Career
He commanded some troops in the in 1770 and was tried for murder, but he was acquitted. Historians have never settled whether he ordered his men to fire on the colonists. Thomas Preston was an officer of the 29th Regiment of Foot, part of the British garrison in Boston under the overall command of Thomas Gage.
He was present at the on 5 March 1770, when British troops fired on colonists of the city, after an aggressive mob had confronted the troops and thrown missiles at them.
Charges were brought against him and other soldiers, but he was acquitted in a trial held in Boston, Massachusetts. Future United States President John Adams was his attorney.
lieutenant is still unknown whether or not Preston gave the order to fire. Many historians believe that he did not.
Two of his men, Hugh Montgomery and Matthew Kilroy, were found guilty of manslaughter and branded on the thumb with a hot iron.
After his trial, Preston retired from the army. He reportedly settled in Ireland. Adams later recalled seeing him in London in the 1780s, when Adams was serving there as United States Minister to Britain.
In the 2008 American miniseries, John Adams, Preston was played by British actor Ritchie Coster.
