Sir Henry Preston, 3rd Baronet

Preston was born at Beeston Hall, Beeston St Lawrence in Norfolk, the son of Sir Jacob Henry Preston, 2nd Baronet, and Amelia Prescott.[1][2]

He married Mary Hope Clutterbuck on 16 December 1885; they had five children:[1][2]

• Sir Jacob Preston, 4th Baronet (1887–1918), who succeeded him to the baronetcy.
• Sir Edward Hulton Preston, 5th Baronet (1888–1963), who succeeded his elder brother to the baronetcy.
• Thomas Frederick (1889–1917), who gained the rank of lieutenant in the Norfolk Yeomanry and joined the Royal Flying Corps.[3] He was killed in Belgium during the First World War.[4]
• Netty Louisa (born 1892), died an infant.
• Hope Amy Constance (1894–1956)

Preston was educated at Eton College from 1865 to 1871,[1] where he was a member of the school rowing VIII in 1870[5] and 1871,[6] and of the cricket XI in 1871.[6]

In November 1870, he and fellow Etonian Thomas Carter,[7] were amongst six new recruits to the England football XI which played the second pseudo-international against a Scotland XI. The match was played at the Kennington Oval and ended in a 1–0 victory for the English, with fellow debutante R.S.F. Walker scoring the only goal twelve minutes from the end of the match.[8][9]

After leaving Eton in 1871, he went up to University College, Oxford from where graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1876.[1]

He was a member of The Prince of Wales's Own Norfolk Artillery reaching the rank of sub-lieutenant in August 1876[10] and being promoted to full lieutenant two years later.[11]

He also held the office of Justice of the Peace.[2] He succeeded to the title of "3rd Baronet Preston, of Beeston St. Lawrence, Norfolk" on 19 October 1891 on the death of his father.[2] The family lived at Beeston Hall where Henry was recorded as resident in the 1861,[12] 1871[13] and 1881 censuses;[14] in the two earlier censuses he was described as a "scholar"[12][13] and in 1881 as "Magistrate & Lieut. Militia".[14] The family also owned the nearby Barton Hall at Barton Turf.[15]

He died of scarlet fever and blood poisoning[16] at Northrepps near Cromer, Norfolk on 9 January 1897, aged 45.[1] There is a memorial plaque to Sir Henry and his father inside the Church of St. Lawrence at Beeston St Lawrence[17] which also contains memorials to many other members of the Preston family.[18]

• Leigh Rayment baronetage