He attended Bloxham School near Sleaford, Lincolnshire before entering Lincoln Theological College in 1885, where he trained to become a minister in the Church of England.

[1] In 1887 he was ordained as a deacon, and in the same year was appointed to the position of Assistant Stipendiary Curate at St Peter's church in the centre of Barnsley.

The church had originally been set up as a mission to tend to the people of the poverty-stricken area, but was licensed as a parish in its own right in 1887.

He initially joined a rugby football club, but resigned in protest at the team's decision to play a match on Good Friday.

[4] Preedy acted as principal fundraiser and organiser of the club, dubbed Barnsley St Peter's F.C., and even played in its first match.

[10][11] Preedy spent four years at St. Clement's before being appointed to run a nearby mission in what was then an extremely deprived area of the city.

At the time of his appointment the mission operated out of converted cowsheds and the house with which Preedy was provided had no furniture.

[16] In 1926 Preedy was appointed a prebendary at St Pauls Cathedral, in recognition of his work in Islington.

[21] Each summer, lifelong supporters Neil Richardson and Gaz Lovett, travel down and conduct routine cleaning and maintenance on the grave.