Edward Preston

Edward Preston (1831–1890) was a lawyer and judge originally from England who served in the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Edward Preston was born 17 February 1831 in London, England. In 1852 he sailed to Melbourne, Australia, and then practised law in Christchurch, New Zealand in the firm Wynn Williams & Co.

He married in 1852, and came to the Hawaiian Islands with his wife in 1870. He became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii on 1 April 1871, and was admitted to the bar 5 April 1871. He worked in the offices of Richard H. Stanley in 1875. He was awarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani with rank of grand officer.

He was appointed Attorney General on 3 July 1878 by King Kalākaua, and served until 14 August 1880. He replaced Alfred S. Hartwell. In the 1878, 1880, and 1882 sessions he was in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the House of Nobles. Working as a clerk for the judge in the legislature was John Mahiʻai Kāneakua who would sign the memorial from the Hawaiian Patriotic league to restore the monarchy in 1893.

He was appointed again on 19 May 1882, in the cabinet headed by controversial Walter M. Gibson. Gibson was widely known to be funded by sugar trader Claus Spreckles, who also had many personal loans to Kalākaua. The cabinet approved giving Spreckles a large tract of land on Maui to settle his claim on the crown lands, and an expensive coronation ceremony for Kalākaua. Gibson became acting attorney general even though he had no law training, on 14 May 1883.

...
Wikipedia