1820 NC Census


Dunnan Presley, Sr. Pension Record


Dunnan Presley, Mexican War Service Record


Dunnan Presley Confederate Service Record


Record of Marriage of a Dumis Presley to Martha Jane Wesson


NC Deeds


Will of Thomas Presley, Sr.


Marriage Records of Helms and Presley-Anson County, NC

NOTE: ANY PRESSLEY/PRESLEY FAMILY MEMBERS WISHING TO OFFER THEIR LINEAGE CHART FOR THIS PAGE, OR ALTER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US. WE WISH THIS TO BE A JOINT PRESLEY EFFORT. IF ANY PRESLEY FAMILY MEMBERS DO NOT WISH THEIR ANCESTORS TO BE INCLUDED ON THIS SITE, PLEASE LET US KNOW. ALL PRESLEY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SEND US PHOTOS OF YOUR CIVIL WAR ANCESTOR.

TO OUR VIEWERS: Please bear with us while the Presley family continues to examine the backtrackings of our earliest ancestor. Some Presley/Pressleys migrated to Scotland, Ireland, and then to America. Presley/Pressley DNA tests recently concluded that close ties of kinship remain quite closely matched through several lines.

Though theValentine Preslar line is not believed to have been in NC during the earliest stages of presence there, according to Presley research sources, the book, "The Rhineland to Graceland," draws upon that conclusion. However, the book has certain misinformation regarding Thomas Presley, in that he was never born in Cecil County, MD. There is only one record of a Thomas Preslar, son of Andreas Preslar, and that Thomas died in Cecil County as a youth.

Elvis' direct ancestor was Andrew Pressley, and according to Presley family historians, documentation has yet to be found on the Andrew from Aberdeenship, Lonmay, in Scotland as being Elvis' direct ancestor. The family has no record of Andrew Pressley's service in the American Revolution from SC, and is still awaiting such a document to confirm whether or not Lonmay is a worthy contender. The forebears of some of the Presley family lines have also been noted as David Pressley from Ireland and William Presley of England. The goal of the Presley family is to help unravel the mystery of the Presley origins.

Regarding the proprietress of The Kin of Rock and Roll's connection to Elvis' lineage, her direct ancestor, Thomas Presley's DNA appeared in his male descendants to be an identical match to the descendants of Andrew Presley of Buncombe/Anson County, NC. Andrew's line is the line from which Elvis Presley descended. Aside from being descended directly from the Presley line, The Kin of Rock and Roll's family descends down through many intermarriages between Presley and other inter-related lines, the contents of which will be posted here soon. Members of the family of Thomas Presley followed the family of Andrew down through SC, TN, and MISS.

Thomas Presley and his wife, Elizabeth Culpeper, had their first daughter, Susanna Presley, who married John Helms. Thomas is in line to Andrew, Sr. and John Pressley (Presley) of Anson County, NC. The same Pressley/Presley/Presler families had intermarried in NC with other family members of mine such as Helms and Winchester, in the counties of Anson, Rowan, Buncombe, Mecklenburg and Union, and then had made their move to other areas, from NC to SC, back to NC, and on to Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, etc... Thomas Presley's line had also migrated to SC, TN, and Miss.

Key figures in the Presley line that link to Elvis' are Andrew, John, and Richard Presley who are found in some areas in the same family as Dunnan Pressley (Presley). Presley family members are working together in an untiring effort to once and for all, complete the Presley family history. In other words, to find out "Who's our daddy???" There are four Presley lines which are not related according to DNA testing. There are numberous Presley cousins to date in the fold.
____________________________________________________________________

Thomas Pressley (Presley) Sr. was born in 1736 in NC. Thomas died before July 1808 in Anson County, North Carolina. Thomas had married twice. He married Elizabeth Culpepper before 1752. (He married Sarah Lee before 1772. Sarah Lee Presley is buried in Smith's Chapel Cemetery in Chester, South Carolina. She and Thomas Presley had four other children.)

Thomas Presley Sr. and Elizabeth Culpepper had the following children:

+1 i.Susanna Presley was born about 1754. (line of the Kin of Rock and Roll)

ii. Sarah Presley was born about 1756. (married George Helms, Jr., brother of John Helms.)

iii. Anna Presley was born about 1758. (info. to be added)

iv. Richard Presley was born 15 March 1760. (married Mary Helms, niece of John Helms)

v. Elizabeth Presley was born about 1760.

vi. Thomas Presley Jr. was born 25 February 1766. Also a blacksmith.

(Susanna Presley m. John Helms=son Joel, grandson Henderson, great- grandaughter Emily Jesse Helms who m. Samuel A. Winchester= son John E. Winchester, granddaughter Blanche L. Winchester, great-grandson William H. Rowe, gg-granddaughter Barbara Lee Rowe, gg-grandson, Gary William Rowe; ggg-granddaughters, Susan and Christina S.)


Elvis Presley Line

Andrew Pressley/Presley, III, is said to be the father of Dunnan Presley and Richard Presley, though it is also said that the father was John. We do have Dunnan listed by himself on the 1810 Buncombe County Census, and on the 1820 census record for Buncombe County, NC, along with Andrew. (see census record)

Dunnan Presley (son of Andrew Pressley III) was born 1780 in Lancaster County, South Carolina, and died date unknown. He married (1) Mary. He married (2) Catherine on Abt. 1808 in Lancaster County, South Carolina.

Children of Dunnan Presley and Catherine are:

+Dunnan Presley, Jr., b. July 01, 1827, Monroe County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.

Dunnan Presley Jr. was born on July 1, 1827 in Monroe County, Tennessee. On November 1, 1847 at the age of 20 he enlisted at Knoxville as a private in Captain Jno. C. Vaughn's Company C of the 5th Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers. His regiment served in the War with Mexico, and between February and April of 1848 he was in San Juan, Mexico, and in May 1848 he was at National Bridge, Mexico. By July 2, 1848 he was on board ship returning to the United States where he was discharged at Memphis on July 20th. On November 7th he was issued a warrant for 160 acres of land based on his army service. It was sent to him in care of Rufus Smith in Madisonville, Tennessee.

Dunnan returned home to his wife and eldest daughter whom he had left in Tennessee. He had married Elizabeth probably about 1845 in North Carolina or Tennessee and to this union were finally born five children: Elvira E. in 1846, Elizabeth in 1848, Joshua in 1851, Dunnan in 1852, and Nancy Jane in 1854.

Elizabeth died about 1860, and soon thereafter, leaving his children probably with relatives, Dunnan found himself in northeastern Mississippi. On August 15, 1861 he married a second time in Itawamba County, Mississippi, to Martha Jane Wesson. As in his first marriage, he soon went off to war again. On May 11, 1863 he enlisted at Grenada, Mississippi, in Company E, Hamm's Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry. Perhaps, like many other Civil War soldiers, he was concerned about his family back home and temporarily deserted in order to investigate their circumstances, because from January 18 to June 30, 1864 he was listed as deserted and absent without leave. He presumably returned to his unit after the latter date. Dunnan died March 10, 1900 in Mississippi, at 73 years of age.

Children of (Dumis) Presley, Jr. and Martha Jane Wesson are:

+Martha Rosella Presley, b. Feb. 1862, Fulton County, Miss. d. July 30, 1924, Pineville, Itawamba County, Mississippi. Martha "Rosella" Presley never married, according to records, and some family members speculate for different reasons. However, Rosella lived alone and was a sharecropper in Mississippi, raising her children, most of whom could not read or write.

Rosalinda Presley, b. 1865, d. date unknown.

Children of Martha Rosella Presley are:

1. Walter G. Presley b: DEC 1880 in Itawamba Co, MS
2. Joseph Warren Presley b: ABT 1886 in Itawamba Co, MS
3. Minnie E. Presley b: JUL 1889 in Itawamba Co, MS
4. Noah Edward Presley b: AUG 1890 in Itawamba Co, MS
5. Jessie D. McClowell Presley b: 9 APR 1897 in Itawamba Co, MS
6. Calhoun Presley b: MAY 1898 in Itawamba Co, MS
7. Child Presley b: BEF 1900 in Itawamba Co, MS
8. Mack Presley b: ABT 1901 in Itawamba Co, MS
9. Robbie Presley b: ABT 1903 in Itawamba Co, MS (female)

Jessie D. McClowell Presley was born April 09, 1896 in Itawamba County, Mississippi, and died date unknown. He married (1) Minnie Mae Hood on July 20, 1913. He married (2) Vera (Kinnaird) Leftwich.

More About Jessie D. McClowell Presley and *Minnie Mae Hood:
Divorce: August 03, 1954, Lee County, Mississippi.
Marriage: July 20, 1913

Children of Jessie D. McClowell Presley and Minnie Mae Hood are:

+Vernon Elvis Presley, b. April 10, 1916, Fulton, Itawamba County, Mississippi, d. June 26, 1979.
Vester Presley
Delta Mae
Nash Lorene (Nashville) Presley
Gladys Earline

Vernon Elvis Presley was born April 10, 1916 in Fulton, Itawamba County, Mississippi, and died June 26, 1979. He married (1) Gladys Love Smith on June 17, 1933 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. He married (2) Davada (Dee) Mae (Elliott) Stanley.

More About Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith:
Marriage: June 17, 1933, Pontotoc County, Mississippi.

Children of Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith are:

+Elvis Aaron Presley, b. January 08, 1935, Tupelo, Mississippi, d. August 16, 1977, Memphis, Tennessee.
Jessie Garon Presley, b. January 08, 1935, d. January 08, 1935.

Elvis Aron (Aaron) Presley was born January 08, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, and died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee. He married Priscilla Ann Beaulieu.

Children of Elvis Aaron Presley and Priscilla Ann Beaulieu are:

Lisa Marie Presley

Children of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough:

Daughter: Danielle Riley, born May 19, 1989

Son: Benjamin Storm, born Oct. 21, 1992

NOTE: SOME INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK HAS BEEN PROVEN INCORRECT such
as the information pertaining to my Thomas Presley and brother, Andrew. The Valentine Preslar family was not in Anson County as far as other Presley historians have been able to confirm. However, the book is the first published account by two Presley family members and their diligent efforts should be recognized here. Hopefully, they would consider a follow-up with the confirmed information we have since found.




Thanks, Kelly!