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Sir Harry Preston (1860 - 1936)
SPORTSMAN - HOTELIER - PHILANTHROPIST
"Men! Men fond of a fight--in the ring or in life; a quip and a crank; a glass of good wine; song; merry company! Men of high heart, high spirits and high courage...
...To them, to all those whom I am proud to grip by the hand and call 'friend,' I dedicate these recollections of nearly seventy years of life..."
~~ MEMORIES - Harry Preston - 1928 ~~
A friend of Princes
And the Prince of friends...
From humble beginnings as a schoolteacher and city clerk, to hotel magnate, philanthropist and sports entrepreneur, Sir Harry Preston became one of the most well-known personalities in the South of England. Giving up a possible future as a bantamweight boxer in his twenties, Harry instead pursued a career in the hotel trade where he developed a great aptitude for the business.
At his hotels he entertained people from the top end of every walk of life; the first aviators, early motorists, sports celebrities, politicians, inventors, millionaires, newspaper magnates, theatrical stars of the day, and royalty.
Harry's friendship with the royal princes, Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother George, Duke of York led to their patronage of Harry's boxing tournaments. It was through charitable events such as these and other philanthropic endeavours, which led to his knighthood in 1933.
Timeline
1882-87: London Pubs
From city clerk to publican; After around two years working as a shipping clerk in the city, mixing with the seafaring individuals of the London docks,…
Read more1884: Bantamweight Semifinals
Harry’s love and skill for boxing sees him through to the semifinals of the first-ever Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) Bantamweight (54kg) competition in 1884. Unfortunately, Harry…
Read more1885: First Marriage
Harry marries Ellen Boor (nee Lovelace), the daughter of a boot manufacturer, in London, on 17th December 1885. See Ellen Boor and Harry Preston’s Early Days…
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