Biographical Notes and Lineage for
Winchester/Presley/Keziah/Rowe Family Winchester Line

Following are several lines of the Winchester connections to various other families. More information on the Winchester lines will continue to be added as researched and submitted.

Winchester/Hastings

CASIAH/KEZIAH/PRESLEY/WINCHESTER/ROWE
Elvis’ 5th ggrandfather, John Presley, was married to a Casiah. That would make Elvis Presley directly descended from the Tuscarora bloodline, and from one of the tribal heads, Chief Nicholas Cashie/Casiah. A “Chief Cashie” was documented as one of 7 chiefs who signed the Treaty of 1831, giving away most of the Indian lands in Bertie County, NC. Chief Casiah and members of the Deer Clan, along with others of the Bear Clan, stayed behind to protect what was left of their native lands, while some of the Casiah people left for New York where there is record of a Chief William Casiah at the Tuscarora Reservation near Niagara. There is record of a William Casiah in 1830 in NC.
By as early as 1771, pre-Revolutionary War, the brothers, Thomas and Andrew, Jr., along with Andrew Presley, Sr. had been documented in Kershaw County, SC, and the brothers Thomas, Andrew, Jr. and John as well in Anson, Buncombe, Rutherford, Rowan Counties in NC. Interestingly, the Preslar/Presley name has had a history of being misspelled, sometimes as much as three different spellings to one document. We have seen Presler/ Presley/ Pressley / Preslie/ Prestly/Priestley on various deeds and census records.
We have Andrew Presley, Jr. in Buncombe County, NC, in 1790, and also in Buncombe County is Sandifer Casiah and his family. Ten years later we have Andrew Prestley in Lancaster County, SC, formed of part of Kershaw County with neighbor, Dunnan Coshilaw, which is proven to be the misspelling of Dunning Casiah, according to the Casiah family records. We have on the 1800 census of Kershaw County, Anthony, Charles, and John Presley, these same Presleys mentioned along with Andrew on the 1810 Buncombe County, NC census. Charles Presley was married to Polly Keziah, the daughter of Dunning Casiah. There is an existing marriage record for Charles Priestley and Mary “Polly” Keziah in Rowan County, NC, in 1783, under which are the comments: “son of Andrew Presley, a blacksmith, from Cecile County, MD.”) John Presley, brother of Charles and son of Andrew, Jr. was to become the father of Dunnan John Presley. It is quite apparent that the name “Dunnan” was actually to be “Dunning,” that the child would have been named for Dunning Casiah, his grandfather. A Tuscarora trait is to name a son for the mother’s father, his grandfather. Dunnan John Presley was born in Lancaster County, SC, in 1780. With “Dunning” Presley having been named for Dunning Casiah, presumeably his mother’s father, we can ultimately be confident in the
fact that John Presley, like his brother, Charles, had married a Casiah/Keziah. John has been documented as “married to ? Casiah…”
Dunning Casiah and his brother, Sandifer, served in the NC militia along with William
Winchester and his father, Thomas, under Captain Polk. It was William Winchester who would marry Sarah Keziah, a sister of Dunning and Sandifer.
So how do we know that these NC Casiahs were Tuscarora? The following documentation was found in colonial abstracts on Sandifer Casiah:

SANDIFER CASIAH, a Tuscarora Indian Scout Rev. War born 1737 Bertie Co, NC d 1829 poss McMinn Co, TN. SANDIFER enumerated in Buncombe Co, NC.
Nine children given:
1. JOHN CASIAH, b. 1755 NO FURTHER INFORMATION this submitter.
2. Federic Casiah 1755-17760
3. Nancy b abt 1762,
4. Nicholas b abt 1764,
5. William b 1767 Mecklenburg Co, NC,
6. Richard b abt 1770,
7. Lodwick b 1773 Mecklenburg Co, NC,
8.+James b abt 1779 Pulaski Co, KY d Pike Co, AR,
9.+Samuel b 1785 Rutherford Co, NC d 1838 Clay Co, IN
It seems that the behavioral pattern for the Presley men during the pre-Revolutionary War, Rev. War, and post-Rev. War period was the continuous movement between NC and SC, and even TN. Andrew left NC for SC, as did his sons, and Thomas Presley’s family moved to Chester County, directly adjacent to Kershaw County. The brothers seem to have stayed nearby but always one county apart. When Thomas and John were in Anson County, NC, Andrew, Jr. was in Buncombe and then Rowan. John Presley, son of Andrew, Jr. stated in his Revolutionary War pension that he did move between N. Car. And TN to be with family, from whom, it is told, he was largely estranged after a time.
By July of 1808, Thomas Presley is gone and his widow and some of his married children have relocated permanently to Chester County, SC. Dunnan Presley, Sr. is married in 1808 to his 2nd wife, Catherine in Lancaster, S.C. After 1810, we have Dunnan Presley, Sr., listed alone in Buncombe County, NC. In 1820, he is shown with Andrew, Anthony, John, David, and Rachel. Dunnan Presley, Sr. does not stay in either NC or SC as in 1827, his son, Dunnan, Jr. is born in Monroe County, TN. In the 1850 Polk County, TN, census, DUNING PRESLEY is living beside a brother, John.
Following is the Casiah genealogy of this branch showing the cousin connections of the

aforementioned families excluding the “once removed” connections:

Chief Nicholas Casiah (Keziah)*
b. ca. 1710, Bertie County, NC
d. Bertie County, NC

m. ?
*Tuscarora Southern Band, Bertie County, NC
NOTES: Children: Seven in all including Sarah, Sandifer, Dunning, John, and Buxton. Sons named after prominent NC families in the area. Children born between1730 and 1750.

Sarah Keziah	(siblings)	Dunning Casiah (Keziah)
b. 1735, Bertie County, NC	b. possibly VA
d.	d.
m. William Douglas Winchester before 1750	m. ?
b. 1730, Aberdeenship, Scotland	b.
d. 1789, Pickens County, SC
Douglas Winchester	(1st cousins)	Mary “Polly” Keziah
b. 1750, Winchester, VA	b. NC
d. 1793, Mecklenburg Cnty., NC	d. 1844, Bledsoe County, TN
at Old Frank Krauss Homeplace	m. Charles Presley, 1783, Rowan
m. Sarah Matthews, ca. 1772	County, NC s/o Andrew Presley, Jr. b. 10 July 1759, Mecklenburg Cnty., NC	b. 1746 Rowan County, NC
d. 17 April 1839, Union County, NC	d. 1835, Bledsoe County, TN
Thomas D. Winchester (2nd cousins)	Dunning Presley, Sr.
b. 10 Jan. 1774, Union County, NC	(nephew of Charles Presley)
d. 22 April 1864 b. 1 June 1780, Lancaster Cnty. SC
m. Rachel Finney, 8 Aug. 1800, NC d. 1 June 1860, MS
b. ? d. ? m. Catherine 1808, NC
William D. Winchester	(3rd cousins)	Dunning Presley, Jr.
b. 7 April 1801, Union County, NC	b. 1827, Monroe County, TN
d. 30 Aug. 1882, Union County, NC	d. 10 March 1900, Barry Cnty, MI
m. Polly Wolfe, “on Thirsday,” 5 Feb. 1821	m. Martha Jane Wesson
Union County, NC	d. 1868, Itawamba Cnty, MS
b. ca. 1806 d. ca 1850
Samuel A. Winchester	(4th cousins)	Rosella Elizabeth Presley
b. May, 1823, Union County, NC	b. Feb, 1862, Fulton County, MS
d. 1881, Union County, NC	d. 30 July 1924, Pineville, MS
m. Emily J. Helms, 25 July 1854,
Dougherty County, GA
b. Dec. 8, 1834, Union County, NC
d. 17 August 1912, Union County, NC
John E. Winchester	(5th cousins)	Jesse D. Presley

b. 1868, Barbour County, AL	b. 9 April 1896, Fulton, MS
d. March 13, 1924, Tampa, FL	d. 19 April 1973
m. Laura Eva Wentz, 1890, NC	m. Minnie Mae Hood, 20 July 1913
b. 14 May 1874, Union Count, NC	b. 17 June 1888, Itawamba, MS
d. 22 Aug. 1941, Mecklenburg County, NC	d. 8 May 1980, Memphis, TN
d/o Josiah Wentz and Sarah Helms
Blanche Lorene Winchester	(6th cousins)	Vernon Elvis Presley
b. 24 Feb. 1901, NC	b. 8 January 1916, Clay County, MS
d. 15 June 1968, Gaston County, NC	d. 16 August 1979, Memphis, TN
m. Charles W. Rowe* ca. 1927	m. Gladys Love Smith, 17 June 1933
b. 26 Oct. 1877	Pontotoc County, MS
d. 1 May 1937, Texarkana, Tx	b. 25 April 1912, Pontotoc Cnty.,
MS d. 14 August 1958,
Memphis, TN
William Rowe	(7th cousins)	Elvis Aron Presley (Jesse Garon)

b. Sept. 28, 1931, Augusta, GA	b. 8 January 1935, E. Tupelo, MS
d. 23 Dec. 1992, Babylon, NY	d. 16 August 1977, Memphis, TN
m. Annette C. (last name withheld) m. Priscilla Beaulieu, 1 May 1967

m. 31 Oct. 1954 b. Brooklyn, NY
East Rockaway, NY
b. March 1, 1933, Brooklyn, NY
d. January 24, 1972, L.I., NY
NOTES: *Charles and Polly Presley had seven children. Charles served in the American Revolutionary War and both husband and wife filed for pensions. Charles received his pension in 1832, almost 90 years old. After his death, Polly Priestley attempted to file again.
* Denotes kinship of the founder of The Kin of Rock and Roll to Elvis Presley. Others included in these same lines may send in their information which will be added to this lineage.
Following is the John Presley connection to the same line:

Dunning Keziah	Dunning Casiah (Keziah)
b. 1735, Bertie County, NC	b. Bertie County, NC
d.	d.
m. William Douglas Winchester before 1750	m.
b. 1730, Aberdeenship, Scotland	b.
d. 1789, Pickens County, SC
Douglas Winchester	(1st cousin)	Mary “Polly” Keziah
b. 1750, Winchester, VA	b.
d. 1793, Mecklenburg Cnty., NC	d. 1844, Bledsoe County, TN
at Old Frank Krauss Homeplace	m. Charles Presley 1783, Kershaw
m. Sarah Matthews, ca. 1772	County, SC (s/o Andrew Presley, Jr.)
b. 10 July 1759, Mecklenberg Cnty., NC	b. ca. 1746, Anson County, NC
d. 17 April 1839, Union County, NC	d. 1835, Bledsoe County, TN
William Winchester	(1st cousin	John Presley
b. 10 Jan. 1774, Mecklenberg, NC	1x removed b. 1785, Kershaw County, SC
d. 22 April 1864, Union County, NC	to Polly, 2nd)	d. Bledsoe County, TN
m. Rachel Finney, 8 August 1800	cousin to John
b. ca. 1789 d. ca. 1849 (2nd wife)
William D. Winchester	(1st cousin 2x removed to Polly Keziah Presley,
b. , Union County, NC	2nd cousin 1x removed to John Presley
d. 1881, Union County, NC
m. Polly Wolfe, “on Thirsday,” July, 1820, Union County, NC
b. NC
Samuel A. Winchester	(1st cousin 3x removed to Polly Keziah Presley,
b. 1823, Union County, NC	2nd cousin 2x removed to John Presley
d. 1881, Union County, NC
m. Emily J. Helms, 24 July 1854, Dougherty County, GA
b. Dec. 8, 1835, Union County, NC
d. 17 August 1912, Union County, NC
John E. Winchester (1st cousin 4x removed to Polly Keziah Presley,

b. 1868, Barbour County, AL 2nd cousin 3x removed to John Presley.)
d. March 13, 1924, Tampa, FL
m. Laura Eva Wentz, 1890, NC
b. 14 May 1874, Union Count, NC
d. 22 Aug. 1941, Mecklenburg County, NC
d/o Josiah Wentz and Sarah Helms
Blanche Lorene Winchester	(1st cousin 5x removed to Polly Keziah Presley,
b. 24 Feb. 1901, NC	2nd cousin 4x removed to John Presley
d. 15 June 1968, Gaston County, NC
m. Charles W. Rowe* ca. 1927
b. 26 Oct. 1877
d. 1 May 1937, Texarkana, Tx
William Rowe*	(1st cousin 6x removed to Polly Keziah Presley,

b. Sept. 28, 1931, Augusta, GA	2nd cousin 5x removed to John Presley
d. 23 Dec. 1992, West Babylon, NY
m. Annette (last name withheld)
b. March 1, 1933, Brooklyn, NY
d. January 24, 1972
SANDIFER CASIAH, a Tuscarora Indian Scout Rev. War born 1737 Bertie Co, NC d 1829 poss McMinn Co, TN.
SANDIFER enumerated in Buncombe Co, NC.
Nine children given:
1. JOHN CASIAH, b. 1755 NO FURTHER INFORMATION this submitter.
2. Federic Casiah 1755-17760
3. Nancy b abt 1762,
4. Nicholas b abt 1764,
5. William b 1767 Mecklenburg Co, NC,
6. Richard b abt 1770,
7. Lodwick b 1773 Mecklenburg Co, NC,
8.+James b abt 1779 Pulaski Co, KY d Pike Co, AR,
9.+Samuel b 1785 Rutherford Co, NC d 1838 Clay Co, IN