the year of his death. He is remembered for his quaint sayings during Bacon’s Rebellion. For more details of Bacon’s Rebellion, see the CARTER chapters of this volume. [Genealogies of Virginia Families, Vol. V, “Northumberland Counties and Some of its Families, Presley Family.”]
Governor Berkeley had continued the same Assembly for 14 years without allowing new elections. This was one of the grievances leading to the disturbance. Though he was ruling Virginia as his own personal kingdom, Berkeley eventually yielded to the public complaints and called a new Assembly.
Some of the Indians were preying on the settlers. Berkeley would not allow the colonists to retaliate against them. Exactly what his reasons were is unknown, but there is speculation among historians that he had a lucrative trade with the Indians and did not want it disrupted.
In June, 1676, someone moved to invite the governor to send two of the Council to sit with the committee on Indian affairs. Someone else objected to this and in reply one member said, “This is the usual method of procedure.” Mr. William Presley-2 arose and in a “blundering manner” said, “Tis true it had been customary, but if we have any bad customs amongst us, we are come here to mend them.” He thought the custom was a bad one since it amounted to having spies present in the committee.
After the Rebellion ended with Bacon’s death, Sir William Berkeley hung so many of Bacon’s followers that the Assembly in February, 1677, begged the governor to stop. Mr. Presley, after his return home, wrote to Thomas Matthew of Cherry Point, that he “believed the governor would have hanged half the country if we had let him alone.” Thomas Matthew, of Cherry Point, was well known in his time. Fitzhugh, one of the most prominent men of his time wrote to Thomas Matthew July 3, 1681, congratulating Matthew for the report of his “great and profitable progress in your linen manufacture, a good example for others.”
William Presley-2 died about 1685 and left a son named Peter Presley-3. His older son, William Presley-3, had predeceased him. Peter-3, the son of William-2, was called “Peter Presley, Jr.” to distinguish him from his uncle, “PETER, Sr.-2,” the brother of William-2, and the son of WILLIAM PRESLEY-1, the immigrant ancestor. [Genealogies of Virginia Families, Vol. V, Northumberland Counties and Some of its Families, Presley Family.]
It seems that William Presley-2, in remaining a member of the Assembly during the time of Bacon’s Rebellion, had at least remained neutral. Though he was still in the Assembly, he was apparently not totally in league with the governor against the rebels. The majority of the planters, even some of the richer ones, were allied with Bacon’s faction. However, in the introduction to “More News From Virginia, a Further Account of Bacon’s Rebellion,” the editor makes the point that the men returned to the Assembly with the new election were not the friends of the governor, and in fact voted that the captain who had captured and arrested Bacon should pay the “rebel” damages to the amount of 70 pounds sterling.