Richard Preston, ( – 16 July 1861), was a religious leader and abolitionist. He escaped slavery in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

to become an important leader for the African Nova Scotian community and in the international struggle against

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. He established the

Cornwallis Street Baptist Church New Horizons Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was established by Black Refugees in 1832. When the chapel was completed, black citizens of Halifax were reported to be proud because it was evidence that former slaves ...

, the African Abolition Society and the African Baptist Association.

Personal life

Little is known of Richard Preston's early life. He is believed to have been born into slavery in

but managed to gain an education and save enough to buy his freedom in 1816. He went to Nova Scotia in search of his mother, who had escaped slavery in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

as one of the 2000

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

who escaped to the British after the Cochrane Proclamation and settled in Nova Scotia where they became known as the War of 1812 Refugees. Discovering his mother, who he had not seen for many years, free and alive in

Preston, Nova Scotia Preston is an area in central Nova Scotia, Canada in the Halifax Regional Municipality, located on Trunk 7. Preston includes the subdivisions of East Preston, North Preston, Lake Major, Cherrybrook and Loon Lake. The definition sometimes ext ...

, he was so moved that he took the name of her community. Preston was described as being "light-skinned" and "6'1" in height. He never married. He was known as a gifted orator and for his sense of humour.

Ministry

Preston was mentored by Baptist minister John Burton. Preston became one of the most important church and community leaders in Nova Scotia. He assisted in setting up 11

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

churches across the province. Preston was trained as a minister in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and met many of the leading voices in the

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

movement that helped to get the

Slavery Abolition Act The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. IV c. 73) was an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire. It was passed by Charles Grey, 2n ...

passed by the British Parliament in 1833. When Preston returned to Nova Scotia, he became the president of the Abolitionist movement in Halifax. His efforts to establish a school for Black students led to the refurbishing of the Church of England school for the black students that was established in 1785.

Legacy

Preston founded churches across Nova Scotia. He was designated a person of National Historic Significance by

Parks Canada Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...

in 2005 for his religious leadership, community building and contributions to the struggle against slavery. East Preston and North Preston, Nova Scotia, are often believed to be named in his honour, although in fact it was these communities that inspired his name.

References

External links

''Rev. Richard Preston''

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''

Richard Preston's legacy in Nova Scotia
CBC Radio (audio), March 17, 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Richard 1861 deaths 19th-century Canadian Baptist ministers African-American abolitionists African-American Baptist ministers American freedmen Baptist abolitionists Black Nova Scotians Canadian abolitionists Canadian activists Colony of Nova Scotia people Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Year of birth unknown 1790s births

Personal life

Ministry

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading

External links