Good catch Charlotte - that is why I put the disclaimer on the will abstracts since the will abstracts at Ancestry.com have messed up in the past by including a Benjamin Coates in a will when he was not in the original (it was suggested they may have misread bequeath). If the will is Samuel Preston Jr. then I think when he refers to Sisters in Law Mary & Margaret Coates and Ruth Webb it may actually read (or intend) Mary Langdale/Coates as sister in law and her daughter Margaret Coates who was mentioned in the will of Samuel Coates as receiving items from grandparents Samuel & Margaret Preston. An online search of various family trees which include Samuel Preston do not seem to list a Samuel Preston Jr. but did include (again I can't guarantee the accuracy of the data but hope that the Preston researchers did their homework).... from "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Volumes I-III Carpenter and Preston Family-- Samuel Preston succeeded Samuel Carpenter as Provincial Treasurer in 1714, and held that office until his death, September 10, 1743." and "The Provincial Councilors of Pennsylvania 1733-1776 -- Preston became Provincial Treasurer in 1714 , and held the office until his death, almost thirty year s. He was also one of the Trustees under William Penn 's will. He died September 10, 1743 . He m., 1st, at the house of Francis Cornwall in Sussex , July 6, 1688 Rachel , dau. of Thomas Lloyd , President of the Council. He m., 2nd, Margaret , wi dow of Josiah Langdale . She was a Quaker preacher from Yorkshire, England , and came to Pennsylvania on a religious mission in 1723 , her first husband dying on the voyage. She was ancestress of Josiah Langdale Coates , and d. 6, 23, 1742 , in t he 58th year of her age" If the information offered on the family trees is correct then Margaret Burton/Langdale/Preston died a year before her husband Samuel Preston so she would not have been listed on the 1743 will (if it is Samuel Sr's will). But without reading a copy of the actual document is all boils down to guess work. If someone is interested they could try tracing the other people listed in the 1743 will to see how they interrelate to the Preston family which should help clear up which Samuel it was. Charlotte Coats wrote: > This Samuel Preston seems to be a brother in law to Mary and Margaret > Coates?? and doesn't name his wife?? > > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: Susan McIntyre <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [COATES-L] Sam Coats - 1748 - PA > Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:30:17 -0500 > > I have researched the Coates family in PA and although this is not my > group the point that you made about Samuel's will was intriguing so I > took a few minutes to look into it.... > > on Ancestry.com.... > in Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. 2 > 1724, 5, 9 Langdale, Margaret, wd. Phila., PA., m. Samuel Preston, > Phila., PA., MH > 1734, 4, 13. Langdale, Mary, Phila., Pa., m. Samuel Coates, Phila., > Pa., at Phila. Mtg. > Coates, Samuel (s Thomas & Beulah, b. 6-7-1711) m. Mary Langdale (dt. > Josiah & Margaret, b. 3-26-1713) > > can't guarantee accuracy of these will abstracts - > Samuel Preston. City of Philadelphia. September 5, 1743. September 22, > 1743. G.68. Brother: Thomas Berry. Children: Carpenter, Margaret > Moore. Grandchildren: Mordecai Moore, Preston Carpenter, Margaret > Moore. Son-in-law: Samuel Preston Moore. John Langdale. > Sisters-in-law: Mary and Margaret Coates, Ruth Webb, widow of Richard > Rhoades. Samuel Pemberton and William Orr. Exec: Saml. Preston Moore > and Preston Carpenter. Trustees: Israel Pemberton, John Kinsey and > Cadwalader Fooks. > > Langdale, Josiah. Late of Bridlington Key, Yorkshire. 2/14/1723. > Joseph Bond, Hannah Carpenter relict of Samuel Carpenter, deceased, > mentioned. Will signed on board the ship London Hope laying at anchor > in the Downes near Deale in Great Britain, where he died. Proved at > Philadelphia. Executrix: Wife Margaret, daughter of William and Isabel > Burton, yeoman, late of Yorkshire, deceased. John Annis, Sr. Commander > of the Ship London Hope. > > > So it would appear that Mary Langdale w/o Samuel Coates is the > daughter of Josiah & Margaret (nee Burton) Langdale. Josiah Langdale > died in 1723 and in 1724 his widow Margaret remarried to Samuel Preston. >