James (4) Livesey


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Brief biography

James (4) Livesey was born around the late 1830s in Manchester to parents Richard (1) Livesey and his wife Ellen Walmesley.

The 1841 Census finds him living with his parents and siblings in Vauxhall Gardens in the St. George district of Manchester.

The 1851 Census apparently finds him aged "11" with his widowed mother as visitors in the household of a presumed relative Matthew Walmesley in the Stonemason's Arms at The Pottery, Wigan.

He married Ann Dobie by Banns at Manchester Cathedral on December 12th 1857 [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 305, 1857 (Dec)]. The register describes him as a bachelor and brickmaker aged "21" residing at 2, Mount Street, Red Bank in Manchester, and her as a spinster aged "20" residing also in Red Bank. His father was a (former) brickmaker and hers, James Dobie, was a farmer. Both parties made a mark in place of a signature. The witnesses were Thomas Herbert and Ellen [surname unclear], whose connections are unknown. Red Bank is where James (4)'s brother John (3) was living in 1861.

Ann was probably several years older than James (4), despite claiming otherwise when they married. The 1851 Census probably finds her at age "17" living at Cumdivock in Cumberland in the household of a farmer Thomas Young where she was occupied as a house servant. Her birthplace is given there as Plumpton, Cumberland.

The 1861 Census finds them and their daughter Jane Eleanor (1) living at 9, Meridian Street in the Ardwick district of Manchester. James (4)'s age is given as "22" and his occupation as brickmaker. Here Ann is entered as older than him. Her age is given as "25" and her birthplace as "Plendin" (or "Plindin") in Cumberland, possibly the enumerator's misreading of Plumpton.

The family had moved to Salford by 1870, in which year Ann died aged "35" [Death Index: Salford 8d 74, 1870 (June)].

In early 1871 James (4) remarried to Sarah Ann Derbyshire [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 490, 1871 (March)]. They married at Manchester Cathedral on March 21st 1871. He is described in the register as a widower and brickmaker aged 31 residing at 1, Cass Street and she as a spinster aged 30 residing at 2, Small Street. His father Richard is described as a brickmaker and hers, Benjamin Derbyshire, as an engine driver. The witnesses were Giles Pierpoint and Alice (nee Derbyshire) Pierpoint who had married in 1860 [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 494, 1860 (June)]. The connection between Alice and Sarah Ann is not yet known, but they may have been cousins.

The 1871 Census finds James (4) living with Sarah Ann and his children Mary Ann (5) and Richard (4) at 1, Cass Street in Salford where he was occupied as a brickmaker. Sarah's age is given as "30". If that were correct then her birth reference might be [Birth Index: Chorlton 20 272, 1840 (Sept)]. In 1881 her daughter Elizabeth (1) was visiting a widow Elizabeth (nee Cheadle) Derbyshire who had married a brickmaker Archibald Derbyshire at Manchester Cathedral on September 11th 1837 [IGI: Batch M005469]. In 1851 this couple had with them a daughter Sarah aged "5" who was christened at Manchester Cathedral on September 12th 1847 [IGI: Batch C073542] and whose birth reference may be [Birth Index: Chorlton 20 214, 1847 (Sept)]. They also had with them a son Benjamin, the same name as given to Sarah Ann's second child by James (4). Archibald may have been Sarah Ann's uncle.

Sarah Ann died aged "40" in 1880 [Death Index: Salford 8d 3, 1880 (Sept)].

The 1881 Census finds James (4) as a widower aged "42" living with four children at 29, Seedley Grove, Pendleton in Salford. He was still occupied as a brickmaker. The schedule gives the birthplace of the first two children listed below as Bradford in Lancashire, this being a district of Manchester situated about one mile north-east of Ardwick.

In late 1881 he remarried in Scarborough, Yorkshire to a widow Lavinia (nee Barker) Armitage [Marriage Index: Scarbro' 9d 669, 1881 (Dec)].

Lavinia was born in Scarborough in 1854 to parents Robert Barker and his wife Eleanor ("Ellen") [Birth Index: Scarbro' 9d 260, 1854 (Sept)]. Some sources misspell her forename as "Lovenia". The 1861 Census finds her at age "6" living with her parents and siblings at the back of Union Street in Scarborough. The 1871 Census finds her at age "17" living with her parents and siblings at 23, Woodbine Street in Salford. Among her siblings was an older brother Francis Barker occupied as a bricklayer. In 1873 she married Francis Gray Armitage [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 653, 1873 (Dec)]. He died aged "30" in 1880 [Death Index: Salford 8d 75, 1880 (June). The 1881 Census finds Lavinia widowed at age "24" and living with her brother Francis (now a master bricksetter) at 80, West High Street in Salford.

The 1891 Census finds James (4) living with Lavinia and three of his children at 11, Derby Road in Pendleton where he was again occupied as a brickmaker.

The 1901 Census finds Lavinia aged "43" and her step-daughter Elizabeth (1) living at 4, Hazel Grove in Pendleton, together with Lavinia's nephew John C. Harvey. The latter's precise connection is unknown; he was born around 1886-87 in Lowestoft, Suffolk. James (4) - described as a brickmaker employer aged "63" - was meanwhile living or staying with his unmarried daughter Mary Ann (5) in Eccles.

James (4) appears to have died aged "68" in 1905 [Death Index: Salford 8d 35, 1905 (March)].

Lavinia probably died aged "82" in 1937 [Death Index: Salford 8d 306, 1937 (Jun)].

His children by Ann Dobie

  1. Jane Eleanor (1) Livesey - perhaps [Birth Index: Manchester 8d 218, 1860 (Dec)] or [Birth Index: Chorlton 8c 470, 1860 (Dec)]
  2. Mary Ann (5) Livesey - [Birth Index: Manchester 8d 324, 1864 (June)]
  3. Richard (4) Livesey - [Birth Index: Manchester 8d 313, 1866 (June)]
  4. and possibly others ...

Jane Eleanor (1)'s age in the 1861 Census is given clearly as "12 months" so placing her birth around April 1860, although the enumerator may have misread the entry. Her birth registration is uncertain but appears to have occurred much later in 1860. The first GRO reference offered above (Manchester RD) names the child simply as "Jane", whilst the second one (Chorlton RD) names the child as "Jane Eleanor". She was christened as "Jane Eleanor" at Manchester Cathedral on December 25th 1862 [IGI: Batch C073546]. She was not with her father in the 1871 Census and her location at that time is unknown, but she was living with him in both the 1881 and 1891 Censuses. She did not marry, and died aged "33" in 1894 [Death Index: Salford 8d 80, 1894 (June)].

Mary Ann (5) was with her father in the 1871 and 1881 Censuses. The 1891 Census probably finds her at age "26" living in the household of Arthur Thomas Brereton, a clerk in Holy Orders, at 1, Crescent Road in Dukinfield, Cheshire where she was occupied as a domestic servant. Her birthplace is given as Ardwick where she had been living in her early childhood. The 1901 Census finds her still unmarried at age "35" living at 44, Trevelyan Street in Eccles where she was described as a property owner. Also present was her father. She married on November 14th 1906 at St. James' Church in Hope, Pendleton to Charles Spencer Dawson [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 35, 1906 (Dec)]. The register describes her as a spinster aged "35" residing at 2, Osborne Road; Charles is described as a bachelor aged "32" occupied as an agent and residing at 6, Rock Street in Higher Broughton.

Richard (4) died aged "5" in 1871 [Death Index: Salford 8d 78, 1871 (Dec)].

His children by Sarah Ann Derbyshire

  1. Elizabeth (1) Livesey - probably [Birth Index: Salford 8d 147, 1873 (Dec)]
  2. Benjamin Pierpoint (1) Livesey - [Birth Index: Salford 8d 141, 1875 (Sept)]
  3. James (5) Livesey - [Birth Index: Salford 8d 45, 1877 (Dec)]
  4. and possibly others ...

The birth reference for Elizabeth (1) may be, less probably, [Birth Index: Salford 8d 68, 1872 (Dec)]. The 1881 Census finds her at age "7" as a visitor at 2, Small Street, Salford in the household of a widow Elizabeth Derbyshire whose connection is not yet known. The 1891 Census finds her at age "17" living with her father and occupied as an apprentice in dressmaking. The 1901 Census finds her at age "25" living with her step-mother and occupied as a mantle worker.

In 1891 Benjamin Pierpoint (1) was occupied as a cabinet maker. He married in 1898 to Florence E. Royle [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 190, 1898 (Sept)]. The 1901 Census finds them living at 17, St. Luke's Road in Pendleton where he - aged "26" - was occupied as a brickyard foreman.

James (5) appears to have died aged "8" in 1885 [Death Index: Salford 8d 12, 1885 (Dec)].

His children by Lavinia Barker

  1. probably none ...