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| NOTABLE LIVESAY/EY S |
| JOSEPH LIVESEY OF PRESTON b. 1794 Walton-le-Dale Lancashire. d. 1884. m. Jane Williams of Liverpool. 1815 |
| WALTON-LE-DALE Birth place |
| PHOTO BY BILL LIVSEY |
| Center for Diffusion of Learning, Univ. of Central Lancashire. |
| UNIV. OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE HARRIS BUILDING 1897 |
| UNIV. OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE LIVESEY HOUSE |
| PRESTON MUSEUM DISPLAY OF SOME OF JOSEPH LIVESEY ITEMS |
| THE COCKPIT, PRESTON TEMPERANCE MEETING PLACE |
| LIVESEY FAMILY AT HOME IN BIBLE STUDY |
| FAMILY GRAVE OF JOSEPH LIVESEY |
| PRESTON CEMETERY GRAVE MARKER |
| Joseph Livesey was born in Walton-le-Dale. His father was a cotton merchant and in manufacturing business. The parents were stricken with “consumption” probably Tuberculosis, the scourge of the land. They died young and left Joseph an orphan at age 7 to be cared for by extended family. Joseph learned to weave and worked as a weaver in his grandparent’s home. He taught himself to read while at the hand loom. He married and moved to Preston where he discovered that he could buy and sell cheese and provide a better living for his family. His cheese shop was located on the square of Preston center. It later became an antique and curio shop until lost to Urban Renewal construction c. 2002. Joseph noted that the loom and factory workers lost most of their wages at the pub on the way home. The resulting social tragedy troubled him. He and Jane started teaching the willing in their home, encouraging the man to bring the pay home and budget the household income and the wage earner [the man] could take a portion to the pub, conserving the rest for the family needs. They taught reading and arithmetic. Soon the teaching and social gathering was moved to a rental place which was an abandoned cock-fighting arena. This place became the meeting spot to teach reading and math, and encourage temperance in alcohol use. The popularity grew. To provide something to read, Joseph began to edit and publish a newspaper which was sold to the community at large. The paper was a promotion of radical social reform and was a success. His business grew and he became more prominent in local civic and political affairs. He recruited others and soon an “Institute for the Diffusion of Learning” was founded and a building built which became the founding core of the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. This prominent university serves an international community. A modern building of the university is named “Livesey House” in his honor. He is listed on the plaque honoring founding fathers of the university located in the entrance of the university. A “Joseph Livesey” library is a reserved section for research of history and social issues of his times. A small museum of Livesey items is housed there. The museum in Preston also has a section containing Joseph Livesey items. He was involved in projects of community banking reform, voting reform and improved living conditions. Only “landed gentry” could vote. Joseph bought a tract of land and subdivided it and sold lots to workers. This made them eligible to vote to the consternation of the established order. Attempts to restrict the land requirements to exclude the small land owner were attempted. He is most remembered for starting the Temperance Movement” to control alcohol abuse. This international movement has an essential role in our society to control personal abuse. A monument honoring the “Temperance Movement” was erected by friends in the Preston cemetery near his grave site. His radical reform ideas are now the state norms of social structure in developed societies. We can be proud and very grateful for the life of Joseph Livesey and his gifts to us. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE FAMILY, PLEASE OPEN THE JOSEPH LIVESEY FAMILY HISTORY lINK nt 7/2006 |
| MONUMENT TO ORIGIN OF ABSTINENCE MOVEMENT ERECTED BY MEMBERS OF THE MOVEMENT. IT IS LOCATED NEAR THE LIVESEY GRAVESITE. |
| INSCRIPTION ON THE MONUMENT [JOSEPH LIVESEY NAME IS NOT ON THE MONUMENT.] THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE MOVEMENT JOSEPH STARTED |
| USEFUL LINKS |
| Cheese shop site in Preston center |
| EDWARD CRUBB, LAST SURVIVER OF FOUNDING GROUP OF TEETOTAL MOVEMENT. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ARE BURIED NEAR THE MONUMENT. |
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