INMEMORIUM
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
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 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.
Annual Meeting
INMEMORIUM