This is an information message about John Preble son of Gen. Jedidiah Preble.It is known that John Preble married Sarah Frost the daughter of Abigail Dunham and Capt. John Frost. John Preble, at one time, ran a trading post for Capt. Frost at Pleasant Point. Sarah and John had a daughter Lucy Preble who married John Mahar, and in regards to hard evidence, is believed to be the only child of John Preble.A rumor exists that John Preble was previously married to a Passamaquoddy Native girl who he married in a Catholic ceremony. Assuming this happened, I don't see anything objectionable in this. It seems possibly John Preble broke some Puritan convention by marrying a native or marrying in a catholic ceremony. John and this unknown native girl were suppose to have a child, John Preble of Machias who married Sarah Collins, lived all his life in Machias, practicing the Carpenter trade. There is no evidence that this is so but I think it probably true. Of course, one must consider the other possiblities, which are just as plausible, but have no more proof than the story above.
George Henry Preble talked about this rumor in his book "The First Three Generations of Preble in America" and re-iterated just what I said above, namely, no proof. In 1929 one George Preble Jone (think that is correct) wrote a short book "The descendants of John Preble of Machias". In that book Mr. Jones discussed John Preble , making inuendoes and suppositions that had no evidence and could only be the product of his fertile imagination. He talked of Reuben Preble , born about 1777 in Portland, and somehow blamed him on John Preble as well.Mr.Jones presented no proof and his suppositions irritated me immensley for that reason. I could present other theories just as plausible but that would be character assasination.
As I said, I do think that John Preble of Machias is the son of John Preble. I don't have proof but other works, such as "Military Operations in Maine and Nova Scotia During the Revolution" by Frederick Kidder and the personal Log of Capt. William Owen shed some light on the situation but don't prove anything. I refer to the following information I obtained from Capt. William Owen:
1) The French Catholic Missionary , at the time in question, to the Passamaquoddies was Monsignor Baille and he would have been the Priest that married them
2) In 1770, the time in question, John Preble had a native house maid whose brother stole something off him and John Preble wanted him prosecuted. Capt Owen settled it amicably. Nothing proved, but interesting
3) The catholic Records at Pleasant Point were damaged, or destroyed, in a fire around 1929. The remaining records are at Ellsworth, Maine if the record still exists
It is possible that record exists. George Henry Preble wrote to Machias, Me, looking for a marriage but they wouldn't have it since they had no native records or any records in that time frame.
I am descendant from Lucy Preble and John Mahar my grandparents 4 times removed.