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Joseph (1) Livesey (J1L) was born in Salford in 1846 to parents George (1) Livesey and his wife Bridget Grimes. He was born on April 1st 1846 and was christened on July 5th at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Livesey Street in Manchester, the record naming Susan McAlister as his Godmother [St. Patrick Baptisms Register: Folio 143 (1846), Lancs. County Record Office at Preston]. There appears to be no reference to his birth in the GRO Birth Index.
The 1851 Census finds him at age "5" living with his parents at 11, Quay Street in Salford.
The 1861 Census finds him at age "15" living with his parents at 11, Spaw Street in Salford this street was a little further west from Quay Street, and parallel to it.
He first married Alice Cartwright. Their marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Warrington 8c 180, 1867 (June)] states that they married at St. Paul's Parish Church in Warrington, Lancashire on June 2nd 1867. It spells J1L's surname as "Livsey" throughout. He is described as a bachelor aged 21, occupied as a carter, whose father was also a carter. Alice is described as a spinster aged 19 whose father John Cartwright was a weaver. Their place of residence is cited simply as Stamford Street - most likely they were staying with Alice's parents. The witnesses were Richard Baxter and Mary Barnes whose connections are unknown.
Alice was born in 1848 in Warrington [Birth Index: Warrington 20 87, 1848 (Sept)] and was christened there on October 29th 1848 [IGI: Batch C013528]. The latter source names her father as John and her mother as Hannah.
In 1868, when their first child Samuel George (1) was born, they were living at 14, Johnson Street in Salford. At that time J1L was working as a coal carter.
In 1870, when their next child John William (1) was christened, they were living at 19, Wood Street in Salford. J1L was now working as a "carder", an occupation typically associated with cotton mills.
The 1871 Census finds the family living at 3, Robinson's Court in Salford; this court was behind 19, Wood Street. J1L is described as a labourer plasterer aged 24. Alice's age is given as 22 and her birthplace as Warrington.
It appears that they subsequently moved to Warrington, where two of their children were born in the mid-1870s.
Alice died in Warrington on June 25th 1877. The death certificate [Death Index: Warrington 8c 126, 1877 (June)] states that she died aged "26" at 5, Stamford Street, and mis-spells her surname as "Livsey". She was actually 28. The cause of death was certified as "Phthisis", that is, pulmonary tuberculosis. The informant was J1L, described as a general labourer of the same address and present at the death.
The 1881 Census finds J1L as a widower living, with three of his children, at 22, Wood Street, Salford in the household of his parents. He was then occupied as a hawker.
Later in 1881 J1L remarried to Emma Stubbs. Their marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 181, 1881 (Dec)] states that they married at the Sacred Trinity Church in Salford on December 18th 1881. He is described as a widower and greengrocer "of full age", and she as a spinster of no occupation and also "of full age". However, since she was born on August 6th 1862 she was actually only 19 when she married. Their place of residence is given as 21, Quay Street in Salford. His father George (1) is described as a brickmaker and hers, "Frank" [Francis] Stubbs, as a baker. The witnesses were Samuel Walker and Elizabeth Walker whose connections are unknown. They may have been the couple whom the 1881 Census finds living at 11, Cook Street in Salford, and they may have married in 1877 [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 101, 1877 (Sept)], the bride's name being Elizabeth Jones Robinson.
Emma was born in Salford [Birth Index: Salford 8d 64, 1862 (Sept)]. Her parents Francis Stubbs and Hannah (nee Beech) had moved there from Nottingham around the late 1850s. After Francis died in 1867 [Death Index: Salford 8d 32, 1867 (March)] Hannah remarried to William Gaffin [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 72, 1868 (Dec)]. The 1871 Census finds Emma aged "8" with her siblings, mother, step-father William and step-siblings living at 30, Deal Street in Salford. Also in the household was a 6-month-old boy Francis Hampson [Birth Index: Salford 8d 127, 1870 (Sept)], son of Emma's sister Mary Ann (1) (nee Stubbs) who had married John Hampson at St. Simon's in Salford in 1865. Emma's step-sister Sarah Ann Gaffin died aged "18" in 1872 [Death Index: Salford 8d 41, 1872 (Sept)]. Emma's mother Hannah died on August 5th 1877. The death certificate [Death Index: Salford 8d 42, 1877 (Sept)] describes her as "Ann Gaffin" aged "55". She died from chronic bronchitis and dropsy at her home 30, Deal Street in Salford, the informant being William Gaffin, a bread baker, present at the death. He died aged "69" in 1880 [Death Index: Salford 8d 43, 1880 (Sept)]. Neither Emma nor many of her siblings have been found in the 1881 Census despite repeated and extensive efforts. It now seems most likely that they eluded enumeration.
Further details of Emma and her Stubbs ancestry can be found on this page in the Stubbs Family History website.
A pre-WW1 photograph of Quay Street, doubtless looking much as it had done in the 1880s, can be viewed on this page. There were several streets with this name in the area. The map below makes clear which one J1L's family lived in, highlighting both Quay Street and nearby Wood Street. Spaw Street is also visible, intersecting with Browncross Street.
J1L and Emma were living at 13, Quay Street in 1885 when their child William Henry (1) was born. J1L was then working as a greengrocer.
The 1891 Census finds J1L and Emma with various children living at 14, Quay Street. He was now working as a lodging-house keeper. He had 10 unmarried lodgers there, from whom he must have been extracting a handsome amount of rent.
In 1893, when their son Harold (2) was born, they were still at 14, Quay Street. J1L was then described as a hawker.
The 1900 Slater's Directory for Salford lists J1L as an owner of two houses (probably Nos. 13 and 14, Quay Street).
The 1901 Census finds J1L and some of his children still living at 14, Quay Street, described as a "common lodging house". He was again described as a lodging-house keeper, on his "own account working at home". He again had 10 lodgers in the property, besides two servants. Emma was no longer with him. It is known from anecdotal family evidence that she and J1L had separated. Attempts to ascertain her own whereabouts in 1901 have not succeeded.
He died in 1902. The death certificate [Death Index: Salford 8d 86, 1902 (June)] states that he died aged 55 on June 17th 1902. The cause of death was "chronic Bright's disease - suppression of urine". He died at his home 14, Quay Street and his occupation was cited as lodging-house proprietor. His son Samuel George (1) was the informant. He was buried on June 21st at the Weaste Cemetery in Salford.
The 1911 Census finds Emma and her son Frank (1) living with a man named Richard ("Dick") Tootill, both purporting to have been married to each other for one year (this was untrue). Richard was occupied as an electric car [tram] cleaner and Frank (1) as an errand boy. They were living at 27, Pemberton Street in the Cheetham district of Manchester. Emma gave her birth as "40" (but actually 48).
On September 30th 1916 Emma and Richard ("Dick") Tootill married [Marriage Index: Salford 8d 24, 1916 (Sept)]. Richard was born in Salford [Birth Index: Salford 8d 91, 1877 (Dec)] to parents James Tootill (a wheelwright) and his wife Louisa Ann (nee Stevens), who had married at Manchester Cathedral on July 19th 1874 [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 276, 1874 (Sept)]. The 1881 Census finds Richard at age "3" living with his parents and widowed grandmother at 3, Dixon Street in Salford. The 1901 Census finds his parents living at 7, Dixon Street [PRO Ref: RG13 Piece 3728 Folio 133 Page 34].
Emma died from oesophagal cancer at her home 97, Walnut Street in Salford on December 6th 1940 [Death Index: Salford 8d 903, 1940 (Dec)]. The informant was her husband Richard, now occupied as a Corporation bus cleaner. The certificate cites her age upon death as "72" but it was actually 78.