Edward Preston
Encyclopedia
Edward Preston was a lawyer and judge originally from England
who served in the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
, 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.
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.
On 7 July 1885 Preston was appointed to the supreme court of the kingdom under chief justice Albert Francis Judd
.
One incident that led to the downfall of Gibson was a Chinese planter T. Aki who said he had made a "gift" to Kalākaua expecting to receive a license for opium
trading. When the license was given to someone else who paid more, Aki wanted to get his money back. This scandal and the other debts of Kalākaua resulted in the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
which took away much of the king's power, and a trustee to pay off debts. Preston ruled that Aki had a valid claim, and he should be paid back with the other creditors.
Preston served on the supreme court until he died 17 January 1890.
His funeral was at the St. Andrews Cathedral
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who served in the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
.
Life
Edward Preston was born 17 February 1831 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1852 he sailed to Melbourne, Australia, and then practised law in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand in the firm Wynn Williams & Co
Wynn Williams & Co
Wynn Williams Lawyers, previously Wynn Williams & Co is a law firm in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the last 50 years it has produced three High Court Judges and one Supreme Court Judge, Andrew Tipping, a remarkable contribution from a small number of partners.Founded by Harry Bell Johnstone in...
. He married in 1852, and came to the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
with his wife in 1870. He became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
on 1 April 1871, and was admitted to the bar 5 April 1871. He worked in the offices of Richard H. Stanley
Richard H. Stanley
Richard Henry Stanley was an American lawyer who served as politician and cabinet member of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Stanley was born circa 1823.On February 4, 1861 he became a citizen of the Kingdom of Hawaii....
in 1875. He was awarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani
Royal Order of Kapiolani
The Royal Order of Kapiolani was instituted on August 30, 1880 by King Kalākaua to recognize services in the cause of humanity, for merit in Science and the Arts, or for special services rendered to the Kingdom of Hawaii...
with rank of grand officer.
He was appointed Attorney General
Attorney General of Hawaii
The Attorney General of Hawaii is the chief legal and law enforcement officer of Hawaii. In present-day statehood within the United States, he or she is appointed by the elected governor with the approval of the state senate and is responsible for a state department charged with advising the...
on 3 July 1878 by King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
, and served until 14 August 1880.
He replaced Alfred S. Hartwell
Alfred S. Hartwell
Alfred Stedman Hartwell was a lawyer and American Civil War soldier, who then had another career as cabinet minister and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Alfred Stedman Hartwell was born June 11, 1836 in South Natick, Massachusetts...
.
In the 1878, 1880, and 1882 sessions he was in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
in the House of Nobles.
He was appointed again on 19 May 1882, in the cabinet headed by controversial Walter M. Gibson
Walter M. Gibson
Walter Murray Gibson was an American adventurer and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution.-Life:...
. 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
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
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.
On 7 July 1885 Preston was appointed to the supreme court of the kingdom under chief justice Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court through its transition into part of the United States.-Life:...
.
One incident that led to the downfall of Gibson was a Chinese planter T. Aki who said he had made a "gift" to Kalākaua expecting to receive a license for opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trading. When the license was given to someone else who paid more, Aki wanted to get his money back. This scandal and the other debts of Kalākaua resulted in the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a legal document by anti-monarchists to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, initiating a transfer of power to American, European and native Hawaiian elites...
which took away much of the king's power, and a trustee to pay off debts. Preston ruled that Aki had a valid claim, and he should be paid back with the other creditors.
Preston served on the supreme court until he died 17 January 1890.
His funeral was at the St. Andrews Cathedral
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, also commonly known as St. Andrew's Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States located in the State of Hawaii...
.