Preston under Scar is in the parish of Wensley, 1½ miles from the village of Wensley and 3 miles from Leyburn. The
Wensley parish registers begin in 1538 but there are no entries for individuals
named BURNETT, or any of the common variants, before the baptism of Thomas, son
of Thomas BURNETT in 1656. Another child, daughter Jane, was born in 1658
before Thomas' wife Jane died in 1661. Thomas married again, his second wife
being named Margaret, and had at least three more children, including a son
named John who married and continued this line of the BURNETT family.
Thomas BURNET was listed with one hearth at Preston
in hearth tax returns for Michaelmas 1673.