Bohemia Village Voice

Elizabeth Preston – a ‘douce’ and well-loved lady – remembered by Bill Third

Elizabeth Preston

With great regret we report the passing away on May 5th 2010 of Elizabeth Preston, née White, much loved wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law of Edward, Kathleen, Samuel and Reg and dearly beloved sister of Thomas.

Elizabeth, who lived for more than 36 years in Bohemia, was well known for her good works and was a valued school governor of Christchurch Church of England primary school for 12 years until 1995. A kindly, understanding person she was recognised as having the ‘wisdom of words’ a spiritual gift which helped people in many difficult situations. Elizabeth was a ‘douce’ or gentle lady as they would say in her native Scotland, despite being a descendant of Rob Roy MacGregor the legendary highland hero.

So what brought her to St Leonards? In her native Kilmarnock, Elizabeth worked as a young woman in communications at Prestwick airport, where she came into teleprinter contact with an RAF national serviceman in London called Edward Preston. This led to pen friendship, several exchange visits in 1959-60 and marriage in 1961. The couple set up home in Edward’s native Chiswick where he worked in local government for many years, and where Elizabeth gave birth to daughter Kathleen in 1966. The family moved to St.Leonards in 1973, when Edward gave up his work in local government. This gave him more time to concentrate on his abiding interest in history, Charles Dickens, and his work as a lay preacher.

On April 6th 1974 Elizabeth opened the ‘Oliver Twist Tearooms’ on Bohemia Road and ran it for seven years. As with so many things in their lives, this was a joint effort with Edward helping out in many ways. Elizabeth supported Edward in his work as secretary of the International Dickens Fellowship, his work as a local historian and his preaching at the Independent Church in Albany Road.

Elizabeth and Edward were a very close and loving couple. She was a devoted mother to Kathleen and grandmother to Samuel and will be sorely missed by her husband, family and many friends throughout the community, of which she was so very much a part.

[Bill Third]