Joseph (3) Livesey

Brief biography

Joseph (3) Livesey was born in Salford around 1894 to parents Samuel George (1) Livesey and his wife Frances Ann Stead [Birth Index: Salford 8d 157, 1894 (Dec)]. He was baptized in Salford on October 6th 1894 [IGI: Film No. 1786461].

The 1901 Census finds him at age 6 living with his parents at 4, Tamworth Street in Salford.

The 1911 Census finds him at age "16" living with his mother and siblings at 36, Granville Street in Salford. He was occupied as a steam crane worker on the Manchester Ship Canal.

On the outbreak of the Great War he enlisted with the Army, attesting on September 3rd 1914 and joining the 10th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on the following day, being assigned the Service Number 15117. His service record survives in the National Archives [WO 363/L 839]. His attestation form gives his age as 19 years and 11 months, his occupation as a labourer and his parish as St. Clements in Salford. His medical history form, however, gives his age as 19 years and 4 months. His height was just under 5 feet 6 inches and his weight not much more than 9 stone. His eyes were blue.

He was posted on September 15th 1914. On April 28th 1915 he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal (paid). On May 21st, at Andover, he was admonished for some minor neglect of duty. On July 31st he embarked for France at Folkestone. On September 11th 2015 he was promoted to Corporal. On March 22nd 1916 he was admitted to a hospital with some kind of poisoning, possibly from German gas weapons. He rejoined his battalion on March 30th. The next entry on his casualty form states simply "Killed in Action" on June 27th 1916. Other pages state this date with the qualifier "Place not stated". His personal effects returned to his family included - or perhaps entirely consisted of - his regulation whistle. He is buried or commemorated at the Bienvillers Cemetery, section II.C.8. in France, the inscription reading "O Jesus open thou they heart and let him rest therein".