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Tagged With: Alfred John Liversedge

Great grandpa and The Great Stink

In 1884 my great grandfather, Alfred John Liversedge, left Victor Coates and Co in Belfast and moved to Messrs Watson, Laidlow and Co in Glasgow who made centrifugal drying and separating machinery.  Whilst working for them he visited London in 1885 as their representative at The International Inventions Exhibition.  In August I wrote a piece … Continue reading »

Categories: Legacies, Men of God, and of Commerce | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

The Paradise comes to Barnsley

Although to me my great grandfather, Alfred John Liversedge, is the epitome of the Victorian engineer his career could easily have taken another turn.  His first recorded employment was as a draper’s assistant and this would have been more in-line with the family tradition.  When he was growing up his father, John Arthur Liversedge, was … Continue reading »

Categories: Men of God, and of Commerce | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Great-grandpa in Belfast.

In May 1879 my great grandfather, Alfred John Liversedge, left both his job at Messers Hopkinson and Co and his home of Huddersfield to work in Belfast.  In October that year he returned to marry Charlotte Fanny Cook and in December 1880 their first child John Arthur was born, followed in July 1882 by my … Continue reading »

Categories: Journeys, Men of God, and of Commerce | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Great-grandpa’s Huddersfield poem

My great-grandparents families, the Liversedges and Cooks were firmly rooted in the West Riding of Yorkshire, specifically Huddersfield.  Alfred John was born in Huddersfield and although the family moved for a while to Halifax they soon returned.  Charlotte Fanny was born in Fitzwilliam Street Huddersfield and her family lived there for many years although she … Continue reading »

Categories: How we write, Journeys, Men of God, and of Commerce | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

Great-grandpa and the cloak thief

At the moment my researches are focussing on my great-grandfather’s early life and trying to work out how the son of a tailor, whose first job was as a shop assistant in Huddersfield, made the leap to consulting engineer with an office off The Strand. I know he attended Huddersfield Mechanic’s Institute, I suspect evening … Continue reading »

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Great-grandpa and the centrifugal separator

It’s easy to forget that the Great Exhibition of 1851 was the first one of series of world’s fairs held in London under the patronage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  The International Inventions Exhibition held in 1885 was one of these, indeed Prince Albert was president of the organising committee. The Exhibition was held … Continue reading »

Categories: How we write, Men of God, and of Commerce | Tags: , , , | 21 Comments

Great Grandpa and the Education of Women

Or rather the education of his daughters in particular.  This account is based on what I remember of their stories and my mother’s memories. I have two books, elegantly bound in leather embossed in gold, that were presented to my great-aunt Ethel Liversedge as school prizes.  The first for English presented to her in 1898, … Continue reading »

Categories: Strong Women | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

Great-grandpa and the Institution of Civil Engineers

Earlier in June my professional body, the Institution of Civil Engineers, announced that its membership records dating back to 1820 and up to 1930 had been launched on the Ancestry website. As well as featuring the most famous civil engineers of the pas,t such as Brunel and, Rennie, the records include my great grandfather, Alfred … Continue reading »

Categories: 19th Century, How we write | Tags: , | 3 Comments

What makes you Scottish?

With the date for the referendum on Scottish independence now set for 14th September 2014 I thought I would explore my family’s own links with Scotland My great-aunts believed they were Scottish; their favourite family story was that we were descended from Robert the Bruce and for a time I believed that.  A favourite story … Continue reading »

Categories: How we write, Strong Women | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Great Grandpa’s Airship – A Famous Supporter

Unlike his photographs very few of my great grandfather’s (Alfred John Liversedge) papers have survived.  The one letter I have about the airship has done so because its writer would have impressed my great-aunts. In November 1915 H Rider Haggard wrote to thank their father for a letter and pamphlet he had sent him.  He writes … Continue reading »

Categories: How we write, Journeys | Tags: , , | 1 Comment