PRESTON, Benjamin (son of a hand loom weaver). b. Bradford 10 Aug. 1819; a wool sorter and comber; a publican at Bingley common May 1865; called the Burns of Bradford; author of The dialect poems of Benjamin Preston, Saltaire 1872 with a memoir and portrait; Dialect and other poems 1881. S. Baring Gould’s Yorkshire oddities i 267–79 (1874).
PRESTON, Charles James (4 son of Richard T. Preston of Liverpool). b. Rodney st. Liverpool 1818; educ. Downing coll. Camb., B.A. 1845, M.A. 1849; barrister L.I. 27 Jany. 1843; practised in Liverpool many years, also acting as deputy stipendiary magistrate; stipendiary magistrate for Birkenhead 18 May 1866, resigned 1893. d. 9 Southwick place, Hyde park, London 9 May 1896. Law Times 16 May 1896 p. 73.
PRESTON, Sir George (son of W. Preston, first comr. of court of appeals in Ireland). b. Gloucester st. Dublin 1800; sheriff of Dublin 1833; knighted by the marquess Wellesley in Dublin 1833; captain 4 Lancashire militia 1855–9. d. 37 Lower Gardiner st. Dublin May 1870.
PRESTON, James Blair. Assistant surgeon Madras army 1821, surgeon 27 Sept. 1833; inspector general of hospitals 14 Feb. 1854; surgeon general Madras 1 Jany. 1855, physician general 12 Feb. 1856 to death. d. near Southampton 28 June 1858.
PRESTON, Sir John (son of Alexander Preston of Dunyrewn, Loughgall, Belfast). b. 12 Jany. 1817; educ. Loughgall school; linen and yarn merchant 20 Callender st. Belfast as J. Preston and Co.; president of Belfast chamber of commerce; mayor of Belfast 1877 and 1878; knighted 8 Jany. 1878. d. Dunmore, Belfast 4 Aug. 1890.
PRESTON, Joseph M. b. 22 Aug. 1864; a professional cricketer; played in the Yorkshire eleven for several seasons; a member of the Shrewsbury team which visited Australia 1887–8; a good batsman and a fast bowler. d. Bradford 26 Nov. 1890.
PRESTON, Matthew Morris. b. 1781 or 1782; fellow of Trin. coll. Camb. to 1826, B.A. 1804, M.A. 1807; kept a school at Aspenden hall, Herts. 1813–25, where lord Macaulay, Henry Maiden and other eminent men were his pupils; V. of Cheshunt, Herts. 14 April 1826 to death: author of The benefit of scriptural instruction, illustrated in the case of two beloved sons 1837; Sermons addressed chiefly to young persons 1837, 2 ed. 1860; Memoranda of Charles Simeon 1840; Parochial lectures on the book of Josiah 1840; Cheshunt collection of psalms and hymns 1850; Sermons 1859. d. 18 April 1858. bur. in Cheshunt churchyard, the five-light east window in the church was erected to his memory.
PRESTON, Robert Berthon. b. Liverpool 25 June 1820; educ. Geneva; principal partner in firm of Fawcett, Preston & Co., mechanical engineers, Liverpool, made engines for many steamboats, sugar machinery, and rifled guns; M.I.C.E. 1855; member of Royal southern and Mersey yacht clubs; a patron of art; made a collection of modern and antique art; J. Gibson’s tinted Venus was executed expressly for him 1850–5. d. Gloucester 9 April 1860. Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. xx 157 (1861).
PRESTON, William Richard. b. 1 Oct. 1808; ensign 87 foot 24 Sept. 1829, lieut. 22 Feb. 1833; lieut. 22 foot 1834–9; captain 45 foot 5 Jany. 1841, lieut. col. 1 May 1861, retired on full pay 31 July 1867; L.G. 1 Oct. 1877; placed on retired list 1 Oct. 1878; honorary general 1 July 1881; colonel of the Queen’s Own (royal West Kent regiment) 28 Feb. 1888 to 5 Oct. 1890; colonel of the Royal Munster fusiliers 5 Oct. 1890 to death. d. 6 The Esplanade, Plymouth 6 April 1892.
PRESTWICH, Sir Joseph (son of Joseph Prestwich of London). b. Pensbury, Clapham, near London 12 March 1812; educ. in Paris and Univ. coll. London; wine merchant in city of London to 1872; F.G.S., Wollaston medallist 1849, president 1870–2; F.R.S. 2 June 1853, royal medallist 1865, vice-president 1870–1; served on the royal coal commission 1866, and on the royal commission on water supply 1867; Telford medallist of Instit. of C.E. 1874; name placed in Ch. Ch. Oxf. matriculation register 3 Nov. 1874; M.A. by decree 11 Nov. 1874; professor of geology at Oxford 29 June 1874 to death; presented with freedom and livery of the Turners’ company 4 April 1878; corresponding member of French academy of sciences 1885; honorary D.C.L. Oxford 1888; president of the Congrès géologique international, which held its fourth session in London Sept. 1888; knighted by patent 20 January 1896; author of The geology of the water-bearing strata around London 1851; The geology of Clapham and neighbourhood of London 1858; and of Geology, chemical, physical, and stratigraphical, 2 vols. Oxford 1886–8. d. Shoreham, Kent 23 June 1896. Times 24 June 1896 p. 7; G. C. Wallich’s Eminent men of the day (1870) portrait xiv; I.L.N. 11 Jany. 1896 p. 52 portrait.